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Time to eat. Time to Serve.

“I’d be willing to serve, but I don’t know what I could do.” “Living on mission? That’s something full-time missionaries do—but me?” There is an amazingly simple and enjoyable way to serve others. If you can eat, you can be on mission! Deep within us, we all long to share good food with family and friends—meals with lots of conversation, joy, and love. Something incredible in these meals moves way beyond just eating food. This may surprise you, but all of these experiences can point us toward the kingdom of God. How? Hospitality is essential for understanding the nature of God and the mission of God. Through Jesus’ teaching (at a meal) we can learn to comfortably engage people with the love and grace of the gospel. Something about sharing a meal together can open the door to hospitality, conversation, and even Jesus. Let’s learn to serve by creating a culture infused with hospitality.

Tony Merida Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and associate professor of preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down (B & H, 2015).

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The Point Hospitality is a practical way to share Christ with others.

The Passage Luke 14:12-24

The Bible Meets Life We love to share a meal with others. An enjoyable or memorable meal is not about the food itself, but it is about the company and the shared experience. Meals were a major part of many events in the Bible, and meals are a way of sharing life together. Jesus spoke of the blessing of being hospitable and inviting others to share a meal. “Let’s do lunch” can be another way of saying “Let’s be on mission.”

The Setting Jesus had already begun His journey toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51; 13:22) with anticipation of the cross to come (13:33-34). Along the way He accepted a Sabbath invitation to dine with one of the leading Pharisees. He took advantage of the opportunity and setting to teach about humility and about receiving or issuing invitations to banquet “in the kingdom of God” (14:15).

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What does the Bible say?

Luke 14:12-24 (HCSB) 12 He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner,

don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. 13 On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed,

lame, or blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at

the resurrection of the righteous.” 15 When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said

to Him, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!” 16 Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come,

because everything is now ready.’ 18 “But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I

have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask

you to excuse me.’ 20 “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’ 21 “So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the

master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’ 22 “ ‘Master,’ the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’ 23 “Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make

them come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’ ”

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THE POINT

Hospitality is a practical way to share Christ with others.

GET INTO THE STUDY

10 minutes

DISCUSS: Invite your group members to Notes

turn their attention to the image on page 137 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: “What made a special meal so memorable?” RECAP THE PSG: Certain meals stand out in our memories. I’m not talking about the food per se, but the occasion: a birthday party, a Thanksgiving dinner with all the extended family members present, or an unplanned

TIP: Be aware of people in your group who may be struggling emotionally, physically, or financially. Mobilize the group to meet a practical need in their lives.

occasion that turned into a long dinner conversation. Our favorite meals may or may not involve great food, but they do involve people. Favorite meals involve friendship—and usually festivity. We share life together around a table. When a loved one dies, one of the first places we miss him or her is around the table. Why? Because at meal time we don’t just focus on the food in front of us; we focus on the people around us (PSG, p. 138). SAY: “These experiences point us to the kingdom of God. Hospitality. Friendship. Fellowship. Jesus, who was constantly interacting with people over meals, teaches us we can use these moments to extend the kingdom of God to others.” GUIDE: Invite your group members to share their initial reaction when they read The Point on page 138 of the PSG: “Hospitality is a practical way to share Christ with others.” Explain that this key idea will drive your discussion today. ENHANCEMENT: Bring your group’s attention to Pack Item #14, “Hospitality” poster, to highlight the focus of today’s session. PRAY: Transition into the Bible study with prayer. Thank God for those who have extended hospitality to you. Also, ask Him to make you aware of opportunities to

Display Pack Item #14 to communicate the session topic.

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Luke 14:12-14

Notes

12

He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a

dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. 13

On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor,

maimed, lame, or blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” READ: Ask a group member to read Luke 14:12-14 aloud. RECAP: Jesus used the occasion of sharing food to teach about people and the kingdom of God. In fact, Jesus is the ultimate example of hospitality. Although He never owned a house, Jesus consistently used the meals where He was a guest as opportunities to engage, teach, and love others. Jesus spoke the words we are studying while at a meal at a Pharisee’s house (14:1) (PSG, p. 140). SUMMARIZE: In this parable, Jesus calls us to do two things. 1. Invite outsiders. Jesus wasn’t saying He opposed spending time with friends and family. But, Jesus’ guest list includes those who might not normally get invited, those we might not typically spend time with. 2. Invite those who can’t repay you. Often, our social life is built around repayment. You buy my lunch, and the next time I buy your lunch. In verse 14, Jesus said to invite the needy and show them grace; then, you’ll be repaid at the resurrection. DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 140 of the PSG: “Who are the outsiders in our community?” SAY: “Inviting others isn’t always going to be comfortable. Those you invite may not even say thank you. It may call for a little sacrifice.” ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why do you think Jesus emphasized not being repaid?

DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 141 of the PSG: “Whom do you know who is actively hospitable to people on the  margins of life?” TRANSITION: In the next verses, Jesus used a parable to teach about the kingdom of God being like a great banquet.

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THE POINT

Hospitality is a practical way to share Christ with others.

Luke 14:12-14 Commentary Invite others to your feasts. Luke 14:12-24 is part of a larger passage that details the events surrounding a Sabbath day meal Jesus was invited to attend. The meal took place at the residence of “one of the leading Pharisees” and at least part of the purpose for the invitation appears to have been the Pharisees’ attempting to trap Jesus in issues concerning Sabbath law (Luke 14:1-2). Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees, healing the man who had been the center of their contrived controversy and confounding the Pharisees on the issue of their own laws (vv. 3-6). Then, Jesus told a parable concerning true humility and the danger of arrogance leading to humiliation (vv. 7-11). Verse 12 Jesus taught how to be a counter-cultural host. Hebrews typically only ate two meals a day, breakfast (in late morning) and dinner (in late afternoon), the main meal of the day. The Pharisee’s invitation list consisted of those people he needed to repay for previously inviting him to a dinner and those wealthy and influential people he wanted to invite so they would owe him a free dinner. This is known as the principle of reciprocity, which was widely observed during the time of Jesus. This principle held that when a favor or gift was given to a person, that person was under obligation to return a favor or gift of like kind. Therefore, a person behaved generously toward those he wished to receive favorable treatment from in the future. It was normal in that day to only invite people who could enhance the host’s place in society. The Pharisee’s expression of hospitality was motivated by pride and manipulation, not love and admiration. Jesus’ words condemned the habit of only inviting those people who could repay the generosity and never including others.
 Verse 13 Jesus gave a list of people who should also be invited to the banquet. These are the same groups of people Jesus would identify later in verse 21. In Jesus’ day it was unacceptable for Jews to associate with these types of people, so it would have been unthinkable to have invited them to a public dinner. These groups of people were from the lowest levels of society, the marginalized and excluded. They were not even allowed to enter the temple to worship God. Jesus encouraged people to make the unaccepted the accepted. These are the types of people followers of Jesus are to focus on and for whom they are to provide care. Verse 14 The main requirement for inviting these guests was that they could not repay the generosity offered by the host. These people suffered emotionally, economically, and physically. Obviously the physically challenged had a difficult time earning a living and could not afford to pay people back for their generosity. Jesus made it clear that although these hurting people could not repay their host for his or her generosity, God would repay the host in the future at the resurrection. The phrase “resurrection of the righteous” also included the unrighteous (see Acts 24:15). Jesus was not referring to two separate resurrections. © 2015 LifeWay

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5 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Luke 14:15-24

Notes

15

When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these

things, he said to Him, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!” 16 Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 “But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’  “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them

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out. I ask you to excuse me.’ 20 “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’ 21 “So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’ 22 “ ‘Master,’ the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’ 23 “Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’ ” READ: Ask a group member to read Luke 14:15-20 aloud. RECAP: Jesus went on to tell another parable. A man gave a banquet—a great party—and he invited many to come. It was common in that day to issue two invitations. The first invitation essentially asked if they wanted to come. If a person responded yes, a second invitation was later sent, informing the person that everything was now ready for the banquet. Yet when the servant went to those who had RSVPed, they made excuses—lame excuses—for not coming. ]]

I can’t go; I bought a field, and I have to go see it. Now who buys a field without seeing it first?

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I bought five yoke of oxen. I need to go try them out. Again, who would buy livestock without examining the animals first?

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I’ve gotten married; therefore, I can’t come. What’s this about? Didn’t those guys have to eat, too? (PSG, p. 143).

SAY: “By refusing the second invitation, these three men insulted the host, damaged their friendships, and hurt their own reputation.”

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THE POINT

Hospitality is a practical way to share Christ with others.

Luke 14:15-24 Commentary Invite others to the King’s feast. Verse 15 One of the guests responded to Jesus’ teachings, but his motive for doing so is unclear. This guest equated happiness with knowing he would one day share in heaven’s banquet, which was a metaphor for the kingdom of God. The phrase “eat bread” referred to a full meal. The Jewish people compared their future kingdom to a great feast, and this man believed he would one day eat with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets at the kingdom feast. This was a way of referring to salvation and eternal life. Verses 16-17 Jesus replied to the man’s statement with a parable regarding invitations to a banquet. Jesus included “a large banquet” to refer to the man’s belief that Messiah would come and share a feast with the elect of Israel. The large banquet refers to salvation and the kingdom of God. The invitations to the banquet went to many different guests; no specific, select group was identified. It was customary in those days for the wealthy to send out a slave to deliver two separate invitations. The first invitation was delivered ahead of time, announcing the day of the event but not the exact time. This helped the host know how many guests planned to attend in order to prepare enough food, as well as providing enough time for the preparation of the food on the day of the event. The second invitation announced that the event was ready and that it was therefore time to attend the event. This invitation format was reserved for the wealthy and was practiced in both the Roman and Jewish cultures. To refuse the second invitation was viewed as a great insult to the host. Verses 18-19 Jesus revealed that all the invitees made excuses not to attend the banquet; He gave three specific examples. The three excuses all involved family or material possessions. At the first invitation, they responded positively; but, when the time actually came for the banquet, they chose to fulfill other obligations. These three people chose to insult the host, sacrifice their relationships with him, and harm their own character. The first guest asked to be excused because he had bought a field and needed to go out and see it. This individual’s claim seems to be out of order. Because buying property was typically a long process, the person would have had plenty of other opportunities to have seen the land. Likewise, the second guest referred to a recent purchase of five yoke of oxen (five pairs of oxen), which he apparently bought without inspecting (something which would have been highly unlikely). Verse 20 The third person gave the excuse of having recently been married, which was actually no excuse at all. Jewish weddings did not just happen as a surprise. They were elaborate affairs that took months of preparation. This person knew well in advance that he had a wedding, yet he accepted the first invitation to the banquet. Furthermore, if a man was recently married, he was exempt from going to war; but, it was highly unusual for a man to use his recent marriage as a reason not to attend a social gathering. Each of these three guests dishonored the host by not accepting his invitation. © 2015 LifeWay

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15 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Luke 14:15-24 Continued

Notes

READ: Ask a group member to read Luke 14:21-24 aloud. RECAP: In this parable, the host became angry and told his servant to go out to the streets and bring in the poor, disabled, blind, and lame. The servant said, “What you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.” The master again sent his servant out into the highways and hedges to compel more people to come in—so that the house would be filled (PSG, p. 143). SAY: “Jesus was making the connection between a feast and salvation, or the kingdom of God.” DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 142 of the PSG: “Are you more likely to invite someone to church or to a meal? Why?” RECAP: That’s good news for us: there’s still room. There’s room for us to go out and invite more people into our lives and into our homes. Ultimately, we want to invite them to the King’s feast because there’s room for all who will come. Everything needed has been accomplished so we can come to the King. Jesus came, lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death, and rose from the dead. Everything is ready (PSG, p. 143).

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What does this story teach about the kingdom of God?

DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 143 of the PSG: “What can we do as a group to ‘make space at the table’ for outsiders?” DO: Divide your members into groups of three or four people each. Within each small group, direct members to discuss the activity on page 142 of the PSG. Allow groups several minutes to discuss, then invite someone from each group to share aloud their response. Room for More: Your group was just given $150 and the task to demonstrate hospitality in your community. ]]

What would you do with your resources?

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What ripple effects would you hope to see—in your small group, your city, God’s Kingdom—stem from this experience?

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THE POINT

Hospitality is a practical way to share Christ with others.

Luke 14:15-24 Commentary Continued Verse 21 The host reacted in justifiable outrage when he received the news his guests were not coming to the banquet. In his anger, the host devised another plan with another guest list. The host instructed his slave to go out into the wide streets and narrow alleys, throughout the city to all the places where those neglected by society lived. His slave was to seek out the poor, maimed, blind, and lame. This is the same list but in a different order that Jesus encouraged His listeners to invite to their dinners (Luke 14:13). Verse 22 The slave went throughout the city inviting all the people he could find. This second crowd of people made no excuses; they just followed the slave to the banquet. However, once he brought all of these guests into the banquet hall there was still room for more. The master desired his table to be filled with people. Verse 23 The master instructed the slave to go outside the city to the “highways and lanes” and invite more people to come to the banquet. This group would include beggars and outcasts excluded from the community life within the city. The slave would also find farmers and workers in the fields in the country, as well as travelers; he was to offer an invitation to anyone and everyone he encountered. The master instructed the slave to “make them come in,” not by force but by reasonable argument. Jesus used these comments to show how the invitation to come into the kingdom of God would eventually be carried to the Gentiles. It would come from believing Jews and they would have the task of convincing the Gentiles that the invitation was real. The Jewish religious leaders worked hard to keep Gentiles out of the Jewish traditions, the temple, and the lifestyle. Jesus was not suggesting for His followers to use physical force to convince Gentiles but rather to have a convincing argument that the kingdom of God was available to everyone, not just the Jews. Verse 24 In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus often used the phrase “for I tell you” to emphasize His point. The host in this story summed up the reasons for his behavior toward the first group of guests. He declared, “not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!” Jesus told this parable in response to the man’s statement about Jews receiving the blessing of God by eating bread in the kingdom of God. This statement revealed the mindset of some among the Jewish people (the Pharisees/religious leaders) who were sure they would eat bread in the kingdom. Jesus would bring the kingdom of God to earth and it would exist in the hearts of men and women. Jesus invited people to join the kingdom of God immediately. No one who rejected the invitation offered by Jesus and His followers would enjoy the banquet of the kingdom of God in the future. Those who thought their heritage earned them a place in the kingdom of God but rejected Jesus would find themselves excluded from the kingdom. But those people who accepted Jesus’ offer of salvation (including the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame, the Gentiles), would enter into the kingdom. © 2015 LifeWay

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5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT SAY: “What will you do to make hospitality a part of your life?”

Notes

GUIDE: Lead your group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 144 of the PSG. ]]

Look to the fringes. In most work places, neighborhoods, and community groups some people tend to get left out. Ask God to help you see those around you this week.

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Learn the names of those you encounter in a typical week. Make it your goal to call people by name and to learn a bit more about them.

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Mix it up. If your group is going bowling, having lunch together, or just going for coffee, bring some people into the mix who don’t know Jesus. Be a group of ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.

Wrap It Up SAY: “Why should we practice hospitality? Because Jesus has shown us grace. We who have been shown grace ought to be gracious to others. And grace can pour out of your hospitality. So collapse the distance between you and the marginalized and make room for them at your table.”

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My group's prayer requests

Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, collegiates, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife.

Kingdom Hospitality There is nothing more ordinary than a meal. In preparation for a message on hospitality (Luke 14:12-24), I asked my kids at the dinner table, “What are your all-time favorite meals?” The answers included meals at birthday parties (especially those with piñatas!), Thanksgiving dinners, and Christmas dinners. My wife included a Passover meal that we had with some friends.

To continue reading “Kingdom Hospitality” excerpted from the book Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles.

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