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This week’s theme: “Our Seat?”
This week we look at the notion of privilege. The world thrives on privilege – who is in and who is not. People will endlessly debate who has the ‘right’ to be in the privileged seat, and the exclusive benefits of being there. Jesus, however, had a different take on where we as his followers should sit and stand. He was very clear that our place is with those who appear to have no privilege at all. While many see being humble as a weakness, to Jesus the act of caring for others is true strength.
This week’s Gospel lesson: Luke 14:1, 7-14
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Questions to guide your reading:
- In what ways can we apply the principles of humility and selfless giving to our relationships within the church and the broader community?
- What practical steps can we take this week to show compassion and hospitality to those in need?
- What influences us when we choose a place to sit at a social gathering of some kind (e.g., a meal, a lecture, church)? What similarities do we see between ourselves and the guests in the story? What differences do we see? What insights does this comparison give us?
This week’s Bulletin