Lent Reading; Week 3, Day 1 (March 25)

Reading: Luke 14:1-14

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. ² There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” ⁴ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

⁵ Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” ⁶ And they had nothing to say.

⁷ When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: ⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. ¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Reflection

The message of Jesus is so counter-cultural, counter-human nature, counter our expectations. It is such a paradigm shift for all of us. And it is, at the same time, so consistent.

Regarding the theme of "greatness" is a summary of Jesus teaching so far in the Gospel of Luke:

• "He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble" (Luke 1:52)
• "It is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest" (Luke 9:48)
• "For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
• "All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14)
• "The greatest among you should be like the youngest, the one who rules like the one who serves" (Luke 22:26)

From the beginning of Luke's Gospel to the end we hear and see the same consistent message: God's lifting up the humble and bringing down the proud.

Can we think of some way to embody this teaching of Jesus in our day today?

And the ultimate consistency in Jesus' teaching is not that he continues to this same theme over and over again but that He shows us what this looks like by going to a cross he does not deserve and by ungoing a suffering and death for the sake of others.

Jesus, the Son of God, humbles himself to the point of death.

Amazing consistency! Amazing grace!