2 September 2007

Luke 14:1, 7-14

The theme, this past July, of the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), was “Share the Feast.” Picking up on that theme, the Gay/Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance (GLAD) selected their own theme of “Jesus’ Diner.” “Jesus’ Diner—Always Open, All God’s Children Served” was the slogan. Of course, the GLAD booth didn’t serve any meals but the theme was carried through. “Jesus Diner” reminded us that Jesus would serve anyone. No need for those “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” signs that you see everywhere. No indeed not. Jesus is not going to exclude anyone from his diner. That’s what we believe at least.

And it’s supported by today’s gospel lesson from Luke. Jesus gives some etiquette lessons in our reading today; some thoughts about how to behave when you’re both a guest and a host at a dinner. Jesus knows that things are really awry when it comes to meals in his time and works to set that aright.

The scriptures are full of meals and rules about eating. Jesus’ proclamations just add to them. From the wandering Israelites receiving manna in the desert, to the Jewish dietary laws, to Jesus’ many meals described in the gospels, to what we call the Last Supper through to the urging of Paul to share meals with the poor in the epistles, we find food throughout the Bible. It’s clearly an important topic. And Jesus just adds to that importance today.

Jesus is invited to a meal with a leader of the Pharisees in today’s passage. And he was being watched closely as they already had it in for him, it seems. He got to the meal and saw the guests all jockeying for positions of honor at the table. Jesus told them that It’s better to aim low, sitting at a position of less honor and be brought up than aim high and be shot down. Jesus turns this into a life lesson at the end by saying, “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

As he was giving these instructions to the guests, no doubt the host was there glad that he had escaped notice and wasn’t included in Jesus’ teachings this day. But then Jesus turned to him and gave out a lesson that is for all hosts. Don’t make your meals a cause for return and repayment. Don’t invite over people who will repay you in kind for your meals. Instead invite in “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” In other words, invite people who don’t have the ability to repay you. Invite in those whose resources are less than yours. Don’t do it necessarily as an act of charity, but because you will be repaid at the resurrection, according to Jesus.

Do we take this hosting advice seriously today? I know in our household, we do so little hosting, that when we do, repayment is the last thing on our minds. But we don’t exactly go out to Haight Street and invite in the homeless who throng that thoroughfare. I doubt most of us would do so either though.

But I’m actually more concerned about another time of hosting. What about that meal that is served here every week, week after week? We don’t technically host it, but we certainly control the guest list to this meal. Of course, I’m talking about the meal in which we’re about to partake: the holy meal that sums up everything about eating that’s in the Bible; communion; the lord’s supper; the eucharist.

What does our communion meal look like? Is it set up for those who can repay us? Or do we invite in those who don’t have the resources to return in kind to us? We proclaim that we celebrate an open table; anyone can participate in this meal with us. Nothing will bar someone who wishes to sup with us; not economic status, nor class, nor race, nor age, nor gender, nor sexual orientation, nor physical ability, nor mental capacity nor anything else. Nothing, we proclaim is a bar to this table.

That’s all well and good but do we actually invite others to dine with us? Do we actually take the time to say to someone who may have been rejected elsewhere, “Come, dine with us at this holy meal.”? “Come to this meal, where you will find God’s love and Jesus’ companionship.” Are we open and invitational when it comes to others, not like ourselves perhaps?

A few weeks ago, when our visioning committee met, we spoke of being a bridge; a bridge between the haves and have-nots of this community, of the peninsula. We could see ourselves reaching out on both sides: to those without resources who have great need and to those who have those very resources that others lack.

We have to be more than just open to others joining us. We have to be an invitational church. We have to go out and bid people in. We have to find those who don’t know how hungry they are for this meal and request their presence in our midst.

And we do so not expecting repayment. We aren’t called to do so to swell our worship attendance, a reason I very well could be guilty of wanting. We aren’t called to do so so our budget will balance. We aren’t called to do so for any earthly reason. But we are called to do so for heavenly reasons.

Because Jesus himself invites those we might pass by to this meal. We are called to ask others who aren’t like us to come to this holy repast as Jesus’ voice. We must do so because it is Jesus’ meal and we are merely the conduits through which the invitation is expressed.

We are given opportunities to know God’s love and welcome acceptance each and every week. We can’t keep it to ourselves. We must invite others to know this love and acceptance. It is our call. It is our responsibility.

We have to be “Jesus’ Diner—Always open, All God’s Children Served.”