Humility

I always remember my late mother saying never invite anyone to dinner as they might feel duty bound to invite you back. For me having dinner with someone is a pleasure. Enjoying good food and sharing company with people is a good thing. Yes you may well be invited back but that’s a good thing also. This brings me on to Communion. It is a meal where Jesus invites his friends to join with him. It is a remembrance of the last meal the disciples had with Jesus before his crucifixion. It is a time to reflect on what Jesus did for us on that cross but also how Jesus often invited people to share meals with him. He would hang out with anyone who would have him including from prostitutes, people who had diseases and even a Pharisee or two!! Our reading Luke 14: 1, 7-14 focus on two points about hosting a banquet one is aimed at the diners and the other at the host. Both speak of attitudes. Firstly we deal with the diners. They would sit on chairs named Triclinium on which one would recline onto ones left elbow. You would be seated round in a U shape and the guest of honour would be at the apex of the U. So Jesus says if you place yourself on seat of honour your host may move you. In the words of the L’Oreal advert you sit there because your worth it. However your host does not always agree. Remember Hyacinth Bouquet? She had special people round to her candle lit suppers and indeed the local councillor would have pride of place but do not sit where you want to because you may be moved!! Humility should be our watchword. How often do we think we are the best at something only for someone to do it better than we do, or that some role confers on us specialness. Sometimes we think we deserve special treatment for all we have done. It is important not to have big head for it is likely to be pricked. For the first shall be last and the last shall be first. So rather than picking for ourselves the best place or seat of honour we should take the seat of lowest rank for we run no other risk than being exalted. By parading round as though we are the most important we will run the risk of humiliation and being made of fool of in public just like Hyacinth did in Keeping up Appearances. So when we go about in life it is wise to be humble in our attitude and not to go round being arrogant and boastful. Confidence is one thing but what Jesus is pointing out here is the attitude of thinking you are the bee’s knees. Maybe sometimes we should give up our place at the banquet to someone who may need food more than we do. This brings me on to the second part of Jesus teaching aimed at the host. Now as I said I don’t mind being invited back for dinner and indeed their nothing wrong with that per see but here Jesus points to humility again by challenging his host to invite those who can not host you back where their in affect is no reward other than the good act of hosting a beggar or homeless person to lunch. When we see a beggar on the street sometimes the easiest thing to do is to pass by. After all, whether they are genuine or not, we don’t want to be drawn into their lives. It might be time consuming and become difficult for us. Often beggars ask for money. The best thing to do we are told is to ask them what they want it for and then go and get it yourself. Just conversation can be helpful with an listening ear . This brings me back to Communion. This is a meal of thanksgiving at which the seat of honour is Jesus. We believe he is here with us now. His presence is close by and in the meal we give thanks for his sacrifice on the cross and for his wonderful resurrection. We can never repay him fully but we can do our bit by invitating as many people as we can to meet Jesus. He invites all people to share his meal just as he sat with all people sharing meals all those years ago. So let us give thanks for his awesome gift of Grace, that though we do not deserve it we are forgiven for all the bad things we do and cannot forgive ourselves, and for the wonderful gift of a new start, that Christ wipes the slate clean and helps us to be new people. So go as new people into the world and tell every person you meet of our saviour Jesus Christ.