Day 14, On The Road To Pentecost: GENUINE HOSPITALITY

Luke 14:12-14

The kingdom of God in the world operates as an alternative community.  Jesus describes it as a luncheon or dinner, and his counsel is for us to open the doors of the gathering to everyone, not just the folks we know. “Invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (vs. 13).  In other words, invite the marginalized, the disenfranchised and those who might otherwise be excluded and alienated.   

  

Followers of Jesus march to a different drumbeat. They live and move and have their being in the mind and spirit of Jesus.  They open their hearts to any and all.  The world thrives on money and power and glamour. The kingdom of God says that money and power and glamour are not important.  There is room at the table of God for everyone, even you and me.

In Luke 14, Jesus sets the stage for what is to come when the Holy Spirit is poured out on God’s church and into the hearts of God’s people.  God’s people are a people of love, acceptance, hospitality, and openness.  We don’t shut doors, we open them.  We don’t have an economic, political, social, or racial requirement.  We invite everyone to the table of Jesus, because once upon a time, Jesus invited us to His table.  We live in a spirit of hospitality, a hospitality rooted and grounded in God’s amazing grace.

Several years ago, Newsweek magazine carried the story of the memorial service held for Hubert Humphrey, former vice-president of the United States. Hundreds of people came from all over the world to say good-bye to their old friend and colleague. But one person who came was shunned and ignored by virtually everyone there. Nobody would look at him, much less speak to him. That person was former president Richard Nixon. Not long before, he had gone through the shame and infamy of Watergate. He was back in Washington for the first time since his resignation from the presidency.       

Then a very special thing happened, perhaps the only thing that could have made a difference and broken the ice. President Jimmy Carter, a follower of Christ, who was in the White House at that time, came into the room. Before he was seated, he saw Nixon over against the wall, all by himself. He went over to [him] as though he were greeting a family member, stuck out his hand to the former president, and smiled broadly. To the surprise of everyone there, the two of them embraced each other, and Carter said, "Welcome home, Mr. President! Welcome home!"      

Commenting on that, Newsweek magazine asserted, "If there was a turning point in Nixon's long ordeal in the wilderness, it was that moment and that gesture of love and compassion."   (http://www.sermonsplus.co.uk/index.htm).

What is it we say to the disenfranchised?  We say what we say to everyone, “Welcome home.”