Friday, 17 March 2017

East Ridge Pres

Luke 14:12-14 [Jesus] 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 neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Is Jesus concerned about wedding feasts? Or once a year festivals? Is he concerned about in modern language: dinner parties. Or inviting someone over for supper? What he says certainly applies to hospitality, but many other activities as well. He says give to those who will give nothing back in return. Give without desiring any return payment. The crippled, the lame, and the blind were the poorest of the poor. Those who would be unable to feed anyone else or have anyone over to their house for dinner. They are the example of a person who will not be able to return the favor. Or give something else in return. Jesus says “You will be blessed BECAUSE they cannot repay you.” This means we should deliberately be looking for the opportunities to do something for nothing. To do something for no money, no recognition, no praise, no gratitude, no future favors, no social climbing leg up. When you do something for nothing, God is the one who repays you. When does he repay? You are blessed in the present, but full payment comes on the day of Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Jesus asks us to do something for nothing. In Shakespeare’s play, King Lear said "Nothing will come of nothing” telling his daughter if she does not praise him she will get nothing from him. But Jesus says that when we have received nothing from someone. We must give something to him. And expect nothing in return from him. Why? Because we have received something from Christ first. We have received everything from Christ first. So give to all. And expect nothing from that person. But expect everything from Jesus Christ when he returns.