Luke 14:13
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Chapter 14
Jesus at a Pharisee's House1
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.2
There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.3
Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”4But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.
5Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son[1] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?”6And they had nothing to say.
7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:8
“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.9
If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.10
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12Then Jesus said to his host,
“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors;
if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,14
and you will be blessed.
Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
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Jesus kept going against the social grain. He kept trying to tell people that their priorities were whacked- totally misplaced; that the people constructed their own golden calves and false idols to be socially secure in their own socially esteemed acceptable constructions, beautiful as they were, while at the same time completely quashing the Spirit of Life which was supposed to underlie the rules and laws-and that the rules and the laws were supposed to serve ("I CAME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY"). The laws and rules are for the maximal expression and fulfillment of Life, Love and Joy. Not the other way around.
The Pharisees elevated the rules over Love and Life and exhaulted their expertise in them above the progres of Love. They had it bass-ackwards. Some of them (by other names) sadly still do.
Of course you can break Sabbath to heal someone- the Sabbath was created for man not man for the Sabbath. You would pull your mule out of a hole if it fell into one on the Sabbath wouldn't you? Why shouldn't you heal a human? This violated the "law" concerning do no "work" on the Sabbath according to the Pharisees. The interpretation of the law was inconsistent with the principle underlying the law and thus the Pharisee was just flat wrong.
The prideful look, the haughty glance, the imperious disdain that the condemning Pharisees were famous for, will be brought low every time, because it elevates something above the Law of Love, which is at the Heart of the Creator, and extols one expert at it in a self-laudatory fashion. It is a form of hubris, elevating oneself about the creator, whose very essence is Love.
Pride is here exemplified in two instances; someone presumes himself worthy of the head table when a more honored guest might be coming, and someone throws a Feast and thinks he is too good to invite in the litany of oestensible smelly low lifes who can't pay him back for it.
What does Jesus conclude? --you are right Mr. Pharisee- keep the scum out on the street so no one smells bad at your fancy party? No, he says your reward will be great if you let the others in. Don't just throw a feast for the fancy- invite in the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind- the person on SSI, the unemployed, the homeless, the wierd looking ones, the guy who needs a shave. Invite them all in-even though they cannot pay you back. Because your reward will be paid back, you will get your check, at the Resurrection of the Righteous.
Well, our social outreach committe has to have an accurate count so we know how much food to make? Remember the loaves and fishes? How baskets were left over. Send someone out to the 7-11 if more folks show up. Have an extra lasagna in the freezer.
It's Christmas for Heaven's Sake.
Humble yourself in the Sight of the Lord, and he will raise you up.
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