[Propertalk] Sermon tidbits for Luke 14 for Aug. 29 - IV

[Joe Parrish]

     He was the most unlikely person to be elected class captain. He never said a word and could hardly ever look you in the face. But then, we were teenage high school students, out of control and in total rebellion mode. Why support the system by electing the typical self-confident "leader of man". We wanted someone who would never push us around.
      Self-esteem is a quality difficult to measure. With it we are self-controlled, self-contained, self-assured.... without it, well! There are many elements that can contribute to a sense of low self-esteem. Our family background can damage us, or the school playground can destroy us. With our self-worth eroded, we then lose confidence and are inevitably immobilized.
      Religion too can be a destructive element in our lives. If we believe that our worth in the sight of God is somehow related to religious performance, we soon become worthless, because our performance is always second rate. We are then forced to hide our worthlessness with a created self-worth - a self-righteous pharisaism.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday22cg.html

Bryan Findlayson
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In a world that has grown frighteningly guarded and harsh, Christian
congregations are called to imitate the "table manners" of Jesus by being
sacraments of God's hospitality in the world.
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Christian congregations are not immune to these forms of barrier
building. "Christians tend to break bread within socioeconomic
monocultures, homogenized enclaves where nearly everyone is of
the same color and tax bracket," Patrick McCormick has written.
Some churches rally around political agendas of the left or right,
and pitch their programs to an ideologically chosen few. Their
evangelism looks suspiciously like brand advertising.

http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/53394.pdf

Robert B. Kruschwitz
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There is always a tendency to feel that it is enough to look after one's own - and that is no bad thing - but excessive exclusivity is dangerous. It becomes self-seeking and proud and ignores the rightful calls to care for those whom we have chosen to exclude. 

http://www.wellsprings.org.uk/weekly_wellsprings/year_c/sunday_22.htm

Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner
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We need to start by 'recapturing' the humility principle Jesus enunciates so clearly here. Our world is more & more ego-driven. Once, mainly the high & mighty were so driven. Now any of us can be, & are encouraged to be by forces all round us. 

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLK14114PENT13.html

Brian McGowan
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...not only must higher class people temporarily accept lower status for themselves, they should also pay to extend higher class privileges to the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind - knowing full well that they will never receive reciprocal treatment in this lifetime!

http://www.holytextures.com/2010/08/luke-14-1-7-14-year-c-pentecost-august-28-september-3-proper-17-ordinary-time-22-sermon.html

David Ewart, www.holytextures.com
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The other guests seem to be taking their places, but Jesus stands apart watching them, then shaking his head he says, "See that is the problem with you people, choosing the best spots." Paraphrasing Proverbs 25:6-7, he says, "Don't you know you are going to humiliate your selves? I'll tell you what to do. Take the worst spots, then the host asks you to move up, and bingo-everyone there will honor you!" Again the others say nothing.  What are they thinking?
After he is done insulting the guests he turns on the host. "And you know what your problem is? You invite people just so you will be honored, paid back. What are you thinking inviting your friends and relatives to eat with you, you should invite the poor, the crippled, and people that can never pay you back. Do that and you'll get paid back - when you die!" The host says nothing. What is he thinking?

How not to humiliate yourself.

What is the point of all this?  The first part is about hypocritical adherence to the law; the second part is some helpful advice on how not to humiliate yourself at a dinner party, and how to instead bring honor to yourself; and the third part is about how you should never bring honor to yourself.  Instead bring shame on your self by inviting unclean guests.  

http://thehardestquestion.org/yearc/ordinary22gospel/

Russell Rathbun, 2010
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