In our text, Jesus was in his last days. He knew that many disapproved of his actions, specifically those who had a limited view of God. The Pharisees confined God’s favor and love for a certain kind of person and a relatively select group of people. Among that elite group were the invited guests who sat at the banquet table. So Jesus, being a teacher, offered them a parable. Since Luke records that Jesus spoke in a parable, he was simply not referencing social etiquette; parables were used to teach. Being fully conscious of this environment of entrapment, Jesus spoke to the specific situation where they sat. The lesson was neither theoretical nor ethereal; in fact, the lesson intended to reflect what they experienced right then.

Jesus addressed the guests and the host; no one could claim immunity from that instruction. The seating chart at wedding banquets or other grand social affairs offered unwritten rules. The most important people sat closest to the host. The people who deserved the seats and were to be honored sat in prominent positions. Jesus noticed the jockeying for importance at the home of this prestigious and respected citizen and taught a lesson on humility through a parable, and the instruction is timeless.

You and I have been invited to have a seat at God’s table, but we are not the only ones who have received an invitation. Just because we have grown up in church does not mean that we belong at the table. Just because we look like we belong, which means that we look like those sitting near us, doesn’t signal that others should not be present. Just because someone does not have our pedigree does not mean that that person is not on equal footing. Many of us know and recognize that we have received invitations to the banquet, but we aren’t the only ones. God’s table is a big, big table, because we are all God’s children: "every color, every race: all are covered by his grace; red and yellow, black and white they are precious in his sight. Jesus does love all the little children of the world." And we are all Jesus’ little children.

Remember that for those who first read Luke’s written words, church was held in a home. Generally a meal was combined with a worship experience. The real test of whether a church included persons who were different was not if someone different was welcome to be baptized, but whether someone different was welcome at the table, whether they would eat with persons who were different from them. In the parable, Jesus indicated all kinds of persons are welcome at his table.

Jesus continued his teaching with a lesson for the host. In seeking to understand the instruction, we have to again ask the questions, "Who is giving the banquet? Who is doing the inviting?"

Hosting can be a very powerful position, one where others feel indebted to you. We like to repay those who have done good deeds for us. Someone gives us a good gift, we thank them: either verbally, in writing, or with a gift ourselves. Perhaps part of our quest for independence leads us not to be in debt to others: we want to repay goodness with goodness.

In the parable, God is always the host, always extending invitations not just to those who think they deserve an invitation, but also to those who are surprised to receive one. Being invited to the table is different than just sending food to someone. Did you notice that in the text? Jesus did not say that the host was sending food to those who were poor, crippled, lame, and blind; instead they were being invited to the banquet. Everyone has a place at God’s table.

While we may give with the expectation of someone returning the favor sometime, God continually gives to us knowing that we can never reciprocate. If God is offering an invitation, who can repay God? Try as we do, can we offer anything that amounts to the goodness and grace we have received?

Again, this is not an Emily Post lesson on social graces, although many lessons about what would be considered proper behavior perhaps have their roots in this teaching. Jesus was instructing those who would listen about the great invitations being extended to them. Measured against that example, they couldn’t measure up. And guess what? Neither can we. You and I do not deserve to be invited to any banquet where God is the host. Being invited into the intimacy of a meal at God’s table requires holy and right living standards which none of us can achieve. Yet, because God loves us so much, that grace, that unmerited favor, is extended to us over and over and over again. God knows what we’ve done and still includes us. God knows what we’ve thought and still wants us. God knows what we’ve said and still accepts us.

Jesus was not condemning social amenities; he was not saying do not eat with your friends or avoid dinner parties. He was making a point, teaching a lesson. God is the host, who offers equal love, respect, and grace to everyone.

What has God offered us that we cannot repay? Our opening sentences today offer us just a few examples of what God has given us that we will never be able to repay. God provides us with strength; God is a constant helper. God is timeless, having been faithful to our ancestors and still leads today when we face difficult days. God’s presence is constant; God has promised never to leave us. And even with all this, God still wants us and welcomes us. God provides for our needs and renews us spiritually. God offers all this knowing that we can never repay.

We invite our friends and family for we know that they can return the favor. God invites us even though God knows we can never give it all back. That is an incredible kind of love.

A few years ago, Jennifer was pursuing the process with the State of Virginia to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. The stringent requirements necessitate that each clinician have a large number of supervision hours. Jennifer had finished a year of study at the Family Institute of Virginia and needed to return, but it was a costly program. Wondering where we were going to find that kind of money on a rural preacher’s salary, a small counseling practice which saw less than ten clients/ week, and having to provide for two small children, we found ourselves in a quandary. One night, Jennifer went to a respected friend in our church, and shared this dilemma with a request to help us pray for guidance and direction. As Jennifer spoke of the necessity of the hours, the practicality of the learning, and the cost of the program, our friend began to cry. She then said, "For a long time, I have been contributing to a specific charity, but recently I have been thinking about shifting that money to something or someone else that could use it, and I want to give it for your training. I have been blessed so much in this world, but as I’ve said before, you just can’t outgive God."

God’s giving is beyond our comprehension and out of our reach. If I borrow $100, I do so with the expectation that I can repay it. If I needed one trillion dollars and someone gave it to me, I could never repay it. As such, you and I can never repay God; God continues to give to us, and that is worth celebrating. All who have accepted Christ as their Savior are invited to join me at the table, as we celebrate that great love and gift of Jesus Christ.