Stranger Love

There’s a somewhat famous story of Coach Shug Jordan at Auburn University when he asked his former Linebacker Mike Kollin, who was then playing for the Miami Dolphins, if he would help his alma mater do some recruiting. Mike said, "Sure, coach. What kind of player are you looking for?" The coach said, "Well Mike, you know there's that fellow, you knock him down, he just stays down?" Mike said, "We don't want him, do we, coach?" "No, that's right. Then there's that fellow, you knock him down and he gets up, you knock him down again and he stays down." Mike said, "We don't want him either do we coach?" Coach said, "No, but Mike, there's a fellow, you knock him down, he gets up. Knock him down, he gets up. Knock him down, he gets up. Knock him down, he gets up." Mike said, "That's the guy we want isn't it, coach?" The coach answered, "No, Mike, we don't want him either. I want you to find the guy who's knocking everybody down. That's the guy we want." That's the guy we want to be seen with! That’s who we want to invite to our dinners and social gatherings because deeply it is the kind of people we want to be. We don't want to be seen with the guys who are always being knocked down--the poor, crippled, the lame, the blind. But these are the very people, as we shall soon see, that we are encouraged to associate with.

Jesus Comes to the Meal

The worship for the Sabbath day is complete and the pharisees are coming together for a banquet after church. It’s not the first time that Jesus has been invited to the table by a pharisee. In the Gospel of Luke, this is actually the third instance of Jesus sitting down and eating with the group of theologians and philosophers known as the pharisees.

Jesus’ relationship with these pharisees has been a bit mixed. At times they have warned him of potential plots against his life. Some have sought Jesus out in order that they might gain wisdom from him… others have sought him out that they might trick him.

As Jesus arrived for this particular meal, the crowd of pharisees proves somewhat difficult to read. Some of them, perhaps, had jeered him the week before for healing on the Sabbath.

Jesus Heals

And when he arrives at the house of this leader of the pharisees Jesus is confronted with another person in need of healing.

Jesus offers the question up to the pharisees as to whether or not it is of sound practice to heal on the sabbath. Rather than arguing with him this time, they remain silent and simply observe.

We can be quite proud of our Savior in this moment as he stands up against potential pressure and judgement from those pharisees around him and still cares first for the man who was sick.

In the face of adversity, it would be tempting to back down and offer care for this vulnerable man later on when no one will judge him. But Christ recognizes the need is present with him in that moment… and so he acts.

The pharisees… say nothing. They watch. As a group who often debated with scripture, it is possible that some of them secretly applauded Jesus’ care for the sick even on the sabbath.

But rather than discussing religion and politics around the dinner table, a conversation which they would likely find disagreement with one another on, they instead focus on what was most important as they gathered together… themselves.

Dinner Etiquette

Now, we should be careful about judging the pharisees here. It’s not that they are an evil group of folks who are solely focused on ignoring the sick and vulnerable. Rather, I think Luke lifts them up as a lens for us to view human nature. Because when we recognize that even the quote “best of us” fall prey to human nature, it helps us accept that none of us are above sinful behavior.

Here we get to watch alongside Jesus as the pharisees become such a lesson for all of us. From an outsider’s perspective, it might even be humorous to watch this game of musical chairs unfold as the pharisees size one another up and work to claim the places of honor at the table.

Then, Jesus gives them some practical and prophetic advice. Rather than propping yourself up and attempting to declare your own greatness with the fear of having your pride deflated, try instead to start from the bottom. Start at the point not of pride but of humility. If honor is to be given to you, let someone else give it.

It’s reminiscent of our first reading today from

Proverbs 25:6–7 NRSV

Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen

Jesus’ advice is good, scriptural, and potentially even well-received by the pharisees. What better way to be given prestige than to have the host point you out as one amongst the crowd that deserves more honor than what was claimed?

Jesus’ advice is good and potentially even well-received. What better way to be given prestige than to have the host point you out as one amongst the crowd that deserves more honor than what was claimed?

Strangers at the Table

But then he pushes them and us a step further. After reminding both us and the pharisees about the wisdom from Proverbs, Jesus turns to the host an encourages him that when he holds a dinner party that he should not invite the people that he knows will be able to repay him… but instead he should invite those who can’t afford such luxuries… those that will never be able to repay the host for such kindness.

Jesus says,

Luke 14:13 NRSV

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Jesus calls the host to take a look at the world around him and recognize who are the most vulnerable and to focus his generosity and his love toward them. It is a call to care for and build relationships with the stranger in need.

As I mentioned last week, Rabbi Prosner, the leader of the Reformed Jewish Tradition made the comment that the command to love the neighbor is found once in the Jewish Testament because it is easy but the command to love the stranger is found no less than 36 times because it is hard.

It’s easy to love the neighbor that has a similar social status as our own. It’s easy to love the neighbor who we have come to know and trust.

But loving the stranger… loving the vulnerable person… loving that person that we had put space with because they are the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind… that is hard.

We author of Hebrews that we heard today speaks to this from the new testament perspective:

Hebrews 13:2–3 NRSV

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.

Hebrews 13

There is a call to stand in solidarity with those that others would just as soon forget, ignore, or even judge. It is a bold word that we hear from our scriptures, and at times a difficult one to follow.

Jesus’ call to the leader of the pharisees was to not simply give the vulnerable ones in society some food or money—which is also a much needed thing… but to build relationships with them around the table.

This is, perhaps, more difficult and complex than it sounds… especially to folks in Jesus’ time. The poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind… they were often seen as having received punishment for some sin that they had committed. To eat with them was to eat with sinners. To sit with them as equals around the table could have been scandalous for a person of standing in society.

Conclusion

It reminds me of one of the legends surrounding the funeral of Charlemagne. Charlemagne was the greatest Christian ruler of the early Middle Ages. After his death a mighty funeral procession left his castle for the cathedral at Aix. When the royal casket arrived, with a lot of pomp and circumstance, it was met by the local bishop, who barred the cathedral door.

"Who comes?" the Bishop asked, as was the custom.

"Charlemagne, Lord and King of the Holy Roman Empire," proclaimed the Emperor's proud herald.

"Him I know not," the Bishop replied. "Who comes?"

The herald, a bit shaken, replied, "Charles the Great, a good and honest man of the earth."

"Him I know not," the Bishop said again. "Who comes?"

The herald, now completely crushed, responded, "Charles, a lowly sinner, who begs the gift of Christ."

To which the Bishop, Christ's representative, responded, "Enter! Receive Christ's gift of life!"

The point, of course, is that in God's eyes, we're all equally needy. Charlemagne, Mother Teresa, the Pharisees, you and me. None of us will ever be "good enough" to sit at the table with Christ.

And yet, even as Jesus gives us the difficult of caring for the stranger and the vulnerable ones… even those we perhaps would like to speak judgments against rather than dining with them… even as Jesus calls us to eat with them, we are are reminded that we are all beggars at the Lord’s table—and we give thanks that we have a generous God that calls the unworthy forward.

Come to the Table! Receive Christ’s gift of life! And then Go, and Share the Good News which you have received.

Peace be with you. Amen.