The Least Supper

Please stand as you are able as we read God’s word:

Luke 14:15–24 NRSV

One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’ ”

Welcome to Holy Week at Vineyard. Today is Palm Sunday. Traditionally churches focus on Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. We’re going to do something a little different. Some of the most important messages of Jesus - of the whole Bible - came in the context of a meals. In Jesus’ time, meals signified welcome and belonging and friendship. During this season where we commemorate and celebrate Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus is once again inviting us to Come to the Table. This morning we are going to look at a passage I call The Least Supper. Then on Good Friday we will have a special extended reflection on Communion that I’m calling The Last Supper. And then on Easter Sunday we will finish the series with a message called The Loud Supper.

This morning we’re going to look at the questions, when and who. Knowing when something is happening is pretty important, right? Like, when your flight leaves. When you’re supposed to show up for your new job. Or, what day your anniversary is. Guys??

Also asking who is pretty important too. Like, who’s coming for Thanksgiving and will it be my crazy aunt with all the cats? Or, who ate that piece of cake I was saving for later?!

One thing biblical scholars can agree on is that the primary message of Jesus was about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God was a way of describing what the world would be like when God finally comes, when he fixes everything that’s broken. It was the hope of Israel at the time of Jesus that the kingdom would come soon. They were asking “when” will the kingdom come, and “who” will be the ones to enter it.

In the parable we read, Jesus answers these questions, and the answer is still relevant for us today. For instance, if the kingdom of God is not now but for later - like after we die or something - then it really doesn’t have any relevance for our life today. We might as well live out of the secular story our culture gives us instead of trying to live out of the sacred story of scripture. But if the kingdom is for right now, then it seems that what I do with that matters.

Equally important is who gets to be part of God’s kingdom. Am even I invited to participate, or has something in my past disqualified me? Jesus offers you good news this morning for both of these questions in what I’ll call The Least Supper.

The problem for them

The backdrop for this parable is a metaphor that was commonly used to describe the day when the kingdom of God would arrive - “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” In the Bible, God’s future kingdom is often spoken of as a great feast where God himself would spread a lavish table for the righteous to come and eat. To “eat bread in the kingdom” referred to participating in God’s salvation and eternal life when the age of the Messiah finally came.

One of the questions that concerned the Jews of Jesus day was when the kingdom would arrive, when would the table be ready? This statement sounded devout - sort of like “too blessed to be stressed” - but it was also very much a cliche. It assumed was that the kingdom of God was still a distant thing. It was something in the future that sounded good, but we can’t really be troubled with right now. Jesus uses this parable to emphasize that the future kingdom of God was already present right now in him. There is no longer any wait for that future in-breaking - it is here now looking at them in the face. Yet they couldn’t or wouldn’t see it.

There was also the question of who would be invited to this great dinner. The assumption by those around Jesus were those who were righteous - basically, people like them. The people who, at least outwardly, looked moral and upright. Who conformed to the social standards of the day. They gave to the Temple. They were at synagogue every week. They kept the commandments. And their life showed that God obviously approved of them. They were affluent and healthy. But as the parable goes, they are actually the ones invited, who apparently had RSVP’d, but when it came time for the actual dinner they made excuses not to come - new property, new oxen, new bride. Jesus doesn’t make any comment on the validity of these excuses. From a purely human standard, at least the last one seems like a pretty good one. But the point Jesus is making is that they made excuses at all. The fact that God’s kingdom was now present must take precedence over everything else. God has laid a table, but they were too busy, too distracted, maybe too self-sufficient to bother coming. Those who had been invited were going to miss out on the party.

The problem for us

There is a warning here for us - even for those who have believed the message of Jesus and been baptized into his family. The warning is that we can live as if the kingdom of God was still entirely future. Yes, there is an aspect where we await the full consummation of the kingdom when Jesus returns. But the kingdom is also a present reality. We must be careful not to live as if we can somehow put off our participation in it until later. There is a tendency in the church to get people to cross the line of faith - i.e. “get saved” as a one-time decision - but then go and live your life as if you were still the master. But Jesus will make very clear is that if we will not take part in the present kingdom we will not share in its future consummation. He said it this way, Matthew 16:24 “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

We also must stop and ask ourselves if there is anything that we place as a higher priority in our life. Do money or possessions hold a greater place in your life than God? That’s actually a pretty easy thing to determine - just look at your checkbook or credit card statement. What about a relationship? Is there a relationship in your life - maybe one you know isn’t good for you - that you hold above God? These are hard questions, but what is at stake is our invitation to this dinner that God is extending to us. Jesus is unapologetic when it comes to priorities - his kingdom must be first.

The gospel for them

Those initially invited to the dinner refuse, so the master - God - sends out new invitations. First, to those in the streets and lanes of the town, to the poor, crippled, blind and lame. Jesus is beginning to show the nature of his kingdom. Not only is the time right now, but who’s on the guest list is pretty surprising - the least of these. Those without status. Those who couldn’t repay if they wanted to.

But he’s not finished. There is still room he says at the table, so he sends out more invitations, this time outside the city. It’s clear that Jesus is looking forward to the time when the table will also include those who were formerly excluded - us Gentiles!

And notice that the master tells the servants to “compel” these people - the poor, crippled, blind, lame, and now foreigner - to come in. This isn’t coercive. It is a persuasive insistence. In a culture where the poor, crippled, blind, lame and foreigners were looked down upon or pushed to the margins, this persuasive insistence is a means to overcome any shyness they may have or feelings of unworthiness. What Jesus is clearly sayings is that this supper for the least is a table of grace. Who’s invited? Everyone!

The gospel for us

Previously in Luke, Jesus was asked by some Pharisees why he would share a meal with people like tax collectors and sinners. These were considered the worst of the worst. Jesus answered, Luke 5:31–32 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Is Jesus saying that there are those who are righteous and those who aren’t? That there are those in need of grace and those who can get by without it. No, the Bible clearly portrays everyone as sinners - no exceptions. He’s distinguishing between those who are self-righteous and those who humbly admit their need before God. The truth is that no matter how much he may want to, he can’t do anything to help the self-righteous bc they won’t come to him for help. It is only those who turn toward him in humility that receive his forgiveness. It is only those who will come through grace that can come to the table.

The truth is that you might have been saved 40 years, but still fall into self-righteousness. It’s tempting to begin with Jesus but try to finish on our own - to walk away from this table of grace.

It’s also true that you may see this table of grace as something you don’t deserve. You’d be right. Who does? Yet the offer is there just the same. Regardless of how good or bad you have been compared to others, for those who will admit their need Jesus welcomes wholeheartedly. His table, his kingdom, is for the least of these.

Here is the good news - the gospel - for us in this passage. First, concerning when. Jesus is very clear that the kingdom has already come - in him! Yes, we are waiting for it to come in completion at his return. But we can begin living in light of this kingdom now. Through the outpouring of the Spirit, we don’t have to wait for “one day” to see things put right. We can begin to see things healed now - bodies, relationships, addictions, mental illness. The church is full of testimonies of people who have experienced God’s kingdom break into their life right now - through salvation, healing, and deliverance.

Second, the good news is that when we say everyone is invited, it includes you. You are invited to the table. It is not based on your status. You can’t earn a seat at the table of grace. You may be here and feel completely unworthy because of your past. But the good news is that this table is based on grace, not merit. The gospel that Jesus proclaims is that we who are figuratively poor, crippled, blind and lame - who couldn’t do anything for ourselves, God has done for us in Jesus.

The least supper

We must personally address the when and who question for ourselves. Jesus says that the when is now. Don’t delay. Enter the kingdom today. Have you ever responded to Jesus’ invitation?

But the who question is equally important. The who is literally everyone. Everyone is invited to come to this table . But in reality, only those who are the least of these will accept.

There may be some of you here today that identify literally as one of the least of these. Financially, you are poor. Physically, you experience disability or infirmity in your body. In many ways you have an advantage over others because your need is always in front of you. It serves to keep you humble and keep you dependent upon God. This thing that seems like a curse may in fact be a blessing.

But probably for most of us here we can’t identify literally as the poor or crippled or blind or lame. Our lives are pretty good. We’re not rich, but neither are we struggling to pay our bills. We enjoy relatively good health and mobility. For us, the danger is greater because we can be lulled us into a false sense of self-sufficiency. And so we must be humble enough to recognize that in all the ways that matter, we also are the least of these - the poor and crippled and blind and lame and the foreigner. When we do, Jesus says come to the table that I have prepared for you. The least supper is a table of grace.

Invite a response during communion...

Communion

Heavenly Father, we rejoice with all God’s people in the hopeful promise of Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” In your Son, Jesus, you have prepared a table of grace for those who are the least. To the weary, you are rest. To the anxious you are peace. To the helpless you are a strong tower. To the broken you are healing. To the outcast and the sinner you are home and forgiveness.

On the night that he was betrayed...

Come Holy Spirit and overshadow these elements. Let them be for us your body and blood so that we can participate in your redemptive work for us. May we find mercy, healing and salvation through the finished work of the cross. Amen.