“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.” (Luke 14:12b-14)
One Sabbath, Jesus attended a dinner party given by one of the more prominent Pharisees. It appears that the Pharisees wanted to trip up Jesus over a question about the Law by using a poor guy who was suffering from dropsy, that is, his extremities were filling up with fluid. This was a breach of the rules of hospitality as the host was being rude to his guest. But Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees who were there. He healed this poor man and then shamed them into silence by teaching on the value of humility.
We who have faith in Jesus are members of His Kingdom not because we are so good and kind. We are not. We are nothing but wretched sinners were it not for the grace and mercy of God. By faith, when God sees us, He sees the righteousness of Jesus. This righteousness works in us to reach out to others with love and mercy. It leads us to care for the needy and despised people of the world to tend to the needs of the sick, the poor, the lonely, and all sinners. Righteousness works in us to show them the love of God as has been shown us, and to practice hospitality, and that starts in church. We welcome outsiders. We welcome visitors and strangers, even if they aren’t wealthy or good looking or if they are a bit odd. We are kind to everyone we meet. Often we may be their only contact with Jesus. We must show Jesus in our acceptance and love.
It is an awesome task and not easy for us, but it is the calling we have, to be Jesus to those who are hurting and in pain, to be Jesus to those who don’t know Him. Think about it. What impression would people get of Jesus if they meet you or me? What would they know about Jesus after we have spoken to them? Would they think He hated them? Would they think he’s really angry and cruel? Would they think He wants to jump on them at the slightest mistake or sin and send them to Hell? Would they think that he’s out to get them? Would they think he doesn’t really care about them? Or would they think He is merciful, kind, understanding and patient? What do people know of Jesus from you?