GOD IS THROWING A PARTY...
(Preached on Sunday, May 23, 2004)
Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many.” -Luke 14:16
A pastor explained to his congregation that the church was in need of some extra money, so he asked them to consider being more than generous. He offered that whoever gave the most would be able to pick three hymns. After the offering plates were passed about the church, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had graciously offered a $1,000 bill. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he’d like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly lady in the back of the church shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front, so she slowly made her way towards him.
“Thank you so much,” said the pastor. “How would you like to pick out three hymns.” Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation. She point to the three most handsome men in the church and said, “I’ll take him and him and him.”
We don’t laugh often enough in church.
We are way to serious about our celebrations, about our life together, about God, about mission, about money.
Jesus was serious about things, too.
But he also knew how to laugh and celebrate.
At least in Luke’s gospel portrayal of Jesus that seems to be true.
In Luke’s gospel Jesus seems to be “always eating.”
On just about every page, he’s either going to a meal, or coming from a meal.
In fact, Luke mentions nineteen meals that Jesus attends, thirteen of which are not found in any of the other three Gospels.
Furthermore, in his teaching, Jesus frequently likens the kingdom of God to a banquet or uses other food motifs.
It is no wonder that, in this Gospel, his enemies call him a “glutton and drunkard” and criticize him for eating with tax-collectors and sinners.
In John’s gospel Jesus sums up his ministry this way: that we “may have life, and have it abundantly.”
He came to reveal all that is ours by the grace of God — a quality of life meant to be all of ours, not just that of insiders to the faith, but to everyone, all the world.
This abundant life is God’s kingdom or “realm.”
It’s sharing the sheer joy of being alive, freed from the grip of fear and anxiety.
What better way to describe it than with the image of a party, a banquet, a great feast.
Jesus wants us to know, to understand, to grasp with our lives, that God is throwing a party...
And we, you and I, and everyone we know, everyone in the world, are invited.
That is what Jesus is teaching us with these parables today.
God is throwing a great big dinner party ... Life!
And God wants us to enjoy that party of life... that is the invitation.
But far too many of us don’t enjoy the party ... we refuse the invitation to the party.
Come with me into West Texas during the Depression.
Mr. Ira Yates was like many other ranchers and farmers.
He had a lot of land, and a lot of debt.
Mr. Yates wasn’t able to make enough on his ranching operation to pray the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch.
With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on a government subsidy.
Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills.
Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land.
They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.
At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve.
The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day.
Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large.
In fact, 30 years after the discover, a government test on one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.
And Mr. Yates owned it all.
The day he purchased the land he had received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he had been living on relief.
A multimillionaire living in poverty.
The problem? He didn’t know the oil was there even though he owned it.
Far too many of us live in poverty of soul, instead of embracing the abundance of life, of good news, of our invitation to the party, that is our blessing from God.
Stewardship is all about recognizing all that we already have, and then helping both ourselves and others know and enjoy the abundance in which all can share, right now.
The first lesson is that God is the host of the party.
God is the host of life.
The second lesson is that we are also hosts with God.
As we are invited to join the party, to enjoy the abundance of life, we are invited to throw our own parties.
But we are encouraged not to invite those who can repay our hospitality and invite us to their parties, but rather to invite those who have difficulty throwing a party.
Jesus is instituting a new foundation for living, a new phase in human relationships.
I call it uncalculated giving.
It is a revolutionary approach.
When we take the risk and live our lives by this approach, a bit of heaven is let loose on earth and a new beauty and rare kind of happiness flowers.
To be Jesus followers means not asking what is in it for us, not counting the cost, but responding to needs with generous hearts.
We are invited to care simply because there are those who need caring for; to fight for justice simply because others are suffering injustice; to give support in crises simply because that person needs support; to reach out to those who are less fortunate without looking for even gratitude.
And there is a world of difference between inviting someone to your table and merely sending them some food.
When you invite someone to sit at your table you are inviting that person into your life.
You are identifying with that person.
Jesus invites us over and over again to “identify down” rather than “identify up.”
That is, Jesus calls us to ally ourselves in heart, soul and imagination with the economically poor, not the wealthy; with those on the fringes of society, not the society trend-setters and movers and shakers; with those who have been pushed aside, not those who are relishing the view from the top.
This is not about feeling guilty for our place as hosts; it is not about making us feel ashamed or morally superior.
The invitation from Jesus is just to realize that the abundance of life is present for everybody to share in and as hosts of the party we are invited to reach out to include everyone in the bounty.
And in such a way that we are not taking care of them, but are sharing and enjoying the party together.
This goes beyond simply giving money for charitable projects to actively engaging in life with the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the cast aside.
For example, a few years ago, middle-income United Methodist Women met in Washington, D.C., with low income Catholic garment workers from Texas who had never been to Washington before.
Both were concerned about the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA.
The United Methodist Women used their legislative experience and clout to make appointments with members of Congress.
Each UM woman was paired with a garment worker and fanned out on Capitol Hill.
The UM woman’s role was one of accompaniment: give moral support to her Mexican-American partner so she could tell her own story and concerns.
As women of faith, they were working together to dream a new economy into existence.
They were working together to share in the party.
Today’s gospel compels us to ask ourselves questions like: Who is present when our congregational family gathers at the table?
Who is absent?
What can we do as a congregation to embody, in our meals together, both Holy Communion and any other supper here, some of the inclusive, gracious invitation of Jesus?
If you look at our mission goals for next year, I think you will see some answers.
(Highlight how these are all outreach goals designed to invite more people to the party, to share God’s abundance with others in a way that lifts us all in the fullness of God’s bounty in life.)
(Point out spiritual exercise “The Soul of Money” on back.)
The very symbol of a banquet for the church is intriguing.
It implies a celebration.
Feasting has replaced fasting as the appropriate response to God’s presence.
Think about why Jesus was criticized.
Do his followers today still get criticized for the same things?
Wouldn’t it be great if we were maligned as the people in this cynical society whose celebrations were inappropriate and indiscriminate?
Wouldn’t it be great to be known as the ones who party too much — and with the wrong sort of people!?
God is throwing a party!
Let’s be sure an RSVP our acceptance and invite all sorts of people that meet along the way to join us.