Luke 14 vs 13/14. “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
You have probably observed for yourself how some people only fraternise with the “in” crowd. They always invite the same guests over for dinner, and are always going to each other’s house in return. They form a sort of clique. You see them in business and in Church. Outsiders just cannot get in
Jesus makes a comment to this kind of person in vs 12-14. Their pride and snobbishness, not to mention their lack of genuine hospitality to the poor who could not pay them back, showed them up as belonging to those who would not make it to the Heavenly Banquet. Their open-heartedness was not genuine, it was merely a show to a certain group of people. They always needed to repay each other by reciprocal invitations.
But it is not like this with true believers. True followers of Christ seek out the crippled, lame and blind. Bear in mind that in Luke’s day, sufferers like these would be totally ignored by the establishment as being unworthy of hospitality or kindness because they were viewed as being under the judgement of God – hence their infirmities. Remember too, that crippled, blind, lame did not always for Luke (who was a doctor, remember) refer to those who were literally so afflicted. But they also refer to those whose inner spiritual condition made them spiritually speaking ‘crippled, blind, lame’ – that means weak, scarred through sinful living, lost and in need of a Saviour. Luke was always interested in marginalised people as the subject of God’s Grace.
Perhaps you have felt rejected or marginalised in some way? Now is the time to remember that Jesus wants to have you at the feast of “Grace”.
If the hosts showed concern for these people, it would be a sign they belonged to the Kingdom of God. All true Christians would be concerned for the lost and needy – both physically and spiritually. To have no such concerns would be proof that they themselves are strangers to grace.
But to show such concern means that as you seek to serve the Lord in your concern for others, you yourself will be blessed (v 14). And although your efforts may see no reward in the here and now nevertheless everything has been noted by the Greatest of All Hosts and at the resurrection of the righteous, that is, all believers in Jesus – your hospitality, care or concern will be acknowledged and rewarded.
Never get tired of doing good. (1 Corinthians 15 v 58).