Who is worthy?

Even more annoying to those who are watching for Jesus to make a mistake which they can exploit is the observation that whenever Jesus accepts an invitation to anyone's house, sooner or later, Jesus will take over the conversation and in effect, take over the hosting.

Others may think that they are in charge of the situation, but they're not!

From the beginning of his ministry with the wedding at Cana [John 2] to the supper at Emmaus after the resurrection [Lk 24], Jesus takes over and re-orients people, especially at mealtime.

Some rejoice in this, and some resent it; it is either one or the other.

Perhaps we have read one of those mystery stories where the key actor searches the room for answers, opening the dresser drawers and finding only socks and shirts, until the detective realizes that one of the drawers has a bottom that can be slid aside so that a secret part of the drawer is revealed.

Jesus' words on the surface sound like ordinary advice, social etiquette: don't put yourself forward too much, wait to be recognized so you can achieve your proper status, etc.

And what would result if that were the only thing to draw from this passage?

We would have everyone trying to out-humble one another and thus become more worthy of recognition and a higher place at the table.

Forget all this calculating! Jesus is up to something else.

We know this because Jesus is at a Sabbath meal which is always a special occasion, and also because he says that he is giving them a parable.

It is not just social advice; we need to find the other compartment in this drawer, the other level of meaning.

First, since this is a Sabbath meal, it is the time to recall the seventh day of creation when the Lord rested from his work [Gen 2].

This meal was always celebrated with blessings, prayers, food, and drink in as fine and festive a way as possible.

It is regarded as a prelude to the Sabbath banquet when the kingdom of God is complete.

Who is worthy to be part of that final banquet, and the banquet now in anticipation?

The standard answer is: those who have kept the law perfectly.

We usually regard the Pharisees as “bad” people, but they are not.

They are actually the “good” ones, those who are really trying to keep the law in all of its details.

They are at least trying; shouldn't that count for a lot?

Shouldn't they deserve a high place at the banquet table?

And Jesus' response makes them not amazed, but angry.

They are there watching Jesus in hopes of censuring him, and he turns the situation around and questions their right to an honored place at the meal.

Perhaps Jesus is thinking of a passage from Proverbs [Pro.25:6-7]: Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told “Come up here” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

It is very inconvenient to be reminded of scripture at times like these!

It is no surprise, then, that they are angry; who does he think he is, anyway, trying to teach them?

Jesus questions both their place at the table and their devotion to the law.

And then Jesus describes something of a true Sabbath meal, the coming banquet of God, again with reference to scripture.

When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind...those who cannot repay you.[Lk14:12], Jesus says.

Why those particular categories of persons?

Jesus is overturning the limitation imposed in Leviticus [Lev.21:16-23] which says: No one who has a blemish shall draw near to the altar, one who is blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or one who has a broken foot or hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf....and more.

Visible perfection in appearance was what the law was regarding as important; Jesus says “Not so fast there folks.”

What is the lesson we should remember from Genesis 1? And God saw all that he had made, and behold it was...very good.

Many whom the law-abiding people would exclude from that Sabbath meal were those who would not be permitted near the temple or synagogue, since contact with such persons could contaminate others making them ritually impure also.

Nonsense! It is not the appearance of a person that defiles, but rather what is in a person's heart and mind leading to actions that are impure also.

And everyone who thinks carefully about this will realize that Jesus is talking about us “good” people who try to keep up the facade of righteousness, but who, deep down, know just how flawed we are.

Hear how Jesus turns this into Good News.

True Sabbath joy will be given to all who realize that we are among the poor, crippled, lame, and blind:

--perhaps rich in material things but poor in spirit,

--perhaps fleet of foot while being crippled in relationships with people “not like us.”

--perhaps giving all sorts of lame excuses why we can't do the things that Jesus asks.

--perhaps blind to the resources entrusted to us and the opportunities to use them.

What a mess we are in!

And in that mess, Jesus speaks, to tell us that there is place for us at his final banquet table, along with every other person of whatever limitation.

Can we hear this with joy; can we accept this in faith; can we live boldly with this truth?

For some time now our neighbors at Redeemer Church have been offering a meal to anyone who walks in the door on the first Thursday of the month.

I started showing up to help carry plates and whatever else was needed.

A number of their regular patrons are truly in need of physical food, as well as spiritual nourishment.

It is a wonderful outreach to the community, and they have a regular corps of volunteers to make it happen.

But I noticed one thing: many of the volunteer staff prepared and served the meal but then withdrew to eat in the kitchen.

I've tried to gently encourage them that they are missing part of the point by doing that.

There are not two classes here, the givers and the receivers.

All of us are receivers in a variety of ways.

There is no “us” and “them” in the kingdom of God; what we are trying to live out is the good news that there is only the “us” who are together welcomed by Jesus and encouraged to share what we have and are with one another, in anticipation of the final heavenly banquet.

Go out there and sit down beside someone you do not know, or perhaps beside someone you know only too well.

When we do so, we may be surprised what we learn, what we receive, how we are fed.

Imagine a vision in which there are two banquet tables, both laden with food.

The people at both tables have a terrible limitation; they have no elbows!

At the one table there is a sobbing silence from the people seated there; at the other there is laughter and conversation.

Why the difference?

At the sobbing table the people were trying vainly to feed themselves, and of course were starving.

At the laughing table the people were reaching across the table with their stiff elbows and feeding each other.

Welcome to the upside down kingdom of God; welcome to Jesus' banquet table; welcome to this gathering where the Spirit is determined to transform us

Let all who rejoice in this say Amen..

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.