Generous Hospitality

Zechariah 10-12; Psalms 126; Luke 14 

“…’When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’”

Luke 14:12-14

There are few areas in life where the principle of reciprocity is practiced more than in hospitality. You invite me to your house and I invite you to mine. You invite me for dinner and I invite you for dinner. Jesus radically supersedes this principle of reciprocity with his command regarding generosity. Generosity gives and expects nothing in return. Inviting the poor crippled, lame, and blind to a banquet reflects the generosity of our Father in heaven and he promises to bless those who live that way. Not only that, the reciprocity principle still functions; only in God’s economy, it is God who repays us with an invitation to his banquet at the resurrection of the righteous.

Is our table open?

Who is the Lord prompting us to invite?

“Lord Jesus, you are the host at our table. I choose your generosity, for your glory.”