Luke 14:1,7-14

1 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.
  7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “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, 9 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. 10 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. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
  12 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 and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Open your doors and your hearts to find unexpected blessings in Jesus Christ.

Last week I spoke about special offers, that propose you will get something for free. Today’s gospel features an invitation to a special meal, so people are being treated to a free meal. But like so many offers that look like a great deal, there is something else going on, something that will end up having expectations that will cost you. So, we have become cautious about offers that sound a little too good. It is wise to pay attention and investigate what is actually going on. Luke tells of Jesus being at the home of an important leader of the Pharisees, invited to a meal on the Sabbath.  This leader and many of the guests were said to be watching Jesus closely. Jesus had been known to say and do things that were outside the norm. It is evident that Jesus was also watching them and because of what he witnessed, he tells them a parable. Often a little story was able to convey his message more effectively than a lecture. 

His story was about important people at a banquet. (That sounds familiar.) The potential for receiving a put down was always possible at such events because social status was visually apparent, seen by how honorable your placement at the table was. The story relates how to avoid such shaming. If you choose to seat yourself in the ‘cheap seats’, your host will no doubt come to invite you to sit in a better place, elevating your worth in front of others. Jesus was promoting humble behaviors. 

In our culture we have other ways to indicate social status, beyond seating arrangements. We compete by what name brands we wear, which vehicle we drive, and the houses we live in. We have found many ways to rank ourselves, in an effort to appear more important. VIP seems to be a significant and sought after title. Jesus would have us live in a different world, in a community called the kingdom of God. In that place, humility is valued, not status.

Jesus then continued the lesson with his host, so he would come to see from where true blessings came. He tells him to invite to his meals those who are unable to repay him with reciprocal invitations. “Invite,” he says, “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” Those were the outcast in that society, the ones who had no source of income beyond begging. They really needed a good meal and a place to connect with others, for they were isolated from their neighbors. But there would be no social gain for the who did the inviting.  In fact, it could be said about that one, as it was about Jesus – he welcomed and ate with tax collectors and sinners.

This lesson is about more than eating well and being included in parties. There can be many situations that cause us to become someone on the outside looking in. Crises of health, tragedy, and any number of uncomfortable circumstances can create vulnerable situations where we need compassionate understanding and attention. Making sure those who don’t seem to fit in, do get included, is what Jesus hopes to accomplish among us.

Perhaps you saw the story on CBS News on May 25th that told of Julie Moore’s legacy.

During the Civil War, the military had no formal casualty notification system — occasionally, families of fallen soldiers would receive a letter. Beginning with World War I and through the Vietnam War era, the military sent telegrams, delivered by taxicabs.

 Then an Army wife named Julia Moore (known as Julie) stepped up.

 Julie Moore’s husband, Hal, was a highly regarded lieutenant colonel serving in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. With her husband deployed, Julie raised the couple’s five children alone. She also served as a Red Cross volunteer and as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader as a means of connecting with other military families.

 One day a taxi pulled up in front of Julie’s house. Fearing the worst, Julie refused to answer the doorbell but eventually found the courage to open the door. It turned out the driver needed directions.

 In that moment, Julie realized what it was like for a family to receive an impersonal telegram delivered by taxi with the news they feared most. Julie was horrified at the callousness of the system. She immediately resolved that no family should get that telegram without someone being there with them. Julie made a deal with the local Western Union office: they would call her whenever a telegram came and Julie would follow the driver to the door, ensuring that no family received the devastating news alone. Inspired by her example and moved by her advocacy, the Army instituted the policy of delivering notices by trained, uniformed personnel.

Julie’s son Dave Moore said that his mother’s legacy led to the Army “taking responsibility for delivering these telegrams to the wives and personally care for the spouse during that time of cathartic change.

 “It’s not a legacy she asked for; it’s a legacy she built towards. A hero rises to the moment and achieves great things.”

The humility that is like Christ’s, is the ability to see others as God sees them and become a means of sharing the grace God brings. We are to create a place and a means to provide support and compassion for others which calls us to be humble, putting others before ourselves and our comfort. We are part of a community realizing we are not the center of all things. We need to learn to express our gratitude for the blessings we have received and pass them on.