Luke 14:12-24  As Jesus continued to sit at the table with the leading Pharisees... He had spoken about being humble and not exalting oneself.. and then He said this, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, lest they invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But, when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."  

Jesus goes on to tell a story about a man who planned a big dinner.  He sent out the invitations and when the time came he also sent his servant to gather those invited. However.. every one of them made excuses as to why they couldn't come and this made the man angry.  He then sent his slave out to gather others to fill his banquet hall.. at first he brought "the poor and crippled and blind and lame".. and then he went even further and invited any who he could find on the highways and along the hedges.  The house was filled, but those he had first invited were all excluded from the dinner. 

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees.. those who were filled with pride.. those same ones who had tried to get the best seats just moments before.. those who wanted to be honored and exalted.. those who would invite the "right" people to their dinners.  And the one.. who had invited Jesus.  What was his motive?  What was he trying to prove?  Was the invitation for the purpose of receiving something in return? Then  he needed to change his thinking... let his motive be to help the helpless and to feed the hungry. This is where the blessing will be found.. in humble service to others in need. 

The parable of the dinner had a deeper meaning.. God Himself had invited the people of Israel to come to His table.. but they made excuses.  Because they did not come, rejecting the One who came to gather them.. He opened His Kingdom to those who had no way to "repay" Him.. the poor.. the crippled.. the blind.. and the lame.. the lost.. the hiding.. the wandering.. He invited us. 

Father in heaven, we praise Your holy name.. thanking You for calling us into Your Kingdom and to Your table. We are poor and needy.. and we have no means to repay You for the grace and love that You have lavished on us through the sacrifice of Your Beloved Son.  We come before You with grateful hearts and surrender all of ourselves to Your service.  May we always extend the invitation to those who need to hear about Jesus Christ.. those who are poor and crippled, blind or lame.. those on the highways and in the hedges. Give us ears to hear and to do Your Word we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.