Luke 14:15-24
My how the tables have turned. Everyone knows what it was like for geeks and nerds back in the day, the jocks were merciless. Television and movies were replete with football quarterbacks that got the homecoming queen. James Stewart and June Alison and so many other perfect couples. What is going on?? Has the world gone mad?
This passage highlights the invitation offered by God that we so often reject in word or deed or even in failure to engage. As the Spirit has shown, the invitation originally sent to the Israelites is now open to all, Jew and non-Jew. I am sure it was all quite upsetting.
While we rejoiced in the falling of the Berlin wall, there are other walls that were cracking. The image of those perfect couples began to become tainted by divorces that began to rise at an alarming rate. (long before Stonewall and marriage equality I might add ). Then it started in earnest, it was the geeks that started to rule. The geeks now had the money and the power. Those that had been tortured emotionally and were outcasts now made the rules and got the girl ( or guy ).
What's next ? How about this, gays living decent lies, making liars out of those that cast us aside and said we were unworthy, deviants and 'of the devil'. People have discovered and are realizing more each day how decent and 'normal' gay people are. Now gays seek boring traditional institutions like the commitment of marriage. Everything is upside down. Gays in committed relationships? Gays seeking commitments that the straight community is abandoning all the more.
The invitation to love is always out there, an invitation from God that almost always puts things on end. Jesus embracing the sinners was only the start. The Spirit is alike and embraces all. Yes, everything is topsy turvy. The geeks shall inherit the earth and gay people will find love and commitment and live happily ever after as loving children of God out in the open.
One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, ‘Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.” ’
No comments:
Post a Comment