GOD Morning! June 3, 2016 Advanced Individual Training / Dinner Guests

GOD Morning!  June 3, 2016

Advanced Individual Training

Dinner Guests

Luke 14:1-24 AMP

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

14 It happened one Sabbath, when He went for a meal at the house of one of the ruling Pharisees, that they were watching Him closely and carefully [hoping to entrap Him]. ² And there in front of Him was a man who had dropsy (extreme swelling). ³ And Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” ⁴ But they kept silent. Then He took hold of the man and healed him, and sent him on his way. ⁵ Then He said to them, “Which one of you, having a son or an ox that falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” ⁶ And they were unable to reply to this.

I love this about Jesus. He simply did the compassionate thing. Regardless of who was watching. Regardless of what others might think or say. He was only concerned with doing the will of His Father. Doing what He was sent to do.

Parable of the Guests

⁷ Now Jesus began telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been selecting the places of honor at the table, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down [to eat] at the place of honor, since a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by the host, ⁹ and he who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place,’ and then, in disgrace you proceed to take the last place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down [to eat] at the last place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; and then you will be honored in the presence of all who are at the table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled [before others], and he who habitually humbles himself (keeps a realistic self-view) will be exalted.”

So when we seek the best for ourselves, we are not pleasing to God. And when we humble ourselves and prefer others, God exalts us. Wow. What a concept. So opposite of what society tells us.

¹² Jesus also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. ¹³ But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (the just, the upright).”

What if I take this literally? I could easily come up with a list of people who would love to come over to my home for a nice dinner. These people probably don’t ever get invited out. For various reasons. Some have made horrible life choices and have pushed all of their loved ones away permanently. Some have never been loved by anyone. Some are orphans. Some are neglected. Their parents are high on drugs much of the time. Some watch and experience horrific abuse continually.

Okay that’s it. This scripture is for me today. I am having folks over for dinner who can’t reciprocate. On a regular basis. I can start with once a month. Who wants to join me?

¹⁵ When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

And here’s another beautiful example.

Parable of the Dinner

¹⁶ But Jesus said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many guests; ¹⁷ and at the dinner hour he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is ready now.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have purchased a piece of land and I have to go out and see it; please consider me excused.’ ¹⁹ Another one said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ‘I have [recently] married a wife, and for that reason I am unable to come.’ ²¹ So the servant came back and reported this to his master. Then [his master,] the head of the household, became angry [at the rejections of his invitation] and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.’ ²² And the servant [after returning] said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ ²³ Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled [with guests]. ²⁴ For I tell you, not one of those who were invited [and declined] will taste my dinner.’”

“Dear Jesus, thank You. Thank You for speaking to my heart again. You have shown me exactly what You want me to do. I will obey. How can I do any less? You sacrificed Your ALL for me. You had compassion on me. I must be Your hands and feet. How I love You. AMEN.”