The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States Grow. Pray. Study. Guide "Upside Down 'Did You Remember to RSVP?'” from Sunday, 11 June 2017 through Saturday, 17 June 2017-------
Prayer Tip: "Did You Remember to RSVP?"
Daily Scripture:
Luke 14:15 On hearing this, one of the people at the table with Yeshua said to him, “How blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God!” 16 But he replied, “Once a man gave a banquet and invited many people. 17 When the time came for the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready!’ 18 But they responded with a chorus of excuses. The first said to him, ‘I’ve just bought a field, and I have to go out and see it. Please accept my apologies.’ 19 Another said, ‘I’ve just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to test them out. Please accept my apologies.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have just gotten married, so I can’t come.’ 21 The slave came and reported these things to his master.
“Then the owner of the house, in a rage, told his slave, ‘Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!’ 22 The slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”
Prayer Tip:
I was recently complaining about the heat with someone earlier this week. They said they enjoyed fall, winter and spring but didn’t look forward to the summer season. I joked back that I liked to complain about the weather all year long. While I said this as a joke, I began to realize how much truth there is to that statement.
In the summertime, it’s too hot, too humid and there are too many bugs out. In the winter, it’s obviously too cold, too icy, too snowy, there’s not enough snow, and it’s too dark. In the, fall the temperature fluctuates too much and I never know how to dress. Let’s not even begin to start on spring which is too windy, too rainy, and makes my allergies go crazy. Thank goodness we serve a patient God because as you can see, I can be very demanding and ungrateful.
I thought of the Psalm that reminds us, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” We should look for good to rejoice in every day. Yes, I know, there are bad days. There are sometimes strings of dark days where we can barely put one foot in front of the other. On those days, we can rejoice that we are still able to be in communion with God and that we don’t have to go through them alone.
This week’s prayer tip: Pray with thanksgiving and rejoicing in the day that the Lord has made.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this day. This is a day that I can choose to spend in your presence. I can choose to look around and marvel at your creations. Help me have a grateful heart that is permanently fixed on your goodness and not easily discouraged by external elements.
Thank you for the gift of forgiveness when I forget to celebrate the blessing of the day that you have given me. [Ashly Cooley, Counseling & Support Ministries]
Read today's Insight by Ashly CooleyAshly supports the Congregational Care ministry at Resurrection Leawood. She works primarily with our Counseling and Support ministries.
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Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
Sunday, June 11, 2017 "Upside Down 'Did You Remember to RSVP?'”
Scripture: Luke 14:15 On hearing this, one of the people at the table with Yeshua said to him, “How blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God!” 16 But he replied, “Once a man gave a banquet and invited many people. 17 When the time came for the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready!’ 18 But they responded with a chorus of excuses. The first said to him, ‘I’ve just bought a field, and I have to go out and see it. Please accept my apologies.’ 19 Another said, ‘I’ve just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to test them out. Please accept my apologies.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have just gotten married, so I can’t come.’ 21 The slave came and reported these things to his master.
“Then the owner of the house, in a rage, told his slave, ‘Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!’ 22 The slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”
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"Isaiah’s picture: God’s rich feast of salvation"
Monday, 12 June 2017
Isaiah 25:6 On this mountain Adonai-Tzva’ot
will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food and superb wines,
delicious, rich food and superb, elegant wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the veil which covers the face of all peoples,
the veil enshrouding all the nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever.
Adonai Elohim will wipe away
the tears from every face,
and he will remove from all the earth
the disgrace his people suffer.
For Adonai has spoken.
9 On that day they will say,
“See! This is our God!
We waited for him to save us.
This is Adonai ; we put our hope in him.
We are full of joy, so glad he saved us!”
“See! This is our God!
We waited for him to save us.
This is Adonai ; we put our hope in him.
We are full of joy, so glad he saved us!”
As Israel’s story began, God promised Abraham, “All the families of the earth will be blessed because of you” (Genesis 12:3). The prophet Isaiah said when God was victorious, he would prepare “a rich feast”—that was how rulers marked victories. The great food and drink was just a symbolic appetizer. God promised to “swallow up death forever,” and “wipe tears from every face.” And God’s banquet would be for “all peoples,” “all nations,” “the whole earth.”
• By Jesus’ day, Israel’s religious leaders loved the image of God’s great banquet. Many were sure they would be the honored guests. They’d missed a crucial part of the vision. “In one of many expansive visions in Isaiah, God is imagined preparing a banquet not just for the elders on Mount Sinai (cf. Exodus 24), nor even for Judah, but for all the nations.” * What tempts you to limit your vision of God’s “banquet” to just your own church, nation or ethnic group? How does your heart respond to God’s expansive vision?
• In The Return of the King (volume 3 of The Lord of the Rings), J.R.R. Tolkien imagined Sam Gamgee awaking after a last-minute rescue from the fires of Mount Doom. Seeing the faces of others he loved and thought he had lost, Sam exclaimed, “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” Yes, Sam, that’s the promise— “The LORD God will wipe tears from every face.” Which life experiences make that promise particularly meaningful to you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, the day your victory over death and evil becomes complete will be the ultimate “red letter” day. Keep reminding me that, through your death and resurrection, you already assured that victory. Amen.
* Patricia K. Tull, study note on Isaiah 25:6-10a in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 1129 OT.
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Roberta Lyle
Roberta Lyle has been on the Resurrection staff since 2006. She serves as the Program Director for Local Impact Ministries, concentrating on Education, Life Skills and Youth Focused Ministries.
I can't imagine how physically demanding day-to-day life was during Old Testament times. Families didn't have the luxury of picking up hamburgers on the way home from work or having a pizza delivered. Purchasing food from the market or growing it yourself and preparing food from scratch every day had to be tiring. So being invited to be a guest at a feast must have been greatly anticipated and enjoyed. Now imagine the food being served will be prepared by the most renowned chef in the land and each course is paired with the perfect wine. Wouldn't you feel really fortunate to be part of that guest list?
Today's verse describes God as the most gracious of hosts, offering a place at his table to all people. We all hunger and long for something more; for something that provides meaning and gives us peace and joy. God continually invites us into a relationship with him that provides real peace and hope, but many times instead of enjoying the rich feast he offers, we settle for fast food. Our daily distractions and attractions get in the way of spending the time that's required to deepen our relationship with God. Today's passage also talks about God removing the veil that covers us all. Some commentaries believe this veil refers to the way our human condition or sins keep us from knowing God as he wants to be known.
I can think of all kinds of things in my life that act as a veil to keep me away from seeing God clearly. My vision of God can be veiled by busyness, work, entertainment and even good intentions. Only by making my time with God a priority can I manage to put the distractions at bay and concentrate on developing a relationship where I recognize God's gracious invitation to dine at his overflowing table.
Today's verse describes God as the most gracious of hosts, offering a place at his table to all people. We all hunger and long for something more; for something that provides meaning and gives us peace and joy. God continually invites us into a relationship with him that provides real peace and hope, but many times instead of enjoying the rich feast he offers, we settle for fast food. Our daily distractions and attractions get in the way of spending the time that's required to deepen our relationship with God. Today's passage also talks about God removing the veil that covers us all. Some commentaries believe this veil refers to the way our human condition or sins keep us from knowing God as he wants to be known.
I can think of all kinds of things in my life that act as a veil to keep me away from seeing God clearly. My vision of God can be veiled by busyness, work, entertainment and even good intentions. Only by making my time with God a priority can I manage to put the distractions at bay and concentrate on developing a relationship where I recognize God's gracious invitation to dine at his overflowing table.
"Religious leaders ignoring God’s invitation"
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Matthew 21:45 As the head cohanim and the P’rushim listened to his stories, they saw that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they set about to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds; because the crowds considered him a prophet.
22:1 Yeshua again used parables in speaking to them: 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son, 3 but when he sent his slaves to summon the invited guests to the wedding, they refused to come. 4 So he sent some more slaves, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, I’ve prepared my banquet, I’ve slaughtered my bulls and my fattened cattle, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’ 5 But they weren’t interested and went off, one to his farm, another to his business; 6 and the rest grabbed his slaves, mistreated them and killed them.
-------Just before this passage, on the Monday before his crucifixion, Jesus told a story about tenant farmers who killed the vineyard owner’s son (cf. Matthew 21:33-44). In this reading, he switched the image to a wedding party—but the underlying message was the same. Here invited guests were not just refusing to attend a feast, but abusing and killing the servants sent to tell them the party was ready to start.
• In Jesus’ day, and still today, some people respond to God’s kingdom invitation not just with indifference, but with active hostility. Perhaps you felt that at some point in your life, or have been on the receiving end of it. What fears or frustrations trigger the hostility, do you think? What makes some people see an invitation to God’s party as a bad thing?
• The chief priests and the Pharisees had made up their minds about Jesus. But Matthew said, “they feared the crowds, who thought he was a prophet.” They’d reached a conclusion we Christians do not share—but they were also acting on it in a way shaped not by principle, but by a desire to maintain a public image at odds with the facts. Is there any area of life where you “fear the crowds” too much to act authentically?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’d never grab your servants, abuse and kill them. Would I? Free me from the urge to wound even people I disagree with through words or actions that fall short of your honesty and compassion. Amen.
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Courtney FelzkeCourtney Felzke is Chaplain of Silver Link, providing Pastoral Care to many within the Silver Link Ministry as well as doing work behind the scenes in the ministry. She coordinates care for those served by the ministry and recruits and trains new volunteers.
In today’s Scripture passage we hear about “guests” who didn’t want to partake in God’s great banquet. Reading this passage and the GPS summary and questions, and listening to Scott’s sermon on Sunday, got me thinking about the evangelism class I took in Seminary. Although I dreaded taking this class, because I used to think of evangelism as persons with bull horns on street corners yelling about going to hell if you didn’t accept Christ, I actually ended up loving the class. I’d like to share a few of the things I learned about evangelism with you.
First, I learned about John Wesley’s view of evangelism. It was a relational view, as discussed in the book Transforming Evangelism: “. . .for Wesley, evangelism is about relationship: how we are in relationship to God, who is able to transform us into new beings; how we are in relationship to our neighbor, whom we must love like ourselves.”* In other words, relational evangelism is about being in a relationship with both God and neighbor, and extending the love we feel from our relationship with God to our neighbor. We receive this awesome love from God, who transforms us and then makes us able to reach out and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
To be successful with relational evangelism, it’s important to think holistically about the people we are trying to reach, taking all their needs into account: spiritual, physical, mental, etc. It’s important to think holistically about those we are trying to reach because in order to draw these people to care about the Gospel, we need the Gospel to be relevant to their needs/injustices/concerns, etc. (Knight and Powe, 63). In Church for the Unchurched, George Hunter talks about the need for holistic evangelism. Setting the scene, Hunter talks about why the number of youth in mainline churches is on the decline: “The church, generally, has failed to adapt to the developing subculture of young people or to take seriously their concerns and causes.”** One reason the number of youth in church may be on the decline is because we’re not focused on what’s important to them. To reach youth we can’t only be focused on helping them find Christ. Rather, we need to be able to relate to them, understand what’s going on in their lives, be concerned with what they are concerned with, help them through problems, develop deep relationships and then we can talk with them about how Jesus can make a difference in their life.
I found these two concepts about evangelism to be really helpful. I hope this adds light to your view of the term. I encourage you to try out these two ideas as you meet someone who is non-religious or nominally religious.
* Henry H. Knight and F. Douglas Powe, Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2006), 77.
** George G. Hunter, Church for the Unchurched (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 63.
First, I learned about John Wesley’s view of evangelism. It was a relational view, as discussed in the book Transforming Evangelism: “. . .for Wesley, evangelism is about relationship: how we are in relationship to God, who is able to transform us into new beings; how we are in relationship to our neighbor, whom we must love like ourselves.”* In other words, relational evangelism is about being in a relationship with both God and neighbor, and extending the love we feel from our relationship with God to our neighbor. We receive this awesome love from God, who transforms us and then makes us able to reach out and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
To be successful with relational evangelism, it’s important to think holistically about the people we are trying to reach, taking all their needs into account: spiritual, physical, mental, etc. It’s important to think holistically about those we are trying to reach because in order to draw these people to care about the Gospel, we need the Gospel to be relevant to their needs/injustices/concerns, etc. (Knight and Powe, 63). In Church for the Unchurched, George Hunter talks about the need for holistic evangelism. Setting the scene, Hunter talks about why the number of youth in mainline churches is on the decline: “The church, generally, has failed to adapt to the developing subculture of young people or to take seriously their concerns and causes.”** One reason the number of youth in church may be on the decline is because we’re not focused on what’s important to them. To reach youth we can’t only be focused on helping them find Christ. Rather, we need to be able to relate to them, understand what’s going on in their lives, be concerned with what they are concerned with, help them through problems, develop deep relationships and then we can talk with them about how Jesus can make a difference in their life.
I found these two concepts about evangelism to be really helpful. I hope this adds light to your view of the term. I encourage you to try out these two ideas as you meet someone who is non-religious or nominally religious.
* Henry H. Knight and F. Douglas Powe, Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2006), 77.
** George G. Hunter, Church for the Unchurched (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 63.
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"Open to all—but respect the host" Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Matthew 22:7 The king was furious and sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burned down their city.
8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘Well, the wedding feast is ready; but the ones who were invited didn’t deserve it. 9 So go out to the street-corners and invite to the banquet as many as you find.’ 10 The slaves went out into the streets, gathered all the people they could find, the bad along with the good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “Now when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who wasn’t dressed for a wedding; so he asked him, 12 ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark!’ In that place people will wail and grind their teeth, 14 for many are invited, but few are chosen.”-------
The king in this story seems harsh to us. In this story, though, the king was a “prop”—he acted as the hearers expected a king to act. Jesus’ lesson was not about God, but about the invited guests, snubbing the feast or showing disrespect to the host. “Some scholars suggest that the host would have provided special garments; others simply note that coming to a wedding banquet in soiled clothing would insult the host.” * The parable asked the hearers (who were plotting to kill Jesus): how are you responding to God’s invitation?
• Jesus wasn’t teaching that we should wear tuxes to weddings. “The ‘wedding clothes’ represent a fruitful life lived in obedience to God’s will. For the image, see Revelation 19:7-8. The metaphor is made possible by the significance of clothing in the ancient world, in which one’s clothing exhibited one’s character (thus, e.g., ‘dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ’ [Romans 13:14]; or ‘All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ’ [Galatians 3:27].” ** As you respond to God’s invitation to be part of the great kingdom feast, how “well-dressed” are you? Are there any areas of life where you feel like showing up in the spiritual equivalent of ragged shorts and flip flops?
Prayer: Lord God, I want to honor your gift of forgiveness and salvation by “dressing” myself with the Lord Jesus Christ. Guide me in building a life that exhibits my gratitude and respect for you. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 220624-220627). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
** Eugene Eung-Chun Park and Joel B. Green, study note on Matthew 22:11 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 47 NT.
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Darrell Holtz
Darrell Holtz serves as Program Director for Adult Curriculum and Writing at Church of the Resurrection. He has two adult children, and two smart, handsome grandsons.
As a college theology student, I once preached a "practice" sermon about a parable recorded in Luke 18:1-8. The sermon wasn't much--I was too absorbed in trying to sound like a much more erudite, experienced preacher I admired. But I did learn one important lesson. The parable in Luke 18 was about a judge who didn't care about providing justice for a poor widow. He only reluctantly did the right thing because she wouldn't stop asking. I realized that in that parable, Jesus was NOT saying God is like that judge--quite the opposite, in fact. The lesson in that story was not the judge's attitude, but the widow's. Her determination and persistence were the qualities Jesus wanted his followers to show.
The parable we read today bothered me. The king set a city on fire, then took one guest who didn't wear the right garments to the wedding feast and cast him into outer darkness. Isn't that precisely what we (and so many of the non-religious and nominally religious people we know) fear that God is like?
Then I remembered that other parable I preached about many years ago. And I realized Jesus wasn't trying to paint an accurate picture of God in this parable. His hearers wouldn't have been as shocked or repelled by the "king" character as we are--they were used to living under arbitrary, hot-headed kings who hurt whomever they pleased. But Jesus' "teaching point" in this parable was the guests, not the king.
The people listening to him were religious leaders--people he was inviting to feast with him, God's anointed one. Many, like the invitees we read about yesterday, were openly refusing the invitation, and even abusing the messenger(s) God sent to invite them. And the point of the one guest who didn't wear the prescribed garments? NOT that God cares what we all wear to weddings--but that if we truly want to feast with God's redeemer, that involves choosing to "clothe ourselves" in the character traits that God offers to give us as God's children (see, for example, Galatians 5:22-23). This one guest who didn't wear the proper "clothes" wanted to enjoy the feast while continuing to hold others in contempt, while proudly admiring his religious pride, while continuing to believe that his "righteousness" entitled him to a place at the feast, no grace required. He showed utter disrespect for the host, who'd provided the appropriate garment. As C. S. Lewis wrote in his more recent parable The Great Divorce, this guest was locking the gates of the darkness himself because he had no wish to live as Jesus was inviting him to live.
Choosing Jesus means choosing a certain quality of life--his quality of life. It's the best kind of life, though sometimes I struggle to recognize that. That kind of life is the REAL menu at God's heavenly banquet. That kind of life is what we need to choose.
The parable we read today bothered me. The king set a city on fire, then took one guest who didn't wear the right garments to the wedding feast and cast him into outer darkness. Isn't that precisely what we (and so many of the non-religious and nominally religious people we know) fear that God is like?
Then I remembered that other parable I preached about many years ago. And I realized Jesus wasn't trying to paint an accurate picture of God in this parable. His hearers wouldn't have been as shocked or repelled by the "king" character as we are--they were used to living under arbitrary, hot-headed kings who hurt whomever they pleased. But Jesus' "teaching point" in this parable was the guests, not the king.
The people listening to him were religious leaders--people he was inviting to feast with him, God's anointed one. Many, like the invitees we read about yesterday, were openly refusing the invitation, and even abusing the messenger(s) God sent to invite them. And the point of the one guest who didn't wear the prescribed garments? NOT that God cares what we all wear to weddings--but that if we truly want to feast with God's redeemer, that involves choosing to "clothe ourselves" in the character traits that God offers to give us as God's children (see, for example, Galatians 5:22-23). This one guest who didn't wear the proper "clothes" wanted to enjoy the feast while continuing to hold others in contempt, while proudly admiring his religious pride, while continuing to believe that his "righteousness" entitled him to a place at the feast, no grace required. He showed utter disrespect for the host, who'd provided the appropriate garment. As C. S. Lewis wrote in his more recent parable The Great Divorce, this guest was locking the gates of the darkness himself because he had no wish to live as Jesus was inviting him to live.
Choosing Jesus means choosing a certain quality of life--his quality of life. It's the best kind of life, though sometimes I struggle to recognize that. That kind of life is the REAL menu at God's heavenly banquet. That kind of life is what we need to choose.
"Jesus’ wisdom about our inner spirit (not just about etiquette)"
Thursday, 15 June 2017
Luke 14:7 When Yeshua noticed how the guests were choosing for themselves the best seats at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, don’t sit down in the best seat; because if there is someone more important than you who has been invited, 9 the person who invited both of you might come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then you will be humiliated as you go to take the least important place. 10 Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the least important place; so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Go on up to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone sitting with you. 11 Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Yeshua also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives or rich neighbors; for they may well invite you in return, and that will be your repayment. 13 Instead, when you have a party, invite poor people, disfigured people, the crippled, the blind! 14 How blessed you will be that they have nothing with which to repay you! For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”-------
Jesus wasn’t urging sneaky manipulation in this passage, a false “Aw shucks” modesty. He was calling us to set aside our obsession with rank and status and be at peace with who we are. Consistent with
his entire life and teaching, he urged people to avoid selfishly pushing for their own recognition and advantage, to leave room for honoring others. (For a more extensive study, see the book Descending into Greatness, by Bill Hybels and Rob Wilkins.)
• Have you ever known (or maybe even been) a person like the ones Jesus noticed who “sought out the best seats at the table”? In what ways can that attitude show itself in school, games, the workplace, even church work? What’s the difference between healthy assertiveness, so that you can use your gifts to bless others, and the kind of self-promotion Jesus warned against? In the light of history, do you believe Jesus was well-meaning but naïve—or was he right?
• Jesus’ point was bigger than party etiquette. Scholar N. T. Wright wrote, “Within Luke’s lifetime thousands of non-Jews had become Christians…. Many Jewish Christians…found this difficult, if not impossible, to approve or understand. They were so eager to maintain their own places at the top table that they could not grasp God’s great design to stand the world on its head. Pride…is the great cloud which blots out the sun of God’s generosity.” * In what ways can you welcome into God’s family people to whom you might feel superior?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have honored me by loving, redeeming and accepting me. Help me keep growing in my ability to extend that same kind of generosity to others. Amen.
* N. T. Wright, Luke for Everyone. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, pp. 175-176.)
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Joshua Clough
Joshua serves as one of the Congregational Care Pastors at Church of the Resurrection. He is a competitive runner, and because he grew up in Seattle, drinks a lot of coffee.
This has happened to me more than once. Invited to a fancy dinner party I find myself seated, prepared to eat the meal, and must suddenly choose between utensils. The problem is that I must decide which fork is for the salad, main course, or dessert. When faced with this situation my goal is to act like I know what I am doing and not draw attention to my ignorance of proper etiquette. Given that this has happened more than once, you would think I’d be more prepared.
Etiquette, and more broadly social convention, might help us know what fork to use or where to sit at a dinner party, but without humility it is worthless.
The gospel writer, Luke, tells us a story about a meal hosted by a religious leader to which Jesus was invited. Then, as today, the dinner meal was an event that highlighted a social “who's who.” To receive an invitation meant that you had position, power, and influence. The attendees understood the honor and status not only through the invitation, but also where and by whom one sat. I remember family Christmas parties. I spent years and years waiting to move from the kid’s table to sit with the adults. Jesus, ever the masterful teacher, did not criticize the social hierarchy of the dinner party etiquette--instead he assumes it.
Jesus tells them, "When you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up” (Luke 14:10-11).
Required at this meal is a sense of humility. For Jesus, social etiquette without humility is worthless. Even more, Jesus teaches that in the Kingdom of God, it is the poor, the least, and the lost who receive the coveted dinner invitations.
What does it mean to live with humility? Dallas Willard, in a classroom, wrote on a whiteboard his three-step plan for humility.* First, never pretend. In other words, resist the temptation to pretend we are smarter or better or harbor special talents. Then again, it is not healthy to downplay our abilities in order to appear humble. It is more important to be yourself. Second, never presume. Instead of rushing to judgment or believing our answers are correct, adopt a habit of learning and curiosity. Third, never push. Goals are not achieved by manipulation or commands, but by an invitation to work in partnership. Ultimately, without humility, we pretend, presume, and push away from the meal Jesus invites us to partake.
Humility is about the state of our inner spiritual life: are we confident enough in God’s grace, and our own seat at the table, to sit with the lowliest and least?
* Recorded in an interview in 1999 (http://www.dwillard.org/).
Etiquette, and more broadly social convention, might help us know what fork to use or where to sit at a dinner party, but without humility it is worthless.
The gospel writer, Luke, tells us a story about a meal hosted by a religious leader to which Jesus was invited. Then, as today, the dinner meal was an event that highlighted a social “who's who.” To receive an invitation meant that you had position, power, and influence. The attendees understood the honor and status not only through the invitation, but also where and by whom one sat. I remember family Christmas parties. I spent years and years waiting to move from the kid’s table to sit with the adults. Jesus, ever the masterful teacher, did not criticize the social hierarchy of the dinner party etiquette--instead he assumes it.
Jesus tells them, "When you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up” (Luke 14:10-11).
Required at this meal is a sense of humility. For Jesus, social etiquette without humility is worthless. Even more, Jesus teaches that in the Kingdom of God, it is the poor, the least, and the lost who receive the coveted dinner invitations.
What does it mean to live with humility? Dallas Willard, in a classroom, wrote on a whiteboard his three-step plan for humility.* First, never pretend. In other words, resist the temptation to pretend we are smarter or better or harbor special talents. Then again, it is not healthy to downplay our abilities in order to appear humble. It is more important to be yourself. Second, never presume. Instead of rushing to judgment or believing our answers are correct, adopt a habit of learning and curiosity. Third, never push. Goals are not achieved by manipulation or commands, but by an invitation to work in partnership. Ultimately, without humility, we pretend, presume, and push away from the meal Jesus invites us to partake.
Humility is about the state of our inner spiritual life: are we confident enough in God’s grace, and our own seat at the table, to sit with the lowliest and least?
* Recorded in an interview in 1999 (http://www.dwillard.org/).
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"Flimsy excuses for skipping the feast"
"Flimsy excuses for skipping the feast"
Friday, 16 June 2017
Luke 14:15 On hearing this, one of the people at the table with Yeshua said to him, “How blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God!” 16 But he replied, “Once a man gave a banquet and invited many people. 17 When the time came for the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready!’ 18 But they responded with a chorus of excuses. The first said to him, ‘I’ve just bought a field, and I have to go out and see it. Please accept my apologies.’ 19 Another said, ‘I’ve just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to test them out. Please accept my apologies.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have just gotten married, so I can’t come.’
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Jesus’ hearers would readily see these excuses as flimsy when they heard them. “One normally would inspect a field before buying it…. One normally tested oxen before buying them…. Weddings were planned far in advance, so the new husband knew about the conflict before he agreed to come. Each of the excuses in vv. 18-20 is so weak that it would insult the host; together, it is clear that the excuses constitute deliberate dishonor.” *
• Just before this story, Luke told about Jesus healing a man with a painful physical ailment (cf. Luke 14:1-6) on the Sabbath. Twice in that story, Jesus challenged the leaders who disapproved of his healing. Both times, Luke said, “They said nothing…they had no response.” How did religious people so lock themselves into their hatred of Jesus that they couldn’t even explain their thinking? What lessons can you learn from observing them sitting there in tight-lipped silence?
• Pastor Bruce Larsen wrote, “Jesus is dealing here with something depth psychologists did not begin to plumb until nineteen hundred years later—that life breaks down as a result of our defense mechanisms…. I had a good excuse for not having a more regular quiet time…for Bible reading and prayer. I would pray, ‘Lord, I’m so busy. Help me simplify my schedule so I can put You first.’ One day He seemed to say, ‘Larson, you haven’t missed a meal in years.’” ** In what areas are you giving God excuses? How will you lower your internal defenses so that you can be more honest with God and with yourself?
Prayer: God, when I fall short of your ideal (and I do), help me not to hide behind flimsy excuses. Teach me to trust your love enough to honestly face the things that come between me and the life you offer me. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 233669-233676). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. ** Bruce Larson, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc. 1983, p. 228-230.
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• Just before this story, Luke told about Jesus healing a man with a painful physical ailment (cf. Luke 14:1-6) on the Sabbath. Twice in that story, Jesus challenged the leaders who disapproved of his healing. Both times, Luke said, “They said nothing…they had no response.” How did religious people so lock themselves into their hatred of Jesus that they couldn’t even explain their thinking? What lessons can you learn from observing them sitting there in tight-lipped silence?
• Pastor Bruce Larsen wrote, “Jesus is dealing here with something depth psychologists did not begin to plumb until nineteen hundred years later—that life breaks down as a result of our defense mechanisms…. I had a good excuse for not having a more regular quiet time…for Bible reading and prayer. I would pray, ‘Lord, I’m so busy. Help me simplify my schedule so I can put You first.’ One day He seemed to say, ‘Larson, you haven’t missed a meal in years.’” ** In what areas are you giving God excuses? How will you lower your internal defenses so that you can be more honest with God and with yourself?
Prayer: God, when I fall short of your ideal (and I do), help me not to hide behind flimsy excuses. Teach me to trust your love enough to honestly face the things that come between me and the life you offer me. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 233669-233676). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. ** Bruce Larson, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc. 1983, p. 228-230.
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Da
rren Lippe
rren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
Being a parent of 2 teenage boys, today’s passage about excuses really hit home. Let me illustrate from an evening last month before school let out:
Me: So, how’s your A.P. European History studying going?
Matthew: (Over the course of 2 hours.) I’m s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g; it’s too hard to study when you are hungry. I’m just texting a classmate to confirm the chapters. I’m now telling my other friends what the assignment is. I’m helping Mom unload the groceries. I’m reading that article you emailed me – I always treasure anything you send me. I’m helping Jacob with his trombone solo. Check out this picture of a beagle wearing a rain jacket. Dinner is in 20 minutes, so not enough time to get started - I’ll go shoot some baskets. As you always say, it’s important that we eat dinner as a family. Now, I’m too full to study.
Me: (Sigh)
Of course, if we are honest we adults aren’t immune to the excuse habit. Let’s say we are asked to re-stain a deck, b-u-t: It’s too hot. It’s too windy. It’s too still. It’s too sunny. It’s too damp. Let me check the ending of the Royals’ game. It’s too dark. (And if we are exceptionally gifted at excuse making, “Now, it’s too cold & the Chiefs’ game is on.”)
Today’s parable is fascinating. Jesus offers 3 very specific excuses: new oxen, new land, & just married. One wonders if perhaps these were excuses Jesus had heard earlier in His ministry from potential Disciples or if He had overheard snippets of those conversations while dining with the community leaders. I lean toward the latter explanation, which would have made the parable even more convicting for His audience & would have led to the Mother of All Awkward Pauses at the dinner party. (Like me getting an email from the boys of a funny/mocking video of “Dads in Khaki Shorts” - while I’m wearing khaki shorts.)
If such a dinner party were being held today, I wonder what excuses might Jesus overhear?
Me: By the way, which article were you reading?
Matthew: It’s an email you sent a few weeks ago about “How to Avoid Procrastinating.”
Me: {Sigh)
Editor’s Note: Matthew has offered this rebuttal: ”I will neither confirm nor deny the details in the alleged scene, but the results of the class were satisfactory.”
1 Hillel the Elder Quotes and Sayings Inspiring Quotes 2016 www.inspiringquotes.us/author/...
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"God’s guest list from the highways and back alleys"
Me: So, how’s your A.P. European History studying going?
Matthew: (Over the course of 2 hours.) I’m s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g; it’s too hard to study when you are hungry. I’m just texting a classmate to confirm the chapters. I’m now telling my other friends what the assignment is. I’m helping Mom unload the groceries. I’m reading that article you emailed me – I always treasure anything you send me. I’m helping Jacob with his trombone solo. Check out this picture of a beagle wearing a rain jacket. Dinner is in 20 minutes, so not enough time to get started - I’ll go shoot some baskets. As you always say, it’s important that we eat dinner as a family. Now, I’m too full to study.
Me: (Sigh)
Of course, if we are honest we adults aren’t immune to the excuse habit. Let’s say we are asked to re-stain a deck, b-u-t: It’s too hot. It’s too windy. It’s too still. It’s too sunny. It’s too damp. Let me check the ending of the Royals’ game. It’s too dark. (And if we are exceptionally gifted at excuse making, “Now, it’s too cold & the Chiefs’ game is on.”)
Today’s parable is fascinating. Jesus offers 3 very specific excuses: new oxen, new land, & just married. One wonders if perhaps these were excuses Jesus had heard earlier in His ministry from potential Disciples or if He had overheard snippets of those conversations while dining with the community leaders. I lean toward the latter explanation, which would have made the parable even more convicting for His audience & would have led to the Mother of All Awkward Pauses at the dinner party. (Like me getting an email from the boys of a funny/mocking video of “Dads in Khaki Shorts” - while I’m wearing khaki shorts.)
If such a dinner party were being held today, I wonder what excuses might Jesus overhear?
- After I check my blogs, political/sports/entertainment news sites, & update/catch-up on my social media pages, I just don’t have time to read the Bible.
- You know, with my yoga & spinning classes, I just don’t have time for prayer.
- Once our schedule slows down in the summer, I’ll really be able focus on my faith walk.
- The summer is so busy. Once the kids are back into the school-routine, then I can make church a priority.
- Once I finish this big work project/kitchen remodeling, I’ll be all-in with God.
- Once I’m in shape, then I can join a Bible study.
- Once I receive this next promotion, then I’ll be able to relax & spend more time with God.
Me: By the way, which article were you reading?
Matthew: It’s an email you sent a few weeks ago about “How to Avoid Procrastinating.”
Me: {Sigh)
Editor’s Note: Matthew has offered this rebuttal: ”I will neither confirm nor deny the details in the alleged scene, but the results of the class were satisfactory.”
1 Hillel the Elder Quotes and Sayings Inspiring Quotes 2016 www.inspiringquotes.us/author/...
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"God’s guest list from the highways and back alleys"
Saturday, 17 June 2017
Luke 14:21 The slave came and reported these things to his master.
“Then the owner of the house, in a rage, told his slave, ‘Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!’ 22 The slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’” -------
Writer and preacher Brennan Manning wrote, “After reading the entire Gospel of Luke for the first time, a post-Valley girl said: ‘Wow! Like Jesus has this totally intense thing for ragamuffins.’” * Jesus lived among many religious people who recoiled at the idea of sharing God’s kingdom with “sinners” (a term they defined roughly as “not as good as I am”). He told some of them this story. The ending was shocking: against all established social protocol, the king invited even the town’s street people to come enjoy the royal banquet.
• This parable isn’t about “those poor people” who aren’t like us. We all come to God’s “banquet” as people who are spiritually “poor, crippled, blind and lame”—people who need God’s grace. So the story poses two very personal questions. First, can you see the degree to which you are a ragamuffin before God, one more person who desperately and gratefully needs God’s grace and mercy? Second, are you open to inviting and welcoming into God’s kingdom the ragamuffins of all kinds who live around you, even if at first you might feel a bit uncomfortable in their company? What has helped you learn to bless others with humble gratitude, not as a superior lowering yourself to help an inferior?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you loved ragamuffin me enough to die for me, enough to promise to be with me every day. I ask you to guide me in the process of laying aside the rags of my pride, to serve you and others every day in love and gratitude. Amen.
* Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out (p. 51). 1990/2000/2005: The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Family Activity: God wants everyone to R.S.V.P. to a grace-filled life! Encourage your child or youth to invite someone to church. Create special invitations asking the guests to R.S.V.P. for the opportunity to enjoy fun, fellowship and faith with your family. Maybe the friend could come over for a slumber party on Saturday night, then attend worship the next morning. Consider inviting a youth to join your family on a Wednesday night for a simple meal, then attend rezlife student ministry (see summer schedule at cor.org/students). If your guest would enjoy serving others, invite him or her to FaithWork on a Saturday morning, then enjoy lunch together afterwards. Pray for each invited person, asking God to open their hearts to say “Yes!”
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Luke 14:21 The slave came and reported these things to his master.
“Then the owner of the house, in a rage, told his slave, ‘Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!’ 22 The slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’” -------
Writer and preacher Brennan Manning wrote, “After reading the entire Gospel of Luke for the first time, a post-Valley girl said: ‘Wow! Like Jesus has this totally intense thing for ragamuffins.’” * Jesus lived among many religious people who recoiled at the idea of sharing God’s kingdom with “sinners” (a term they defined roughly as “not as good as I am”). He told some of them this story. The ending was shocking: against all established social protocol, the king invited even the town’s street people to come enjoy the royal banquet.
• This parable isn’t about “those poor people” who aren’t like us. We all come to God’s “banquet” as people who are spiritually “poor, crippled, blind and lame”—people who need God’s grace. So the story poses two very personal questions. First, can you see the degree to which you are a ragamuffin before God, one more person who desperately and gratefully needs God’s grace and mercy? Second, are you open to inviting and welcoming into God’s kingdom the ragamuffins of all kinds who live around you, even if at first you might feel a bit uncomfortable in their company? What has helped you learn to bless others with humble gratitude, not as a superior lowering yourself to help an inferior?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you loved ragamuffin me enough to die for me, enough to promise to be with me every day. I ask you to guide me in the process of laying aside the rags of my pride, to serve you and others every day in love and gratitude. Amen.
* Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out (p. 51). 1990/2000/2005: The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Family Activity: God wants everyone to R.S.V.P. to a grace-filled life! Encourage your child or youth to invite someone to church. Create special invitations asking the guests to R.S.V.P. for the opportunity to enjoy fun, fellowship and faith with your family. Maybe the friend could come over for a slumber party on Saturday night, then attend worship the next morning. Consider inviting a youth to join your family on a Wednesday night for a simple meal, then attend rezlife student ministry (see summer schedule at cor.org/students). If your guest would enjoy serving others, invite him or her to FaithWork on a Saturday morning, then enjoy lunch together afterwards. Pray for each invited person, asking God to open their hearts to say “Yes!”
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Clifton GuyClif Guy is the Director of Information Technology at Church of the Resurrection.
Today’s GPS asks us to recognize any sinful pride in ourselves and replace it with humble gratitude for God’s grace and mercy. Rather than comparing ourselves with each other, we should realize the proper comparison is with our holy God. All of us are “poor, crippled, blind, and lame” (as vs. 21 puts it) spiritually and morally, compared to God. Recognizing this can help us move past our natural, self-centered life and towards a Godly life centered on others.
There is another important point in today’s reading that jumps out at me. The banquet host invited many guests (going back to vs.16 from yesterday’s reading). The story implies the invitation went out with the first century Hebrew equivalent of “RSVP, regrets only” – meaning that the host would expect the invitee to attend unless the invitation was clearly declined. When the day arrived, many expected guests offered disrespectful excuses for their non-attendance (vs. 18-20 from yesterday’s reading). When we pick up the story today in vs. 21, we read that the host was angered by the disrespect and decided to hold the party in spite of the ungrateful, absent guests. He threw his doors open to strangers so he could have a full house and his generosity and preparation would not go unappreciated.
This part of the story is about priorities. Most interpreters of this parable see God as the party host. God invites us all to the abundant life offered through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Some of us, despite our good intentions to honor the invitation, decide something else is more important when the time comes to fellowship with God. We have a chance to feast with the God of the universe, but we choose to spend our time doing something else. Too bad for us because others are enjoying the good life with God. But also, do we ever realize how God must feel when we prioritize other things over God? Is God angry about it like the host in our parable. Why do we disrespect God when God longs to party with us?
This brings us to the last line of today’s reading. None of the invited people got to taste the host’s delicious dinner. The uninvited people appreciated the opportunity and came in to feast. Am I the invited, but disrespectful? Or am I the uninvited, but grateful? God, help me put you first in my life because you are worthy and you are the source of all good things. Life with you is a party
There is another important point in today’s reading that jumps out at me. The banquet host invited many guests (going back to vs.16 from yesterday’s reading). The story implies the invitation went out with the first century Hebrew equivalent of “RSVP, regrets only” – meaning that the host would expect the invitee to attend unless the invitation was clearly declined. When the day arrived, many expected guests offered disrespectful excuses for their non-attendance (vs. 18-20 from yesterday’s reading). When we pick up the story today in vs. 21, we read that the host was angered by the disrespect and decided to hold the party in spite of the ungrateful, absent guests. He threw his doors open to strangers so he could have a full house and his generosity and preparation would not go unappreciated.
This part of the story is about priorities. Most interpreters of this parable see God as the party host. God invites us all to the abundant life offered through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Some of us, despite our good intentions to honor the invitation, decide something else is more important when the time comes to fellowship with God. We have a chance to feast with the God of the universe, but we choose to spend our time doing something else. Too bad for us because others are enjoying the good life with God. But also, do we ever realize how God must feel when we prioritize other things over God? Is God angry about it like the host in our parable. Why do we disrespect God when God longs to party with us?
This brings us to the last line of today’s reading. None of the invited people got to taste the host’s delicious dinner. The uninvited people appreciated the opportunity and came in to feast. Am I the invited, but disrespectful? Or am I the uninvited, but grateful? God, help me put you first in my life because you are worthy and you are the source of all good things. Life with you is a party
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Hardy Montague, Jill Quest, and Amy Benson and families on the death of their father Hardy Montague, 6/4
• Barbara Creel and family on the death of her husband Don Creel, 6/4
• Betsy Patton and family on the death of her father Don Creel, 6/4
• Family and friends of Bob Neperud on his death, 6/4
• Diane Breneman and family on the death of her husband Todd Rohr, 5/31
• Jennifer Burns and family on the death of her cousin Brooke Robinson, 5/29
• Jason Hagen and family on the death of his mother Suzanne Hagen, 5/28
• Ed Outlaw and family on the death of his brother Milton Outlaw, 5/27
• Tim Mathews and Amy Rush and families on the death of their father Paul Mathews, 5/25
• Becky Williams and family on the death of her sister Bonnie Mosebach, 5/2
-------Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Hardy Montague, Jill Quest, and Amy Benson and families on the death of their father Hardy Montague, 6/4
• Barbara Creel and family on the death of her husband Don Creel, 6/4
• Betsy Patton and family on the death of her father Don Creel, 6/4
• Family and friends of Bob Neperud on his death, 6/4
• Diane Breneman and family on the death of her husband Todd Rohr, 5/31
• Jennifer Burns and family on the death of her cousin Brooke Robinson, 5/29
• Jason Hagen and family on the death of his mother Suzanne Hagen, 5/28
• Ed Outlaw and family on the death of his brother Milton Outlaw, 5/27
• Tim Mathews and Amy Rush and families on the death of their father Paul Mathews, 5/25
• Becky Williams and family on the death of her sister Bonnie Mosebach, 5/2
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Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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