Scriptures: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14
Key Verse: “And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:14)
We all have certain gifts and enjoy doing what we’re good at. For some, it’s hosting and entertaining guests. I have seen people, both extroverted and introverted, host a great party. I also know people who are charismatic and know how to entertain others simply because they have done it often. You may have had similar experiences and thought that these people are only good at it because they’re gifted. However, that’s a myth. Anyone can practice and learn to become a good host.
I have seen this at many churches when it comes time to invite or host new visitors. People often shy away from the opportunity to be a host, saying that they’re not gifted or it’s not their thing. The same goes for the visitors, who may wonder if they’ll be a pleasant guest. They wonder if their presence or anything they offer will be helpful or meaningful at all. I have also seen this in other situations outside of church.
By thinking of these situations, we can see that extending or accepting an invitation can sometimes feel like a chore that is carried out as a necessity, or a job that is done out of a responsibility, or work done for a paycheck. But how about an invitation for a gathering related to our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord? Is such an invitation a chore, a job, a work, a ministry, a mission, or a vocation?
In Luke 14, Jesus received an invitation from a leader of the Pharisees to join him at his house for a meal. Based on how this story was told, we can probably assume that, to the religious leader, this invitation was not a ministry or a vocation. It sounds more like an opportunity or a mission for them to get Jesus. How about for Jesus? For sure, being the invitee wasn’t a chore, a job, or a work for him. After he noticed the pre-arranged seating and the pride people took, he made his remark to all the guests, “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Then he said to the host that he should invite anyone who couldn't afford to repay him, and also assured him that God will repay him at the resurrection of the righteous. It is helpful to remember that the righteous means that those who have embraced the restored and redeemed relationships with God and all people. Jesus said that they will be blessed and rewarded.
It seems to me that Jesus had no problem with a hierarchical system but did have a problem with not acknowledging one's own sense of entitlement in his culture where both honoring and humbling are valued very much. He also reminded the religious leader that God is the one who blesses and rewards all the inviting and the invited. Speaking candidly, the ultimate host is God, who created the universe, and humans were commissioned to take care of God’s creation and be good stewards in Genesis 1:26 and 28.
“Wait a second!” you might say, “Didn’t the Bible ask humans to rule over and have dominion over the rest of creation?” It is always good to refresh and unlearn our old understanding of the Hebrew word, radah, which is normally translated as ‘rule over’ or ‘have dominion over.’ In order to do so, we should know how this word, radah, is used to convey the overall picture of humanity's role throughout Scripture from a biblical culture not within our current modern culture.
A biblical scholar, Andrew Basden, noted that radah is an authority that is firm and effective but never harsh or oppressive. It means that humanity's radah over the rest of creation should be with authority, under God's authority, and never oppressive or harsh. I found his comments very helpful. He wrote:
In Genesis 1, radah is linked with the idea of 'imaging God', representing God, showing God's characteristics, etc. So radah is not what we might think of as forceful, but the kind of authority that enables the ruled things to develop and open up as they should rather than that which uses them as resources for our own sakes. If God is love, then so should we be towards the rest of creation.
From the beginning of human history, we all have received this holy invitation. The purpose of God’s invitation to God’s kingdom is for us to treat others as we want to be treated, to know God and love God, to build relationships with whoever we encounter and love them and be loved, to forgive and to apologize and love well. The more we practice being great hosts as the extensions of God’s invite, we are closer to God. The more we remember that we are also the guests, the more pleasant guests we can be for God’s kingdom.
Since Jesus’ time, this sense of mission has been fading away among the people of God. Our role of being both the invited and the inviting is more important than ever. God’s invitation to all of humankind is like a gift that couldn’t be delivered to all because it was taken by some as if they purchased the gift themselves and claimed to be the gift giver. Or it has been received but was never opened, or was tossed out, or was set aside because the receiver didn’t know what to do with it after opening, or used to display like an old fossil.
A church secretary shared with me a lesson that she had learned. That lesson helped her worship God better and feel more joyful. She told me that in the past for several years, whenever she worshiped, she could see anything that wasn’t done well - the preacher, the worship leaders, the sound system, and the worship bulletins. She even had opinions about the worship space. As we shared our thoughts on worship, she told me that she appreciated what I said before each worship, which did prepare our worshippers and re-centered them. What I said was simple, “Let us prepare our hearts and minds to worship our God.” Saying it not only helped worshippers but for my own sake as well. I think that It worked well for her because she had been working on it for a quite long time.
Now we can see that being the inviter and invite isn't a chore that is carried out as a necessity, or a job that is done out of a responsibility, or work done for a paycheck. Rather, it is a ministry with a clear purpose, a mission with a set of values -- Great Commandments, and our baptismal vocation by trusting and relying on God's grace. Let us prepare our hearts and minds whenever we gather in Jesus' name. Let us conduct a holy life whenever we meet, a life set apart for God alone, that is shaped by God’s love toward us in Jesus Christ as it's written in Hebrews 13:1, "Let mutual love continue." Let us give thanks to God for the honorable invitation that we all have received and that has been waiting for us to live out as being invited and the inviting each day. Amen.
Comments