12th Sunday after Pentecost
Text: Luke 14:1, 7-14
Pastor Jean M. Hansen
Any day … is a good day … to make someone’s life better.
That’s what we decided could be the theme of the Gospel lesson last Sunday. In it, Jesus set a woman free from an ailment that trapped her in a bent-over position for 18 years. When the leader of the synagogue complained that Jesus should not have done so on the Sabbath, and in fact had defiled the day and all involved by doing so, Jesus basically announced that any day is a good day to make someone’s life better.
Well, the scene is being replayed in today’s Gospel lesson, although the verses that tell us that were skipped in the lectionary, probably because of their similarity to last week’s text. But, for the sake of context, we need to look at verses 2-6.
We read in verse one that Jesus was on his way to a Pharisee’s house for a Sabbath meal. That seems odd, since he often was at odds with the Jewish religious leaders, and yet he was invited to this event. The verse indicates why this might be the case; it says, “They were watching him closely.” Maybe this is an example of keeping one’s enemies close.
On the way to the dinner, perhaps even at the doorway of the Pharisee’s home, Jesus encounters a man who has “dropsy”, which we would call edema. It’s a condition in which there’s excess fluid built up in the body, potentially making it difficult to walk and breathe, probably because of heart failure. Still, it’s not an emergency and could have been addressed the next day. But since the Pharisees are watching, Jesus wants to make it worth their time. So, he asks, “Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath, or not?”
Surprisingly, we read that that the religious leaders did not respond to Jesus’ question. Maybe they were remembering how he shamed the leader of the synagogue when the bent-over-woman was healed. Jesus then healed the man and sent him away, and reminded the Pharisees and lawyers that they surely would save livestock that was in danger on the Sabbath, so why not a person? Therefore, any day is a good day to make someone’s life better. It’s noted that they could not reply to Jesus. Were they short on words, or perhaps collecting evidence, biding their time until they can successfully bring charges against him.
So, now we come to the verses that were read this morning. Jesus entered the Pharisee’s home and was watching the guests, just as his opponents were watching him. He offered, in the form of a parable, what might be construed as practical advice. Do not vie for the seat closest to the host or the guest of honor, that is, the seat of honor, he said. How embarrassing it would be if you were asked to move when someone more important arrived! Instead, take the lowest seat and then enjoy the honor of being asked to move closer.
But Jesus was doing more than offering tips to avoid embarrassment and to put oneself in a positive light. He made it clear that humility is a valued characteristic of Jesus’ followers, and in God’s reign, the ways of the world are flipped upside down. A person’s well-being is more important than following rules that keep them bound, so any day, and especially the Sabbath, is a good day to heal suffering and make someone’s life better. And, in God’s reign, all who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted; the last are first and the first are last. That sentiment is clear in what comes next.
Jesus approached the one who invited him and, no doubt much to the host’s chagrin, and told him to change his guest list the next time he entertains. It’s important to remember that hosting a dinner would have been labor-intensive, expensive and it was often done to impress or manipulate the guests for the host’s benefit. (Perhaps not so different from some setting today.)
The guest list is too narrow, Jesus said. Instead of inviting family, friends, neighbors, business associates, people in power from whom one may benefit, or those whose presence one enjoys, and who can return the favor, invite the ones who are socially and religiously excluded. Invite the poor, Jesus said, the crippled, the lame, the blind, that is, the very ones who cannot repay you.
As Pastor JoAnn Taylor notes, “It was time to throw out the old guest list of relatives and members of the same social class and replace it with a list of people who would never be the natural choice, people who could never return the favor.” Or to give Jesus’ words broader context, “It was time to throw out the old order of self-promotion and realize that we are all in need of grace and mercy in the eyes of God. And, if we are in equal need of grace, how can we continue to participate in a system that places more value on some people and less value on others?” (1)
We should intentionally embrace those with whom we may feel uncomfortable or who do not benefit us, or at least how that happens is not immediately apparent. This might be a good time to reflect on who tends to make our “guest lists”, both individually and as a congregation. Who do we tend to eat with? Who is invited to our gatherings? How might the Holy Spirit be prompting us as a community to expand our guest list?
We are constantly reminded is scripture that there’s a Divine preference for the least, the last and the lonely, and Jesus makes that clear over and over again. Those who are unimportant in the eyes of the world are not only invited to the table but are honored there.
Listen to this story told about Charles Campbell, who at the time taught at Duke Divinity School, and a man named Michael. “Dr. Campbell was standing on a platform in Atlanta waiting for a subway train when a homeless man he had met walked over to stand with him. He said, ‘Remember me? I’m Michael – just like an angel.’
As they chatted, Michael told him about his ongoing search for a job and expressed gratitude for the many ways God was taking care of him. When the train arrived, they boarded, sat down together, and continued their conversation. (What an example this is of doing what Jesus asked us to do. How many people would encourage such a conversation?)
At one point Charles asked Michael where he had eaten on Labor Day – a difficult day for homeless people in Atlanta because a number of places close. Michael said he had eaten at the Open Door Community, a Christian community that serves about 400 people a day. Michael’s eyes grew wide as he described the huge helping of “real pinto beans” and the generous portion of corn bread “this thick.” Charles said, ‘That sounds great; how many people were at the meal?
Michael stared at him for a few moments, then announced in a loud voice for everyone on the train to hear: ‘Thousands! There were thousands! They came from north and south, east and west. There were thousands!’” (2)
Could it be that Michael had caught a glimpse of that great and glorious day when all will gather at the table of the Lord? It’s a vision to which we aspire, because on that day, the guest list will be all-inclusive and every seat will be a seat of honor. AMEN
(1) “Where Will You Sit? - Luke 14:1, 7-14”, by Pastor JoAnn Taylor, September 1, 2013, www.apastorsings.com
(2) “A Place at the Table” by Gregory Knox Jones, Luke 14:1, 7-14, September 8, 2013, www.wpc.org