Luke 14:1, 7–14
On our cruise, Mike and I learned what
happened when we went to dinner without changing out of our blue jeans. First,
on our way to our table, we passed a number of people who gave us some
disapproving looks. Our waiter normally took our napkins, shook them open, and
placed them on our laps. On this evening, he left the napkin ritual to us. We
did not conform to the norm that night. We laughed it off – after all, we
manage our own napkins quite well. And we remembered to dress for dinner for
the rest of the cruise.
We get hung up a lot on who we are in
comparison to others. We worry a lot about what others will think of us. We
wear the clothing and hairstyles of those we hang out with. We decorate our
houses and yards in similar styles. We hang out with similar folks, because we
feel comfortable with them.
(We don’t greet others with our thumb on
our nose and wiggle our fingers, because we don’t want to appear silly to our
friends. Lol)
… In today’s Gospel story, Jesus is in
essence challenging the host and the guests to not be so concerned about
impressing their peers. They should worry focus instead on pleasing God and
taking care of the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.
Ancient Middle Eastern culture was, and
to a great degree still is, very concerned about social status. If you were
born into a wealthy, high-ranking family, you were going to stay wealthy and high-ranking.
If you were born into a priestly family, you found your spouse among other
priestly families. If you were born into a poor family, you had little to no
chance of changing your social rank.
One’s place at the dinner table was
determined by complex social rules. When two relatively equal people were at
the meal, they both wanted the higher value seat. Jesus suggests they sit at a
lower place so they can receive the honor of being invited to take a higher
place, instead of claiming it for themselves. This is not such a bad or radical
idea.
But what he proposes next takes their
breath away. Jesus says they should not invite their peers, as they play the
game of who owes who a dinner. He suggests they invite people who can never
repay the social debt. They should ignore social status and include everyone in
the community at the table. They should stop thinking about who owes whom a
dinner, and just enjoy the meal.
… Today, we can understand Jesus’ words
to mean the inclusion, not just of people of a different social class, but of
the wide variety of people we meet every day.
This past week, we celebrate the
changes that have taken place in the fifty years since Martin Luther King’s “I
Have a Dream” speech. We have made significant strides toward full equality of
all people in America, but we still struggle in many ways. Think about how far
we have come, and how far we still have to go for the dream to be a reality.
Our current president is African
American.
The ELCA has elected a female for the
first time to serve as the Presiding Bishop.
We have recognized the tragedy of the
invasion by European peoples into land held sacred by Native Americans. And
yet, a Native American woman called Mike to discuss the problems she and her fiancé
are having in planning their wedding. A ritual in her tradition includes
placing a feather in his hair, which means he needs to grow his hair long
enough to hold the feather. His boss claims the ritual is pagan and anti-Christian,
and he is refusing to allow the fiancé to grow his hair.
There are no signs designating white
and colored access, and yet, an African American pastor told a group of us that
one day she went to church while she was on vacation. She sat in the middle of
the pew, near a white woman who was sitting on the aisle. The white woman moved
to a new pew. The pastor jokes, “I moved too, because I thought there was
something wrong with that seat.”
A gay couple I met at a conference
asked me if they would be welcome at Hope. They never know what kind of
reception they will have, and have learned to be cautious.
We are suspicious of most Arabs,
worrying that they all want to blow us up. We forget that some Palestinians are
Christians.
We are trying to find a way to offer
citizenship to illegal immigrants. But determining what is just for all is not
easy.
I remember my mother’s horror at the
Beatles and the Stones, even as I found it hard to appreciate twangy
Country-Western music, the heavy metal my sons love, and the hip hop music my
grandchildren choose.
We tell young men to pull their pants
up, and we tell young women to cover their bra straps, even as we forget the
outrage our own clothes caused in our youth.
I learned recently that several of the
folks who enjoy the Kiwanis Club’s annual Christmas dinner are Jewish.
… What Jesus is saying to the Pharisees
gathered at the dinner table, and to us 20 centuries later, is that those who
are not so welcome should be invited to join our feast. All should be made
welcome at the table; all should be invited. We should make it plain that we
want them to join us.
Hope is a pretty welcoming
congregation. Anyone who comes in is welcome here, as we gather around the word
and the meal at worship, and around the tables with coffee and goodies
afterwards.
We are experimenting with newer formats
for worship and music in an effort to make younger folks feel welcome. We sing
music from around the world, to gain an appreciation for these sisters and
brothers, and to learn how to make them feel welcome here. And we still sing
the traditional hymns and use traditional worship formats, so older folks feel
welcome here, too.
We reach out into the community and
around the world so folks know Jesus welcomes them, even if they don’t know he
touches them through us at Hope.
… So, now I ask you, in what ways do
you play the game of owing invitations and favors to your peers? In what ways
do you make welcome those who are different from you? How often do you invite
your friends and neighbors and casual contacts to worship or another event at
Hope? Do you assure them that they will be welcome here?
As individuals and as a congregation,
let’s strive to be the most welcoming people in the community.
Please pray with me. Creative God, you
made us all to be different. Help us to value each other for the differences
among us, and lead us to welcome everyone as your beloved child. Amen
