Sunday Inspiration: Sunday, July 7, 2024
Thanksgiving at my grandmother's house always included fighting over certain chairs. It was not the place of great honor at the "grown-up" table but who got to sit at the child's table with the grandkids.
My grandmother was a wonderful person, but with a captive audience, she enjoyed asking penetrating questions. She asked to learn what had been going on in your life and help you see things differently. But when the entire family was in the room, you only wanted to eat turkey and sweet potato casserole in peace and harmony.
So, as married men with kids, my two brothers and I would fight over who got to sit at the kid's table with the great-grandkids. We were not looking for a place of honor but a place to keep from having our life laid bare at the table along with the turkey and dressing.
If you want a peaceful, quiet, and boring holiday meal, make sure my grandmother isn't on the guest list. However, she is in good company. Jesus always seemed to be disrupting a good meal.
It was Sabbath, and Jesus had been invited to the home of a Pharisee. Before he could wash his hands, a man with a sickness confronted Jesus, demanding to be healed. Jesus turned to his guest, the religious leaders and interpreters of the law, and asked, “Is it okay if I heal this man?” They refused to speak. Jesus heals him. They grunt in disgust under their breath.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Jesus stands back, watching how everyone seeks out the seats of honor at the head of the table. You got to be first to get that leg of lamb. There may not be any left when it reaches the table's end. As people are seated, Jesus tells a story. He says, “What if someone of greater reputation to you was invited to the dinner, and you happened to get there first and sit in their seat? It will be pretty embarrassing when you are asked to get up so they can have a seat.” Jesus continues, “It is better to sit at the end of the table and have the host say to you, ‘Come take a seat up here with me,’ than to be made a fool by your pride.”
And the dinner guests grunt in disgust under their breath.
Who is this man invited to a dinner thrown in his honor, and before the first dish is passed around, he has already made it uncomfortable? Jesus could have arrived and simply followed the rules. He could have overlooked the man who needed healing. He could have sat where he was assigned and not made a fuss about where other people were seated. And yet, that is not who Jesus was.
One of the guests tried to get Jesus to engage in some theological conversation. He said, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” This phrase is about the messianic banquet at the coming end of time. The prophet Isaiah foretold that when the Messiah arrived, he would set up a banquet on the mountain of God, and “the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines” (Isaiah 25: 6). As this guest looked around and saw all the whos who of the religious world, men of status and influence, with power and wealth, he saw it as reflecting what he believed God intended to take place in the kingdom of God.
Jesus said let me tell you a story that will give you a better understanding of who will be dining in the kingdom of God. Jesus says, “Invitations were sent out, but everyone had excuses. My golf game requires some attention. The lake has been calling my name. My bed kept me pulled under the covers. The excuses kept rolling in. So, according to Jesus, the master of the house in the story told his servant to go out and give an invitation to those who never get invited. Invite the ones who can’t afford braces for their children, whose hygiene keeps us at a distance, and who only have one coat to last them through the winter. Invite the ones who never got asked to a high school dance. Ignore the attention-getters. Overlook the ones who overlook the needy, go after the overlooked, and invite them to dinner. Don’t invite them because the privileged might feel good about themselves for making a seat at the table. Invite them because I am the host, and this table has been set for them, Jesus says.
When the call has gone out, and there is still room, Jesus demands that the announcement continue until every seat is filled.
All this inviting, insisting, and making room at the table has put those of us who felt we already had a place at the table in a weird predicament. Have you ever been in a situation where you said under your breath, “I can’t believe she was invited. Who sent him an invitation to this party?”
I had a wedding once where, just before the ceremony, the bride's father approached me and said, “Don’t worry about the two paid security guards at the door. We don’t think she will do anything crazy, but if she does, we are prepared.” I never knew who he was talking about, and my second thought was, whoever she was, why was she invited if she was going to cause such a scene?
If left up to me, there should be limits on who is invited. And then again, if the invitation were based on my requirements, I would have never gotten an invitation. And that is the wonder of grace. Grace doesn’t stop the moment we get our invitation. Grace continues when we are asked to give up our seats and take our place as part of the wedding party commissioned to give out the invitations.
“Compel them” is an invitation for us. It is an invitation to invite someone new to our table, share a meal with someone who needs it, and genuinely live out the message of inclusion and love. Imagine our seats filled not only with the people we have grown comfortable with but also with those who rarely get an invitation. Picture the joy of a gathering where everyone feels welcomed and valued regardless of status or situation. Let’s reach out to those who may feel left out. Let’s embody the spirit of grace and hospitality. Let’s invite someone new to our table and share a meal with someone who needs it. Together, we can make our gatherings reflect the kingdom of God, where everyone has a place and no one is left out.
Holy Communion is a foretaste of that heavenly feast, a sacred meal at which we encounter Christ's presence and experience God's grace.
All are invited to this table. It does not matter who you are or where you come from; the invitation is for you. As we partake in the bread and the cup, let us do so with hearts open to God's love and grace. Let us lay aside our excuses and distractions and come with gratitude and reverence.
The table is set, and the feast is prepared. And look, by the grace of God alone, your name is on the invitation. Welcome to the table of God!
Jamey
Discussion Questions
Why do you think Jesus chose to disrupt social norms at meals? What message was he trying to convey through his actions and stories?
The sermon speaks about grace and inclusion. How do you understand the concept of grace in your life, and how can it be extended to others in your community?
Reflect on the excuses people made in Jesus' story to avoid the banquet. What modern-day excuses do we use to avoid meaningful engagements or responsibilities?
The sermon describes Jesus as the ultimate host who invites everyone. How can we embody the role of a gracious host in our personal and professional lives?
What practical steps can we take to ensure that our gatherings and interactions reflect the kingdom of God, where everyone feels welcomed and valued?
Prayer
Lord, help us not seek the places of honor but where we can serve and love others. Teach us to invite those often overlooked to share our tables and lives with those in need. May our gatherings reflect Your kingdom, where everyone has a place, and no one is left out.
Forgive us for the times we have clung to our comfort and pride. Fill us with Your love and humility so we can welcome others with open hearts and open arms. Guide us to be Your hands and feet in this world, reaching out to those who need Your grace.
Thank You for including us in Your family and for the boundless grace that makes it possible.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.
Benediction
As we go forth from this place, may we carry the spirit of Christ, who welcomed all to His table and showed us the true meaning of grace and hospitality.
May we seek not places of honor but places where we can serve and uplift others. May our lives be a testament to the boundless love of God, inviting those who are overlooked and extending kindness to those in need.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit guide your steps, filling you with compassion and courage to live out the call to love and inclusion.
Go now, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to love and serve the Lord, making every table you sit at a reflection of God's kingdom.
Amen.