The Parables of Jesus - The Guests at Our Table

Introduction

After looking together at the Parable of the Wedding Feast, speaking about humility and the attitude that a child of God should reflect when invited to a public and important occasion, such as a wedding, we are now going to look at the continuation of this teaching.

This time, Jesus shows us another type of environment, one that is more intimate: the house, the home, the place where we live and receive others, that is to say, the place where we practice hospitality.

The other characteristic, according to God, that we are going to look at together is generosity, not toward those who are close to us or who are able to repay us, but rather toward those who are far from us, strangers, and those who are needy in every way.

We are not speaking here about doing charitable works for people who do not know God.

The message is different. Jesus brings to light the heart of those who say that they love God and represent Him, yet whose actions do not reflect that profession of faith. It is easy to speak about God, but the way we act reveals whether we truly belong to Him.

For, as Jesus tells us, the whole Law is summed up in these two commandments: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.

The message drawn from this parable brings us to the very heart of what a child of God ought to live out in order to glorify God in daily life, not by constraint nor as a burden, but through the conviction of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and leads us to love God and our neighbor, just as Jesus teaches us in this parable.

Teaching

Reading of the context of the Parable – “One Sabbath, when He went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching Him carefully.” v.1 (ESV)

As we saw previously, Jesus is invited to a Pharisee's house on the Sabbath day which, according to the Law of God given through Moses, allowed the people of God to set themselves apart from society, to rest, and to devote themselves to God, particularly through the reading of the Word, biblical songs, and meals shared among family members and friends, but not only.

It is also true that, in the eyes of the guests, Jesus had the status of a Rabbi, a teacher of the Law and the Prophets, and that He exercised a visible authority. Therefore, there was a certain interest on the part of the Pharisees in inviting Him and observing Him.

But the Law of God also taught that these times of rejoicing and fellowship were to be an opportunity to care for those who were most in need. God commanded His people not to forget the Levites, those who were set apart to serve the people of God, the strangers, the sojourners, the orphans, and the widows, but to provide for their needs.

In the Book of Deuteronomy we read:  « “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. » Deuteronomy 14:28–29

This same principle is found again after the public reading of the Law.

In Nehemiah 8:10 it says « Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” » 

Therefore, these meals were not simply occasions for rest and fellowship among relatives and friends.

They were also meant to reflect the heart of God toward those who were in need. The people of God, set apart for His glory, were called to demonstrate His love and compassion toward the poor and the needy.

Now that we have seen the biblical and historical context of this passage, let us read today's parable together.

Reading of the Parable – “He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” vv.12-14

Let us now take this passage verse by verse in order to better understand what Jesus is teaching us here.

"He said also to the man who had invited Him, 'When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.'" v.12 (ESV)

Jesus speaks directly to the Pharisee who had invited Him and who was the head of the house, which means he was the one who exercised authority there. Jesus is now going to teach him, in a sense, how someone who calls himself a Pharisee, a religious leader, ought to behave concerning the Law of God regarding hospitality and generosity that reflect the heart of the Kingdom of God.

To give a lesson on good conduct, on life, and on hospitality to the person who invites you, and especially to a Pharisee, in front of all the guests, could be perceived as arrogant, imprudent, or even rude, right? Yet here, Jesus speaks with a heavenly authority that has no equal on earth, for He was fully and truly man and fully and truly God.

Can you imagine the kind of situation Jesus placed all the people present in that house in? To remind the religious leaders present of the fundamental principles of the Law was to enter directly into conflict with them.

It is as though I came to your house for dinner and told you whom to invite, how to invite them, and why to invite them. How would you take it?

When Jesus tells us not to invite those who are dear to us, it seems almost unimaginable, even impossible. Very often, we are so happy to have those whom we love around us. It fills us with joy.

When we gather together with our family and friends, those with whom we have shared so many wonderful moments, so many memories come back to our minds and echo in our hearts. Then we know that these same people will, in return, invite us, and that this beautiful relationship will continue as each one blesses the other.

What we naturally enjoy, of course, is being surrounded by the people we love and who love us in return. We appreciate their kindness, their gifts, their invitations, and everything they are able to do for us in return.

Yet Jesus teaches us that there is nothing extraordinary about this. He had already declared the same principle:

«For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. » Matthew 5:46–48.

That is to say, those who do not belong to the people of God are also able, whether out of self-interest or for other reasons, to love, to give, and to behave well toward others.

Jesus takes up this same principle again, but this time by speaking about our hospitality as sons and daughters of the Most High.

He calls us to love and to do good, not only to those who are able to repay us, but also to those who are unable to repay us, so that we may be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect.

"But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." v.13

We can see that Jesus comes to demonstrate the character of the Kingdom of God toward the needy, because this time it is no longer a question of those who are part of our circle of acquaintances or our social circle, but rather of those who are outside our circle, fragile, weak, neglected by society, and who have nothing to give in return.

This time, Jesus uses the illustration of a feast rather than a dinner, which is something greater and more magnificent, giving the impression of celebrating a special occasion with joy and collective rejoicing.

However, at this feast, it is not the important people or those who are known by everyone who are called to be the guests of honor, but rather those who have been excluded by society.

Everyone who was present knew the Scriptures. Most of them were also aware of what the prophet Isaiah tells us concerning the coming of the Messiah.

« Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; » (Isaiah 35:4-6)

The poor are those who, very often, had nothing to eat, nowhere to live, or nothing to wear, without access to the most basic necessities of life. The crippled, the lame, and the blind are those who suffer from physical disabilities. 

They were often rejected by society and were sometimes considered to have been struck by God because of sin, as though they were under a curse for not following the Law of God.

But in the eyes of the living God, these are precisely the people toward whom Jesus turns. In the Gospel according to Mark, it is written: « And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” » (Mark 2:17) 

This means that those whom the Lord desires to save are those who recognize their spiritual poverty and misery, and in them He desires to glorify Himself. On the other hand, those who consider themselves righteous are not the ones who desire God and His Kingdom.

Jesus also teaches us in the Gospel of Matthew, in the Sermon on the Mount, that the poor in spirit are blessed because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them, and that those who mourn shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:3–4) They submit themselves, by the grace of God, to His divine and sovereign authority.

If today we recognize our condition as spiritually lame or spiritually blind in this world, then this is where God desires to glorify Himself. But if we are lame, if we are blind, and yet we say, "Everything is fine. We do not need God's help," then how will God be glorified in our lives?

For the children of God, it is essential to understand the heart of God and what He deeply desires: to serve those who are most in need among us, first within the Church of Christ, those who belong to Him, our brothers and sisters who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul, writing with his own hand, tells us in Galatians 6:9–10 « And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. »  

But it does not stop there.

We are also called to go to those whom the Lord desires to save, accompanying them on the path of meeting God through Jesus Christ, through His Word preached with zeal and truth, but also lived out as a testimony of God's love toward the needy.

The first need is to bring this message of love and hope so that those whom the Father draws may come to Jesus Christ and be saved by His sovereign grace.

Jesus Himself tells us in the Gospel of John that no one can come to Him unless the Father who sent Him draws him, and that He will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44)

Concerning His mission, Jesus also declares that the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

Therefore, let us reflect what the Father desires.

Let us embrace this mission with zeal and wholehearted devotion, so that the blind may see, the deaf may hear the truth of Christ through His Word, the lame may walk in the righteousness and justice of God, the mute may proclaim with boldness the mighty works of God, and, in His love, God may cause streams of water to spring forth in the desert, providing through His divine providence for the needs of His children in every circumstance.

"And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." v.14 (ESV)

Jesus says that we will be blessed because they cannot repay us. Isn't that challenging, considering the world we live in today? To give without expecting anything in return. Nothing.

Here, Jesus reveals more fully a reality that many were seeking to understand, but which could only be fully understood through the work of the Holy Spirit, given at Pentecost, who enlightens the believer in the understanding of the Scriptures.

By manifesting the Kingdom of God, Jesus was preparing His glorious and triumphant victory at the cross over the power of death, thus opening access to the Father for all those who would place their faith in Jesus Christ.

This reality of the last days, the fact of being raised from the dead and being blessed in the Kingdom of God—who could understand it? And today, who can understand it? 

Yes, we can hope for it, but to understand it is another matter, for we will experience it when we see Christ and spend eternity with Him.

On the last day, by the power of Jesus Christ, at the final judgment, the bodies of the saints will be raised and reunited with their souls. They will receive their glorified bodies and will share eternity with Him. The bodies of the unrighteous will also be raised for judgment, reunited with their souls, and then cast into the eternal fire, separated from God for eternity.

This hope of which Jesus speaks will include a reward, a prize, and a crown that will be given to those who have given without expecting anything in return to the poor and the needy, who, first of all, will hear the glorious Gospel, the Gospel that saves when we hear it and believe it.

Realizing that the happiness of those who have received our help should also bring us joy.

For, as children of God, we know that on this earth nothing can truly satisfy us, because everything is temporary and limited. 

The blessings, or the joy of which Jesus speaks, are not necessarily something physical or material, but certainly a spiritual grace given by the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, transform us, and prepare us to meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For it is Jesus Christ who is preparing a dwelling place for us in heaven. He is the One who will say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:23, ESV)

And we will praise His majesty forever.

Conclusion

Luke brings before us the manifestation of the Good News of Jesus by faithfully showing how Jesus contrasted the values of this world with those of the Kingdom of God.

As we have seen throughout these parables, and as we will continue to see, Jesus came to reveal the Kingdom of God in order to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, according to everything that had been written about Him in the Scriptures.

He came to reveal the love of God through His life, His earthly ministry, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension, so that whoever believes in Him may be forgiven of their sins, saved, justified by the Father, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and enabled to accomplish the good works that God prepared beforehand.

Therefore, let us follow His teaching today, the example of His disciples, and the example of the children of God throughout the centuries, so that Christ may be exalted through our generosity and our acts of kindness, first within His Church, and then toward our neighbor.

Let us love God in spirit and in truth, and love others in both word and deed.