We Are Children of the Banquet Host

I am sure this has ended up in a larger format, a sermon, as the lessons for last Sunday are what prompted my thoughts for today. 

In the 14th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is invited to a dinner and he begins to speak about place.  That is where do you get to sit in the banquet.  He is borrowing from Proverbs when he talks about choosing a place low down so that you may be invited up, rather than choosing a place of honor and being asked to move lower.  Then comes the often-quoted verse 11, “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 

Then Jesus talks about whom you invite to your lunch or dinner.  He suggests that you invite those who cannot repay you.  Those who will never have a place nice enough to ask you over, such as the homeless and the infirm.  Sure, this sounds exactly like Jesus to talk about the least of these.  Doesn't He say in Matthew 25, "Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me”?

I used think these were totally separate stories just put together by Luke.  But I suddenly realized something today.  Jesus is turning the tables on us for a very specific reason.

These stories are not just about place settings at lunch.  These stories are about all of life.  When we walk around worried about how we are treated and even when we play humble, we are acting like we are guests who should be concerned about how we are treated and what place we have.  But Jesus wants us to look at all of life differently. 

We are the heirs of the kingdom.  Jesus says in Luke 12, "It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  So we are to live as if we are the host at the party and be gracious to all. 

In the grocery store line we will then be less worried about how the tired clerk treats us and more about how we treat her.  Just think about it as if all of life is a reception and you are the host.  Okay, as I wrote those words I realized that could get pretty tiring.  I think of all the work that a parishioner put into her daughter’s wedding and how glad in some ways she is that it is over.  So no, actually we are children of the host.

When I was a little girl my parents occasionally had parties for adult friends.  I got to stay up long enough to greet them, and because I was in charge of nothing I could be bright and shining and welcoming to them all, and I brought a smile to all their faces.  That is the truth about the Christian life.  God is in charge of the banquet and we are God's beloved children.  I t is just our job to be welcoming to all.

Lord, help us to see ourselves as your blessed children and heirs so that we might welcome others to the kingdom.  Amen

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Copyright © 2007, The Rev. Dana Reardon. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Email her at mspastor@aol.com.



The Rev. Dana Reardon is pastor at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Warwick, RI.  A lifelong Lutheran, she came to ordained ministry after 21 years in nursing, mostly in pediatric intensive care.  She graduated from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1998 and served 4 ½ years in Upstate New York before becoming a New Englander.  She is still trying to understand the accent.  While in the Upstate New York Synod she chaired the Stewardship Team.  That began her fascination with what makes stewards -- and more, what makes for generosity. She has three amazing daughters: Pastor Reardon says much of what she knows of life she learned from them.