A Heavenly Banquet
Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:15-24 NLV)
Who Will I Sit Beside?
Both Matthew and Luke recorded Jesus’s parable about a banquet. As I think about this description of a heavenly banquet, I ask myself, “Where am I in this story? Who would I sit beside?” I remember the working women I once encountered at the park, and I smile to think I might be sitting beside one of them. I think about a young, gay man I know, and thoughts of him make me wish I could put my arms around him and ask if I could take a seat beside him. I think about a new friend whose skin doesn’t match mine, and I smile; yes, I would love to sit beside her. And there is the lonely widow whose cigarettes trigger my allergies. I hold my breath and hug her anyway, just to glimpse her smile. These are all easy dinner companions.
Then I ask myself, “Can I sit beside the homeless man whose hair and beard desperately need a trim and whose body odor is a little more than offensive? Can I listen well to the woman whose struggle with depression makes her a despondent and depressed dinner companion? What about the immigrant who doesn’t know my language?
I observe the guy with a Confederate cap and the Trump tee shirt. Can I park myself there? What about the woman with grey hair and expensive jewelry who, despite her pristine manners, does not see the generational racial prejudice that she still displays in her speech and mannerisms? Could I engage her in polite conversation? Would I find a place of common grace if I sat beside the preacher who believes women were created to serve men?
A Dinner Companion
Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like this banquet, so surely I could find a suitable dinner companion. However, I must also ask myself, If I had my choice of any seat, would I choose to sit beside the white, middle-class mother who has adult kids and whose lifestyle so closely mirrors my own?
Most of us choose companions who are similar to us, but if we are called to be ambassadors of peace and unity, doesn’t that require us to step out of our comfort zone and befriend those who are different, empathize with those who feel wronged, and earnestly seek to love and welcome the marginalized? Unfortunately, some look in at the door and gaze around the room at those gathered at the table, and like the older brother who is angry at his Father’s lavish grace, they choose not to enter the banquet.
So, I ask myself again, “Where would I sit at the banquet?” What seat would you choose?
Ambassadors of Peace
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15)