Humility and Generosity and True Religion
Following the failure of the religious system and leadership, with their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, Luke collects several teachings of Jesus about discipleship. These highlight a reversal of religious expectations about what it takes to please God. The first three involve parables about feasts and banquets.
The religious leaders of the day were, and tend to still be, about power, position, and self-protection. Jesus tells the crowds that they should instead be humble. “If you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t take the seat of honor.” Instead, Jesus tells us we should sit in the least important seat. That way, the likelihood is that we may be moved to a better seat by the host, rather than asked to make way for someone more important.
This advice is just common sense. Those who see themselves as more important than they are are more likely to be knocked down a peg or two. Those who are humble will not be embarrassed and might even be lifted. Still, this is not the main point of the story. It is not advice for how to be successful in society. It is a reality check. We need to see ourselves as we really are. Not more important than others. Not better. Not more deserving of honor. We approach God with nothing but our brokenness and sin. He raises the humble up.
Jesus proceeds to tell another story to the host of the party to which He was invited. “Don’t invite people, or do good to people, who can repay you.” Instead, we are to do good with no hope of gain. This makes sense in a logical way as well. True goodness is not doing things out of selfish motives, but out of genuine generosity. The bigger picture here, of course, is again about reality and eternity. If our religious actions are all about earning our standing with God, we are not being like God. We need to develop a genuine love for others and do good things motivated by love, not gain.
Lastly, a man at the party missed the point completely. Hearing Jesus talk about feasts, he declared how great it would be to take part in the feasting in the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells a third feast parable to drive His point home.
Suppose a great man prepared a great feast and invited a large number of people. When the feast was ready and word was sent out, all the “friends” and invitees were too busy with their own plans to attend. They all sent their apologies and excuses. When the man was informed that his guests had other plans, he instructed his servants to go out and gather everyone who was available. The feast would be filled, but not with the presumed friends and important people, rather with those who were willing to come.
The problem of the religious people of Jesus’s day, and even today, is that they presume rights and privileges based on who they are. They are “good.” They are “the right sort.” They deserve things. However, the real quality God is looking for is willingness.
And before you say, “Who would not be willing?” God is looking not for those who want heaven over hell, but for those who want to be with Him on His terms as Creator and Lord of the universe, not those who want Him on their terms. Plenty of people think, “If God is who He should be, He will meet my expectations and do things the way I would like.” The reality, however, is that God is good, and His goodness is far greater than our expectations could ever be, but He is not under our control. We need to be willing to allow Him to control us.
The religious leaders of the day were, and tend to still be, about power, position, and self-protection. Jesus tells the crowds that they should instead be humble. “If you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t take the seat of honor.” Instead, Jesus tells us we should sit in the least important seat. That way, the likelihood is that we may be moved to a better seat by the host, rather than asked to make way for someone more important.
This advice is just common sense. Those who see themselves as more important than they are are more likely to be knocked down a peg or two. Those who are humble will not be embarrassed and might even be lifted. Still, this is not the main point of the story. It is not advice for how to be successful in society. It is a reality check. We need to see ourselves as we really are. Not more important than others. Not better. Not more deserving of honor. We approach God with nothing but our brokenness and sin. He raises the humble up.
Jesus proceeds to tell another story to the host of the party to which He was invited. “Don’t invite people, or do good to people, who can repay you.” Instead, we are to do good with no hope of gain. This makes sense in a logical way as well. True goodness is not doing things out of selfish motives, but out of genuine generosity. The bigger picture here, of course, is again about reality and eternity. If our religious actions are all about earning our standing with God, we are not being like God. We need to develop a genuine love for others and do good things motivated by love, not gain.
Lastly, a man at the party missed the point completely. Hearing Jesus talk about feasts, he declared how great it would be to take part in the feasting in the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells a third feast parable to drive His point home.
Suppose a great man prepared a great feast and invited a large number of people. When the feast was ready and word was sent out, all the “friends” and invitees were too busy with their own plans to attend. They all sent their apologies and excuses. When the man was informed that his guests had other plans, he instructed his servants to go out and gather everyone who was available. The feast would be filled, but not with the presumed friends and important people, rather with those who were willing to come.
The problem of the religious people of Jesus’s day, and even today, is that they presume rights and privileges based on who they are. They are “good.” They are “the right sort.” They deserve things. However, the real quality God is looking for is willingness.
And before you say, “Who would not be willing?” God is looking not for those who want heaven over hell, but for those who want to be with Him on His terms as Creator and Lord of the universe, not those who want Him on their terms. Plenty of people think, “If God is who He should be, He will meet my expectations and do things the way I would like.” The reality, however, is that God is good, and His goodness is far greater than our expectations could ever be, but He is not under our control. We need to be willing to allow Him to control us.
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