Body

"Okay, Who Wants To Go First?"

(Luke 14:1, 7-14)

Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn

INTRODUCTION:

It was one of those blistering hot days, the house was full of guests, and things weren't going too well. Finally, the hostess got everyone seated for dinner and asked her seven-year-old daughter to say grace. "But mother," said the little girl, "I don't know what to say." "Oh, yes you do," said her mother, "just say the last prayer you heard me pray." Obediently, the little girl bowed her head and prayed rather hesitantly: "Oh, Lord, why in the world did I invite all these people on such a hot day?" (1)

Don't you know that's exactly what this Pharisee had to be thinking after what Jesus had to say at his dinner party? "Why in the world did I invite this guy?"

As you read the Gospels, you come to realize just how many dinners and parties and weddings Jesus attended. Jesus was always being invited to someone's house for a meal and conversation. Or to some socially important event. Today he was invited by one of the prominent Pharisees. One of the leaders within the community. Jesus was probably invited for several reasons. First, because this Pharisee was interested in Jesus teachings. Second, because some had said Jesus was a prophet and this guy wanted to see for himself. But third, Scripture says it was simply because the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. They wanted to keep an eye and ear on Him.

What they didn't realize was that Jesus was watching them just as closely. He watched who had been invited to the dinner and where they were seated. Apparently it was a dinner filled with lots of important people. There may have even been an embarrassing moment for one or more of them simply because they might have thought too highly of themselves and the host had to ask them to move to a lower seat at the table.

I kind of think Jesus sat there with a bemused grin on his face as he watched all this jockeying for position amongst the people of position. Jesus' comments weren't meant to put Him in competition with Emily Post, Miss Manners or Martha Stewart. Jesus' comments to the group had nothing to do with etiquette but everything to do with the Kingdom of God. At this dinner Jesus basically gave two pieces of advice for life in the Kingdom.

I. HUMILITY:

A. The first piece of advice had to do with honor and humility. Today we don't have the societal pecking order that was in place in Israel during the first century. It was filled with levels and strata and where you were in this system depended on a number of things. Some of it was based on your job or profession. Some of it was based on your family and who you were related to. And some of it was based on the amount of your yearly offering to the Temple or Synagogue. However, all of these folks socialized together. It was sort of like life in a small town. But when they gathered during these special occasions, everyone had their place. Supposedly, everyone knew their place by their position in society or the synagogue. Because everyone wanted to be elevated in their status, there was also a lot of trying to keep everyone in their place.

But Jesus takes and stands all their tradition on its head. This is how Eugene Peterson in The Message translates it:

[8] "When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. [9] Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.

[10] "When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! [11] What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." (2)

Jesus calls us to be content with ourselves. Jesus calls us to put aside pride and wrap ourselves in humility. Humility is born of the spirit of agapé or sacrificial love, the love we experience through Christ. Someone called it the spirit of "self-forgetfulness." (3) Jesus said that by adopting this spirit of "self-forgetfulness" by not seeking honor, we will be honored. Not in the world but in the Kingdom.

B. Not too long ago, HeartWarmers sent out this true story that was submitted by one of its readers that illustrates Jesus' teaching.

It seems that on a British Airways flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African lady had found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the flight attendant over to complain about her seating.

"What seems to be the problem, Ma'am?" asked the attendant.

"Can't you see?" she said, "You've sat me next to a kafir. I can't possibly sit next to this disgusting human. Find me another seat!"

The flight attendant calmed the woman down and said: "The flight is very full today, but I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class."

The woman cocked a snooty look at the outraged black man beside her (not to mention many of the surrounding passengers). A few minutes later the flight attendant returned with good news, which she delivered to the lady, who couldn't help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin.

"Madam, unfortunately, as I suspected, economy is full. I've spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class."

Before the lady had a chance to answer, the flight attendant continued: "It's most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I had to get special permission from the captain. But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it was outrageous that anyone should be forced to sit next such an obnoxious person."

With that, she turned to the black man and said, "So if you'd like to get your things, Sir, I have your first class seat ready for you."

At which point, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a standing ovation while the man walked to the front of the plane. (4)

Jesus calls us to put aside pride and to wrap ourselves in humility and the spirit of "self-forgetfulness" in our lives and relationships.

II. OUTCASTS:

A. Jesus second teaching at this party has to do with the guest list. Not only did Jesus criticize their posturing for position. He also criticized who they had invited. You see they were inviting all the important people or the people who could help them and leaving out the outcasts and castoffs of society. There was nothing selfless about the guest list. They didn't seem to care that while they were schmoozing others were starving both physically and spiritually.

So, Jesus challenged them to be more conscious of the poor and the outcast. He called them and us to be more conscious of those who are different than we are.

You might call this challenge "doing what comes unnaturally." You see, we like people like us. We don't have to stretch ourselves much to hang out with or carry on a conversation with folks who look and dress like us. Because, for the most part, they will be very much like us. They'll have kids with problems like ours. They will have seen the same or similar movies. We'll have similar life experiences and we will be comfortable in their presence.

Unfortunately, sometimes those who are different than us, make us uncomfortable. I don't know what it is other than simple prejudice due to lack of knowledge and understanding.

I had a short conversation with one of the cashiers at OfficeMax the other day. She and another girl were bantering back and forth and she said something to the effect of, "I can do it. I graduated." So I asked, "From where." Then she went on to tell me the name of the High School and tell me that it was the snootiest school she had ever been to. She said moved and she finished up there but didn't make many new friends. I said: "I'm sorry" And she said: "Oh well, it's their loss. They missed out on a great best friend."

That's what happens when we let prejudice because of race or size or physical ability or lack there of keep us from reaching out to someone.

B. In A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Pamela J deRoy shares a story about her daughter Lisa. When Lisa was just two, a couple of ladies on the street stopped to compliment her on her beauty. Pamela was concerned when Lisa accepted the compliment with a blasé, "Yes, I know." When they got home, Pamela sat Lisa down for a little talk about the difference between inner and outer beauty. She explained the importance of taking care of those in need, of being kind to others and even sharing one's toys. Pamela stressed that inner beauty was more valuable than our outer appearance. Lisa seemed to understand, so Pamela didn't bring it up again. Two years went by and Lisa joined a preschool program. One day, Lisa invited her friend Jeanna over. When Pamela came to pick up Lisa and Jeanna from school, Jeanna asked if she could go see her Mommy. Pamela assumed that Jeanna was referring to her stepmother, since her mother had died. But when Pamela followed Jeanna's directions, she drove to the cemetery where Jeanna's mother was buried. Pamela as thrown for a loop and wondered how to handle the situation. She and Lisa and Jeanna wandered over to Jeanna's mother's grave and sat down. Jeanna began talking about her mother and crying. Lisa wrapped an arm around her friend and began crying, too. All the sympathy her little heart could muster was expressed in the repeated assurance, "Oh, Jeanna, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry your mother died."

As Jeanna continued talking and crying, Pamela realized why she had needed to come. Jeanna expressed that she loved her mother very much. But she also enjoyed her new stepmother, and was worried that she might start loving her in the same way, too. Pamela was able to reassure her that love can't be used up, that love grows and grows to include all the people in our lives. And those words brought comfort to Jeanna and soon the three were back at Lisa's house where they played and spent a happy afternoon.

Later that day, Pamela told Lisa how proud she was of her and the compassion she had for her friend. Lisa looked up and in a very serious voice asked, "Mommy, was I beautiful on the inside?" (5)

Lisa epitomized beauty on the inside, don't you think? In this passage dealing with humility and the guest list for dinner, Jesus reminded the Pharisees, the crowd and us that it isn't what is on the outside that is important. It isn't the position you hold or how much you give or who you are in society that counts. It's what is on the inside that counts. And when we judge by outer appearance only, then we've missed out.

CONCLUSION:

I read a story about a young man who was trying to start his snowmobile to give all the kids a ride. His two daughters, three nephews and two nieces were all hovering around pushing, shoving, and hollering trying to get the first ride. Frustrated by the noise and the snowmobile's reluctance to start, he finally said, "All right, the next one who says they want to be first will be last."

His youngest daughter thought for a moment and then said, "I want to be second!" (6)

I'm not sure that is what Jesus had in mind but it does bring us back to the passage and the challenge. The challenge for us is to live the life of "self-forgetfulness", a life of humility. A life that is beautiful on the inside and looks beyond the outward appearance and views others through the eyes of Christ.

This is the Word of the Lord for this day.

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1. Parables, Etc. (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), April 1988

3. The Clergy Journal, (Inver Grove Heights, Logos Productions, Inc., 1998) p. 56

4. HeartWarmers, heartwarmers4u.com

5. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty, and Meladee McCarty (Dearfield Beach, Florida; Health Communications, Inc., 1997), pp. 30-33.

6. Adapted from a story in: Country Dec/Jan/97 Reiman Publications, LP, 1996 (Vol. 10. No. 6)