You know that question that we sometimes use for a conversation starter, “Who are the three people in all of history that you would like to have over for dinner?”
Inevitably Jesus shows up on the invitation list.
The biblical witness is that pretty much everyone who had Jesus over for dinner regretted it.
Jesus was a horrible dinner guest.
The dinners were always memorable but rarely enjoyable.
Ever been stuck at table at one of those?
He was always the rude guest whose insights were all too perceptive and piercing, not so much constructive criticism or verbal jousting as just pulling the rug out from under how we see the world.
He seems to play along at first with the conventional wisdom of how to maneuver social occasions so that we won’t be embarrassed while at the same time being elevated above the crowd. But then he gets strange.
He doesn’t say take a lower place, he says take the lowest place, the worst seat. A bit extreme for the social maneuvering crowd. A little twitch of the head at that.
And then he pulls the carpet out from under the other guests, “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Suddenly he’s talking about God’s judgement, the horror of the humbling cross and the creation disrupting exaltation of resurrection.
The other guests would have gotten quiet, eye brows raised, speechless. They would have been thinking, “I was just looking for a good seat and now all of a sudden I’m going to hell?”
Then deciding to not leave well enough alone Jesus then takes on the host, and it only gets worse. Apparently, the host invited the wrong people. The party is now the opposite of God’s banquet.
What was a dinner party by and for the people of influence and interest is now suddenly the anti-God celebration. A banquet of darkness.
For God’s banquet is all about inviting in those who have been left out in so many ways.
Who we invite and who we eat with is all about eternity and God’s judgement.
I think it is safe to say that the table talk limped along after that.
You know those people you have to be careful around because you might end up in their blog or tweet?
Jesus was one of those. You had to be careful around him, you might end up in one of his parables.
This was the burning issue for the early Christians. Who do we eat with? How do we lift up those who are left out? How do we lift up each other when we are all so messed up?
That’s what the new testament is interested in. Those are the true God questions. Forget all those other questions and issues. They are distracting diversions designed to deceive.
While the rest of the world was striving to climb above and finding clever strategies to exclude the undesirables without appearing to do so. Jesus says that God is turning that all upside down.
Those who put others down to exalt themselves will be humbled, those who are put down and excluded will be lifted up. The losers win. The meek, the forgotten, the invisible, the derided, the degraded, the broken, the left out.
God’s judgement in Luke’s Gospel is all about this great reversal of fortune, pulling out the carpet from under our world. Trading places. Just like Jesus taking our place.
Humility is an elusive thing, especially for those of us who have so much, who get invited to all the fun parties.
One of the things I love so much about Anderson and about Grace is that the community life is so lively.
This past week there were so many events. Faith and Freedom with Vice President Pence. The United Way Kick Off. Waiting rooms in hospitals.
The Best of Anderson celebration. The Soup Kitchen that is becoming surprisingly very crowded again. Our own Grace Church Wednesday Night Banquet for the Agencies we partner with to serve the poor and neglected.
Long talks at the grocery store and the library. Then the big game at Clemson. Celebrate Anderson tonight.
Lots of gathering together. Lots of different gatherings. It makes me dizzy sometimes.
Who would I invite over in all of history? Not so sure about Jesus. I might end up in one of his parables.
Who will I invite in?
With whom will I eat?
Jesus is the divine invitation to all. Wow. What a crazy party.