Read Luke 14:12-24

“¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.””

There’s something satisfying about knowing that Jesus loved to party and even gave instructions for his followers for when (not if!) we “feast” [party]. However, Jesus clarifies that the way we party and who we party with reveals the intentions of our hearts. When we consider who we invite to the beach, a BBQ, movie night or dinner party we often see that much of what we do in life, even our hospitality and celebrations, are done for “kickbacks”.

In this encounter, Jesus calls us to rethink how we party and who we party with. He’s calling for us to not just change up the guest list but to re-organise how we host people in our lives so that it’s almost impossible to receive any earthly reward whatsoever. This new approach to hospitality disregards the praise of the elite in favour of heavenly rewards that no earthly currency or reputation can compare.

If you’ve ever shared a meal in a home with a newly arrived refugee you’ll know the powerful psychological, emotional and physical impact an invitation can have upon an individual or family. Long-term Australians share birthdays, and BBQs and often “grab a cuppa” without giving it too much thought. However, new Australians are rarely invited into these gatherings that we largely take for granted! At least part of their absence at our gatherings could be a culture gap. They may not provide the fancy food, gossip or social media clout we selfishly use to boost our own reputation or sense of worth.

The “feasts” that Jesus encourages us to host are the ones that explicitly include those who have nothing to offer us! Furthermore, when we are willing to welcome those whom he welcomes, he guarantees both an earthly blessing and a heavenly reward!

What would it look like for you to let Jesus re-organise your calendar and plan your guest list?