Imagine you were planning a wedding, who would you invite? Or if you were planning a party?
In Jesus’ day, people held banquets, these were an opportunity to celebrate, and perhaps a way to move up in society, or at least to get a nice invitation back for a dinner. It was a sort of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” kind of world. Not too different to today.
But Jesus turns things on their heads. He says when you invite people over, don’t just think about who will repay the favour, think about who you can serve.
“When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…” (Luke 14:13)
Here is God’s guest list, the priority for God is those that others overlook. Jesus is saying, make your life about serving others, serve those that others ignore. What dignity Jesus gives to every human. Every human is made in the image of God, our world might say some lives aren’t worth living. A doctor may recommend a termination, politicians may push for euthanasia, but Jesus says those the world views as least, are the ones who should get our love and attention.
Why is that? Perhaps it’s a helpful picture of an uncomfortable reality, all of us our poor and needy before God. None of us can ever begin to repay God, and yet in his mercy, Jesus came for people like us. He gave his life to serve people who could never repay him. Incredibly, he offers to repay those who serve him with their lives. Notice how v14 finishes:
“…and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
What joy there will be in the resurrection when we are feasting with Jesus, and all poverty and disability is no more. So why not seek to maximise your joy, by looking out for those that others may ignore and invite them over and show them Christ’s love.
How can you seek to include those that the world so often ignores or oppresses, the asylum seekers, the disabled, the poor?
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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