Jesus is Essential
Luke 14:12–15: Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
Our Lord is setting forth another great principle. Most of us have the same guests over to dinner one time, and the next time we go to one of their homes, and so it goes week after week. It is sort of a round–robin situation. The Lord is condemning that practice. There is nothing wrong with having your group in once in a while, but have you ever thought about doing something for those who have nothing? They cannot pay you back; they will not be able to invite you to dinner next week. Do a few things where you will be the giver with no thought of ever being paid back. 1
Walking with Jesus
God may allow us to be uncomfortable with certain people, so He can reveal more of His heart to us. The challenge is to love others unconditionally.
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:21
Love: do something unexpectedly for someone else with no strings attached.
Praying
Lord, teach me to reach out to others the way You always reach out to me.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Luke) (electronic ed., Vol. 37). Nashville.
