Luke 14:1, 7-14

This Sunday’s Gospel reading, Luke 14:1, 7-14, is one of those practical lessons that could come from Dear Abby as much as from the Bible. However, the difference is that, in the context of Luke’s Gospel, it is a strong encouragement to align your life with the Realm of God’s Love (aka the Kingdom of Heaven).

This dinner party (Luke 14:1) is the kind that is as much business and formality as it is fun. Think of a dinner party you have attended — maybe as part of a job interview, maybe “Sunday dinner” if you grew up in a formally-Christian home, maybe in celebration of an engagement or some other significant life experience. As you read on, imagine such a formal dinner setting.

How, in our culture, is it a virtue to “look out for #1” and position yourself to be at the head table? How is a person who chooses the crummiest seat looked down upon, maybe as timid or a loser or a misfit?

In light of the wider story, how does Jesus’ summary in verse 11 speak to you?

Verses 12-14 are pretty challenging. Who throws such a dinner party? If this is not literal, what does it say about “making a place at the table” in your life for outsiders and outcasts?