THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

90When have you experienced "true" hospitality? Who is the humblest person you know?Who are the "poor" in spirit? Those who are "crippled" in their faith? The ones who are "lame"and unable to move forward in life? And the ones who are spiritually "blind" who we need toreach out to and welcome? How can we live this proclamation better? These are but a few thingsI am pondering. What comes to your mind when you read this text?The unchangeable conduct of God is that He resists the proud, but gives grace, honor andglory to the humble.INVITE THOSE WHO CANNOT REPAY (14:12-14)Another teaching deals with who you should invite to a dinner party“Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not inviteyour friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do,they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give abanquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will beblessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrectionof the righteous" (vv. 12-14).We should not entertain only at particular times and only our friends, instead we shouldbe involved in charity to the poor. What Jesus condemns is those entertainments which aregiven to the rich, either to flatter them, or to procure a similar return; because the money that isthus spent really belongs to the poor.Jesus says that we should invite those who are not able to pay us back, because if weinvite only our friends and/or family and they return the favor, what kind of love and sacrifice isthat? In turn, where then is our reward? Obviously, the reciprocity between our family andfriends in such a case is our only reward.This is a lesson in hospitality and it is expanded in verses 15–24 when Jesus teaches TheParable of the Great Banquet.Jesus says, "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, andthe blind." He pointed out earlier in this gospel that He was anointed to“. . . bring Good News to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recoveryof sight for the blind and release to the oppressed (4:18-19).In this passage He is teaching and living out such a proclamation