SCRIPTURE
Time after Pentecost - Lectionary 22
Luke 14:1, 7-14 (NRSV)
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. ...
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
DEVOTION
Today I am struck by the call to humility and Christian service in today's Gospel lesson.
It is a simple thing--humility--but so hard to live out, for it is our human nature to desire the respect and admiration of those around us.
The world teaches us that in order to gain that respect and admiration we must be rich, famous, and socially acceptable.
As we claw our way up the social ladder, we often fail to even notice the people whose heads we crush as we blindly pursue that which will never satisfy the emptiness in our hearts.
I have heard it said that inside of every human being is a God-sized hole that nothing but God can ever fill (Pascal). Sadly, we attempt to fill it with money, drugs, alcohol, sex, fame, stuff, stuff, and more stuff, but it never works!
Instead, the more we acquire, the less satisfied we feel and the more we are required to continue our tireless quest.
Today, scripture teaches us that true happiness occurs when we step off of the treadmill and run into the arms and will of God.
It is God's desire that we walk in humility and that we respect and welcome all of God's children as Christ! As we are able, we are called to serve the least of these amongst us. In Jesus' day it was the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. In our day, it is the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, sick, war-ravaged, AIDS infected, drug addicted, depressed, suicidal and/or penniless amongst us.
Wouldn't The Church of Christ be a sight if we really lived into the commandment to welcome these to our banquet table? Wouldn't our churches look vastly different than the world if we put aside race, national origin, color, sex, age, class, and/or ability and instead looked into the eyes and heart of all of God's children created in the image and likeness of God?
We could truly be a Light unto the nations, if church folks would just stop scrapping for stuff and start loving everybody, as Christ loved us...
It will be a great day when we stop allowing worldly divisions to tear us asunder and we choose to live in humility, love, and service all the days of our lives.
Lord, may it be so, in Jesus' Name!
Let us pray: Lord, please give me a loving, humble, and servant heart, as I follow you. Please help me to put aside selfish gain and petty vanity and seek to do your will on earth until you come from heaven. I love you so much; please take my life and help me to use it in service to The Kingdom of Love. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen
INVITATION
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