One of the religious leaders invites Jesus to a Sabbath meal, and everyone watches him closely. Jesus brings an aura of mystery and curiosity wherever he goes. What will he say or do? How might the whole group end up being challenged and changed? The air is charged with anticipation, and likely sprinkled with some degree of uncertainty. But Jesus says nothing. He just quietly watches the way it is—how most guests, given the opportunity, consistently take the preferred seats. Nothing surprising, really. This is common, the practice of first come, first served. Get to church early, grab a great seat near the back!
As usual, Jesus uses a different lens. He tells the group a story about a wedding banquet at which you might grab the best seat for yourself. But then the host comes and moves you to a lower place to make room for a more deserving person. How disgraced you will feel then. Why not surprise everyone by choosing the lowest place from the start? Then if the host moves you, it will be to a higher position. If you put yourself into lofty positions in life, you will never get to experience the joy of being raised up.
Then he tugs his story forward into the now. Looking around this room at these safe, friendly, respectable people, he gives the host some advice. When you host a dinner, he says, don’t make the common mistake of inviting only your friends and relatives. Mix it up. Don’t invite only those who can return the favor. Ask the least likely, those who have no means of repaying you except by the sheer blessing of their presence. The reward just might be greater and last longer than you expect.
Turn the tables on your usual patterns. Get out of your cozy rut. Hang out sometimes with the wrong kind of people, notice who is missing from the circles you participate in, get to know and care about some strangers. Rearrange the familiar. Urge the humiliated components of your life to move on up, and the proud and aloof parts to come on down. Practice getting your life into balance—you’re rehearsing for a resurrection feast!
