Sermon Tone Analysis

*Hard Sayings of Jesus, III (Inscription 48)*

*Invite the Poor and the Lame *

*Luke 14:12-14*

*/April 10, 2011/*

 

*prep*

·         Erin’s e-mail and Josh and Micah’s notes in LO

·         Watch “Friday”

 

Communication card

·         Spring cleaning

·         Passover

 

Prayer

 

*Scripture reading: luke 14:1-14*

 

Q   Have you ever gone to a dinner where you felt like you were *on* *trial*, maybe meeting the future in-laws?

Q   How about a meeting where they’re trying to “*take* *you* *in*”?

I was invited to a friend’s house for an *Amway* presentation.

I had already seen how MLM damaged relationships, and I only went to avoid hurting another one, but I walked in with defenses up.

I was even *suspicious* of the “*Hi*, how are you.”

I entertained myself during the presentation by thinking of all sorts snide remarks.

I just sat through the whole smiling and chuckling.

The guy probably thought I wasn’t right in the head.

·         The reason I did that was to *protect* *myself* from being “taken in” because I knew their stuff would look good on the surface.

On trial

 

This is the *context* of this story – Jesus was invited to be put on *trial*, to be tested, and he knows it.

But unlike me, Jesus *didn’t* just *play* nice.

·         He *heals* a guy on Sabbath.

·         He *rebukes* them for *self*-*exalting* seat selection.

·         He *criticizes* the host for his *guest* *list*.

·         He closes by *hinting* that they are all going to *Hell*.

But Jesus isn’t being *nasty*, he is being *loving*.

These guys, the *spiritual* *leaders* of Israel have a deep heart problem: They were *arrogant* and *self*-*serving*.

UNDERSTANDING Jesus

 

This is our last sermon on the “*Hard* *sayings* of Jesus.”

Jesus has told us to *love* our *enemies* and *sell* our *possessions*, now he takes on *hospitality*: He tells us who to invite for dinner.

·         This is the whole “Don’t *invite*...” *passage*.

·         What he says here applies both to our *house* *homes* and our *church* *homes*, and hence evangelism.

I think that we are starting to *understand* how Jesus *communicates* to us: He uses *extremes* to shock us out of our selfishness and complacency.

·         It’s as if he knows that he could be misunderstood but is willing to *risk* one *extreme* to avoid the other.

There are *two* *dangers*: 1) The *lesser* one of taking his words hyper-literally; selling all of our possessions and allowing our enemies to keep hitting us.

2) The *worse* danger of labeling it as hyperbole and then ignoring it.

Q   Which one is *more* *common* among Christians today?

Don’t [Merely]...

 

Let’s first take care of the *first* *danger*:

 

When Jesus says “Do not invite your friends...” the intended meaning “Do not *merely* invite your friends, but also invite.”

How do I know?

 

1.

The tense of the *verb* is present imperative, which in Greek can mean “stop continually inviting.”

[cf.

Eph.

5:18 “Be continually filled with the Spirit.”]

 

2.

“*Scripture* *interprets* *Scripture*,” Jesus is building off of the entire OT and we read this through his entire ministry.

If this command were *literally* *true*, then Jesus is a *hypocrite*.

At the Last Supper he only invited his apostles (not even the general disciples), and he “*eagerly* *desired*” this time with them.

At the very end, he wanted to be surrounded by friends.

·         It is oaky to have time just with your *friends*, and it is a *vital* part of a *healthy* *life*.

·         It is okay if you are *not* *invited* to everything!

So we have that settled: Jesus is *not* *saying* you can never have a party with your friends again.

Who’s on the list?

Let’s now worry about what he is saying:

 

NIV *Luke 14:12a* ”When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors...”

 

Listen to the three groups of people:

 

1.

*Friends*: The people you enjoy hanging out with.

These are the people that you just like and have fun together.

2.

*Family*: These are the people you have to hang out with, maybe you enjoy them and maybe you don’t!

 

3.

*Business* or *social* *connections*: You don’t necessarily like these people, but it’s a “good idea” to invite them over.

Q   Think back to your *last* *party* or dinner you hosted – *how* *many* people fit into one of these categories?

And before that?

Seek first the kingdom

 

Okay, *guilty* as charged, I usually only have friends and family over.

*So* what?

It’s a party, and I want to enjoy the party.

NIV *Luke 14:12b* “...if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.”

·         As we see in the next verse, he’s talking about the *next* *life*.

Let’s go back to *last* *week’s* *sermon*: Life is about more than food, clothes, or parties.

The pagans run after that stuff.

I cannot blame an *atheist* if plans his *guest* *list* around what will give him the most fun now.

Why shouldn’t he?

But, Jesus said, *you* should be thinking *differently*.

Q   Have you ever thought that you *guest* *list* says a lot about what you *value*?

Let’s invite this person, they are a lot of *fun*; this person has the *connections* and if they come then it will be cool.

*Or*, this person is *lonely*, this person really needs the *love* of *Christ*.

·         Everything you do has the *potential* to have *eternal* *effects*; don’t squander those opportunities.

A better guest list

 

Here is what Jesus says to do instead:

 

NIV *Luke 14:13-14* 13 But when you give a banquet...

 

Jesus earlier referred to *lunch* and *dinner*, their only meals, and now a banquet, a *party* – he is closing all the *loopholes*!

...invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed.

Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

We need to *contextualize* this or else you’ll be quick to give yourselves a pass because you have a *friend* in a *wheelchair*.

*/1.

/**/The Poor/*

 

Poverty is no longer about *money*, but about *social* *class* – poor people aren’t *starving* to death any more.

If a *friend* is below the poverty line, it won’t really affect your *friendship*.

·         But, you still struggle being hospitable with those who are poor and you *can’t* *relate* to.

For that reason, let me go out on a limb and add “*dysfunctional*” to this group, because these are the *poor* that we have a harder time *inviting* over, those who remain poor because of their *laziness*, *substance* *abuse*, atrocious *relationship* *skills*.

I am not saying that *everyone* who is poor is dysfunctional, nor that all dysfunctional people are poor.

Just look at *Hollywood*!

 

·         But the “*rich* *dysfunctional*” falls under the “*rich* *neighbor*;” we only tolerate them because of the pay off!

 

*Loving* the *unlovable* is hard.

Continually “*Needy* *people*” drain the life out of you because they are so needy and don’t know how to *relate* *normally*.

·         When you *invite* these folks to your house, it is an *act* of *service* – you are giving to them and not *getting* a *return*.

They don’t have the *social* *sense* to talk about *your* *favorite* *subject*: you.

They want to talk to about their favorite subject.