Inclusion in Community – Luke 14:15-25
Part One
An Ideal Dinner Party
If you were to host the ideal dinner party, whom would you invite? Chances are the average person would invite
their favorite celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and athletics. Relative to your profession, would you invite
the most significant people in your field?
Assuredly, you would invite your boss to impress him or her. Would you include any political, business or
educational leaders? How many and what
type of people would you include in your dinner party community?
Would your guest list include any marginalized people? What about recovering alcoholics and drug
addicts who live in halfway houses?
Chances are these people have not had a formal meal in a while if
ever. What about “illegal immigrants”
who fear for their physical safety and the stability of their families? There are many poor senior citizens who daily
choose between medications, food and gasoline.
Would any of them make your list?
Lastly, what about the tens of thousands of children in foster care who
have never known what is means to have your own bedroom? Would you give them an opportunity to
experience a formal meal setting?
In creating a community whether a dinner party, civic organization or
church, it is important to consider who is missing as well as who is
present. Today’s lesson challenges us to
examine our tendencies toward self-promotion.
Few people associate with people who offer nothing in return. If you ever eavesdrop upon lunchtime
restaurant conversations, you overhear invitations to play golf, socialize and
otherwise collaborate because in the end all parties involve can benefit
materially and financially. Many annual
awards ceremonies center upon likable people who cycle recognition amongst
themselves and their acquaintances. Again,
the question arises about who is left out.
Is there a community where everyone belongs? Is there a place where anyone will be
included regardless of who he is and what he has or has not done? Is there a community with an open admission
policy? The Church is that
community! Everyone should be included
in the Church. Yet, local churches often
struggle with their practice of this Christlike principle of including everyone.
Biblical Background
Luke, a Gentile, writes his gospel with the purpose of reassuring his
readers that the kingdom
of God
The evangelist reminds us that God’s favor is not to be sought but is
given graciously by Almighty God Himself.
Humility always supercedes status seeking and striving to maintain our
names on the “A List” social registry. A
major theme of Luke’s gospel is God’s partiality toward the poor, crippled,
lame and blind. The Lord in bringing
them to the banquet and issuing an invitation on the highways exercises a
preferential option toward these marginalized and disenfranchised persons. Mostly, these people respond favorably to the
Lord’s love because they are happy to be noticed at all. In comparison, the evangelist warns against
people who practice self-importance and self-promotion because they are busy
with business, property and marital affairs.
In opposition to this worldly concept, God makes room for everyone and
provides a seat at the banquet table for anyone who comes. He does so out of the limitless love that
fills His infinite heart.
Therefore, the previous distinctions of “chosen” people intersect with
the new covenant. The “chosen” people
become those persons who choose to respond humbly and sincerely to the Lord’s
invitation to abundant and eternal life in Christ. Saying to Him is the only requirement for
inclusion in the community of faith.
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