12th Sunday after Pentecost Luke 14:1, 7-14

Guests? Or Hosts?

After picking up the first verse of the chapter in order to provide a setting for Jesus’ words, this week’s gospel reading contains two teachings. The first (v. 7-11) is addressed to his fellow guests. The second (v. 12-14) is addressed to his host. Thus, the very structure of this text provides an immediate problem for the preacher: Which of the two teachings do you focus on? (I won’t go so far as to claim it’s impossible to do both, but I think trying to address the whole text from the pulpit will likely result in two sermons being smashed together.)

To the Guests

Jesus observes that the other invited guests “chose the places of honor” (14:7). In Jesus’ day, a banquet like this would have…

1. Have you ever been to an event or party where you could clearly sense the differences in honor accorded to different guests?

2. What is the difference between humility and self-abasement?

3. Do you prefer to be the guest at a party or the host at a party? Why? Does your preference suggest anything about which Christian virtues come most naturally to you? 

4. Take a quick mental inventory of your social life. How often the socially marginalized – “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (v. 13) – show up in your social relations?

5. How might we increase…