Friday, October 2, 2009

You want me to WHAT?

Scripture: Luke: 10-14"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! 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."
Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You'll be—and experience—a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God's people."

Observation: Once again, we get a look at Jesus turning the world upside down. Don't fight for the head table because you might get embarrassed. Instead seat yourself at the LAST table. Sound familiar? First shall be last and last shall be first. Then he turns his attention to the host of the party and tells them to invite those who no-one ever invites. They won't be able to return the favor but oh will the favor be returned.

Application: Here is Jesus wrapping up how to conduct ourselves and treat others in 2 short paragraphs. Put yourself as low on the totem pole and put others (especially the "misfits") as high as you can get them. This doesn't make sense to the world. It didn't make sense then and it sure doesn't make sense now. However, this is what we are called to do. Is it hard? Yes.

Prayer: Lord, help me to always put others first and self last. Amen

1 comment:

RachSparkles said...

I love that passage so much! It makes me want to be Jesus' friend - good thing I already am!