Fast Day 29: Feeding Guests

Home is more than a house or a physical shelter, but a symbol of a person’s health and happiness. It is a place where we are fed, physically and emotionally. It may not be a permanent place, but there is a permanent relationship to wherever we call home in our heart. The roots that ground us almost always start growing and blossoming from the fertile soil of some place that we recognize as home.

Parables of the Guests:

Jesus said, Whenever you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished may have been invited. Instead, go and take the last place and the one who has invited you may say, “Friend, move up higher.” For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and the one who humbles himself will be exalted … Whenever you give a dinner, don’t invite friends, family or the wealthy, because you can expect a return invitation. Invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping and who are blind and you will be blessed. Your repayment will be at the resurrection … A man invited many people to a big dinner, but those invited made insincere excuses and didn’t come. He said, “Go out into the street and the hedges and bring the poor, the disabled, the blind and those who are limping, so that my house will be filled. None of those who were invited shall taste my dinner. ” From Luke 14: 8-24

Our fasting focus is to deny ourself some kind of food or idol, but not everyone has the luxury of that choice. Folks without a home, a kitchen or a dining table are usually people who regularly go hungry.

The Parables of the Guests were delivered by Jesus when He was a dinner guest in the home of a Pharisee on the Sabbath. The Bible doesn’t say clearly how He ended up there, but He was probably invited. The Pharisees were Jewish leaders and rabbis who were legalistic, antagonistic to Jesus and didn’t believe He was the Messiah. But they wanted to hear Him speak. They had their lawyers there, and catching Him doing or saying something against what they believed was high on their agenda.

The lessons that Jesus, as a guest, was teaching about guests, and addressed to the guests there were more than entertainment-smart Martha Stewart etiquette! The center of the meaning for the host was clear: Feed others. Entertain with generosity. Don’t entertain for gain. Bring the hungry, the poor, the lowly, and the hurt into your home instead.

God sees our home as our personal place to serve and share our bounty, here on earth. But He also sees it as a place where He can connect us to those who will occupy our eternal home in heaven with us. He was giving the religious leaders notice that, if their attitude was not like the hungry poor, the disabled, the blind and the limping, they would miss out on His eternal banquet.

Heaven will be full of people not like us! After your fast is complete, plan a time to get to know people not like you by inviting them into your home for a meal. Not as charity, but with a sincere heart of love, generosity and curiosity about who you may dine eternally with!

Who lives in your alleyways and streets that you might invite in?

Jesus in Heaven, help me bring Your heaven to earth for those guests in need and for those not like me. Show me how to be Your humble dinner host! Amen.