1-2 One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. 3-4 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. 5-6 Then he turned to them and said, “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your donkey or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” Again they could not answer.

7-10 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honour near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honour. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honoured in front of all the other guests.  11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12-14 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbours. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then, at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” Luke 14:1-14 New Living Translation paraphrase (English Standard Version link)

What an instructive dinner that turned out to be. Three things happened which must've given the guests a lot to think about afterwards. The first was a miraculous healing of a sick man. This happened after Jesus had challenged the religious folk present whether it was okay to do the work of healing on the Sabbath Day. What is the lesson from what Jesus said in vs 5-6?

His words showed that God's laws were never intended to take away compassion and mercy. The lack of compassion on their part was due to their self-centred attitudes.

This led to the second thing that took place. Their self-centred attitude was seen in the way they jostled for the most prestigious places at the table. (vs 7-10) Jesus used a simple example to give them a better way of behaving, and followed it up (in vs 11) with an important principle for life. Can you see how that principle can apply to our relationship with God as well?

The third thing which would've left an impression on the guests, was what Jesus said to the host of the meal in vs 12-14. I suspect He said this in front of all the other guests, and we were told in vs 1 that the host was one of the leaders of the Pharisees! Jesus showed him how he could extend the same sort of mercy and compassion which Jesus demonstrated when He healed the sick man, even though it was the Sabbath Day. Can you imagine the startling effect His words must have had on that gathering of self righteous people?

But what about us? Have we put those words of Jesus into practise in our lives? I'm sure Jesus was not saying it's wrong to entertain family and dear friends and that we should never do that. But if we limit kindness and hospitality to those we love, or to those who will return the favour, we will never experience the joy that comes from showing kindness to those who could never repay us, or to those who are strangers or from a different background to ourselves. Like those Pharisees and religious lawyers we can be so wrapped up in our own self that we don't think of others. May God fill our hearts with a compassion that reaches out to those we would not normally rub shoulders with. May we seek ways to show hospitality to those who least expected it, and who could never repay it. Jesus said God Himself will repay our actions.