WHO SHOULD I INVITE TO MY PARTY?

-- { Luke 14:1,7-14 }  ¹ On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸ ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹ and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place,” and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ ¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’  -- NRSV

Dear Friend, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  Amen.

Michael Yaconelli, in his book, “Dangerous Wonder: The Adventure of Childlike Faith,” says that the most critical issue facing Christians is not abortion, pornography, the disintegration of the family, moral relativity, MTV, drugs, racism, sexuality, or school prayer.  The critical issue today, says Yaconelli, is dullness.  We have lost our astonishment.  The Good News is no longer good news, it is okay news.  Christianity is no longer life changing, it is life enhancing.  Jesus doesn't change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, he changes them into "nice people."

Jesus was anything but dull.  Jesus said some outrageous things.  And we are going to be looking at some of these outrageous teachings over the next four Sundays.  The series is titled, “Jesus said… what?”  Today we're going to learn how to throw a party Jesus’ way.

Has anybody here ever thrown a party that you hoped made a good impression?  There are many of the teachings of Jesus that we give lip service to, but if we were to follow them, we would be regarded as eccentric and a bit radical.  Today's lesson is a good example.

Jesus was eating at the house of a prominent Pharisee and he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor.  Jesus seems to be advocating a lifestyle of humility here.  Not really surprising, difficult maybe, but not surprising. 

It's the second part of this lesson that's disturbing.  Let's imagine your daughter is getting married.  Jesus says in effect, "Don't invite your boss and all your well-off friends to your daughter's reception.  Rather, go to the worst part of downtown and pick up some homeless people and invite them.  In fact, you might make a list of the last people on earth you would want at your daughter's wedding.  Those are the very people you should invite.  Fill the hall with people in rags who haven't had a bath in a week."  Now this is the Word of the Lord.  Jesus is making a point - but what point?  Well, let's wrestle with this a few minutes. 

Here is one principle that is unavoidable: it's more important what God thinks of you than what your friends think of you. 

Let's face it: one of the most powerful motivators in life is, “What will my friends think?”  We counsel our young people, don't give in to peer pressure.  Just because everyone else is using drugs doesn't mean you should use drugs.  Just because the popular kids in your school are having casual sex doesn't mean it's the healthy or the right thing for you to do.  Well, there are different kinds of peer pressure and it takes a lot of character on the part of a young person, sometimes, to say "No."

Adults are often as susceptible to peer pressure as are young people.  What professional doesn't want to impress his or her colleagues?  Why do we throw big money on weddings in the first place?  To impress our friends.  Why do we buy expensive cars?  Build large homes?  It's because we care what other people think.  Some people will go into debt for years to make a favorable impression on their friends.

Spiritual maturity comes when you are more interested in pleasing God than you are in pleasing yourself or others.  That means doing the right thing rather than the expedient thing. That's an unavoidable principle found in Jesus teaching.  It's more important to please God than to make a good impression on your friends. 

But here's what we must also understand: Doing the right thing in the long run makes the best impression, even on our friends.  

Jesus wants you to have the respect and admiration of your friends, but for the right reasons.  You can't buy the respect of your friends - no matter how impressive your parties, no matter how large your house or how expensive your automobile.  The best way to win their respect and their admiration is to live a life of quality. 

It is a matter of integrity.  Jesus says that it's a lot more important what God thinks of you than what your friends and associates think of you.  But it is also true that, in the long run, doing the right thing pays off.

Here is one thing more that is unavoidable in this lesson for today: Showing compassion for those less fortunate than you is always the right thing to do. 

Life is very hard for some people.  Through no fault of their own, or maybe a fault of their own, many people are at a terrible disadvantage.  How you think about people who do not have the advantages you have says a great deal about the condition of your heart. 

Our heart at St. Mark’s speaks volumes to our concern for those who are disadvantaged in our society.  Our "SonSet Café" ministry was born out of a heart that cares.  Each week men, women and children come to St. Mark’s to find fellowship and a good meal because they know we care.  These are people struggling to survive week after week.  Many of these people find it difficult to live from day to day.  These people, for whatever reason, are hurting and at a disadvantage in our society.  And Jesus has given us a heart for these people.  We try to ease their pain and give them some encouragement for their future.

Our heart also supports the “Adopt-a-Family” ministry, “We Care Arts” ministry, “Alcoholic Anonymous,” “Recovery,” and a new ministry in our facility called, “Son Ministries” which helps needy persons in our own neighborhood.

“What Would Jesus Do?” is a tenant of our ministry and mission at St. Mark’s.  It is a mission that cares and is obedient to serving the Lord as we serve the least of those in this world.  As our Vision Statement says, “Building on Christ - Serving to His Glory."  It is what we call compassion.

On July 3, 1988, an American navy cruiser, thinking itself to be under attack by an Iranian F-14, shot down an Iranian airliner.  Two hundred ninety passengers died in the attack.  Polls revealed that most Americans were against paying compensation to the victims' families.  The Iranian hostage crisis was still fresh in many minds.  In spite of this, President Ronald Reagan, not known for liberal tendencies, approved compensation.  Afterward, he was asked by reporters if such payment would send the wrong signal to the Iranians.  His reply was this, "I don't ever find compassion a bad precedent."

Among some of the most prominent people in our society today, compassion is a bad word.  "Let people work for their success just like I did," they say.  They just don't have the heart of Jesus.

It's more important what God thinks of you than what your friends think of you.  In the long run doing the right thing will make the best impression.  Showing compassion for those less fortunate than you is always the right thing to do.  It will always be the motivation for our mission at St. Mark’s.

So who should we invite to our party?  To our Church?  The answer is clear.  Jesus says, “…the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”