Luke 14

Luke 14:12-14
12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

This passage made me smile today as I read it. The first reason was trivial: I smiled picturing Jesus using the word “luncheon.” I don’t know what word Jesus would have used in Aramaic, but the TNIV translators from Luke’s Greek decided luncheon was the right term. That’s just great!

The second reason I smiled was because I could picture the beauty of these instructions enacted. Someone would snub all their family at Thanksgiving either by not inviting any of them to dinner or by turning down all their invitations. The family would be confused and slightly annoyed until they realized the alternative meal that was being hosted. The person would have planned a Thanksgiving feast with all the fixings (including a vegetarian option), but instead of asking the usual guests to attend, less fortunate people were invited. Most didn’t accept the invitation because it was slightly humiliating or uncomfortable or just too odd. Those who came though, had a fantastic time!

I don’t know what being “repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” means, but I don’t think the rewards would be slow in coming at all. At the very least the novelty of the event would create peculiar and priceless looks on the faces of both guests and others who heard about it. That might be reward enough. Everyone involved would be thankful and new relationships would be forged. Some of them might last though most may not, but at least for one meal the story lines of people intersected to the benefit of all. The reward wouldn't be tangible or fully describable, but it'd be important.

I do find it interesting that this teaching from Jesus comes right after what he said in verses 7-11:
7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

This part doesn’t make me smile in the same way. It doesn’t come across as selfless or humble like maybe it’s supposed to. To me it seems underhanded and sly. It’s taking a risk for the potential of a greater and immediate reward. It’s playing the system and seems completely selfish, though in a less obvious way. Maybe I just don’t understand the cultural norms enough for this part of Jesus’ teaching to light up my imagination and cause me to smile. Perhaps if I attended a 1st century Middle Eastern luncheon or dinner then I’d understand a little better. Until that happens though, I think I'll enjoy Jesus' second teaching.