I’m looking at this from rather an upside down way.  I think I would have been one of those people that were invited to the banquet as I am lame and crippled.  I know that whoever had invited me would expect no repayment.  However, as a normal human reaction I would have wanted to repay in some way.  I do find it hard to accept people’s generous, unconditional actions.  I think I do nothing for other people but I am often told that I am completely unaware of how I affect other people and how they can see my faith shining out of me.  I challenge them to look at themselves in a different way.  What a privilege and what a gift.

How fitting a verse for today when there was a Welcome Conference in letchworth. Fantastic advice on how to be more welcoming. Loads fo work to do now but all of it worthwhile as we live out Jesus’ message. Brilliant!

Other guests in the chief Pharisee’s house were watching to catch Jesus out, but, aware of their own hypocrisy, they could never win any exchange of words with him.
Now they jostled for the best places.
Knowing their hearts, Jesus gave them some worldly advice: “If you want the respect of men, pick a lower seat so your host will invite you to take a higher place and everyone will see how much you are respected.”
Now, turning to his host Jesus gives him some spiritual advice: “If you want the respect of God, pick lower guests on earth and God will invite you to take a higher place in heaven.”

This a postscript to yesterday’s video where I mentioned the Hands on teach-in about how to grow your own vegetables and fruit. It happened and as predicted was small and intimate. What I hadn’t expected was a cornucopia of cakes, biscuits, jams and relishes made from the produce Ann and Nicola had grown and picked. Beetroot and ginger chutney. Courgette relish. Redcurrent and wild damson jam. Wild cherry jam. Lemon and pink grapefruit marmalade. A powerful reminder that the sharing of food is one of the purest and most simple expressions of Christian community - in this case grown and made by hand. And shared without strings.

As kingdom people we need to learn to live radical lives. Lives that transform the lives of others through the love of God shining through us. Lives that put the needs of others before our own. And if that wasn’t challenging enough (!)we need to this knowing that we may not see the fruits of our labours,that our love may be rejected,that our radical life may be scorned. But we live in the knowldge that we are doing God’s will and that our reward will be in heaven.

All too often rights are prevalent over responsibilities.
The challenge is to accept the latter, in the areas God has given us.

Whenever we find it difficult to be generous to someone in need, just remember what Jesus did for us - he bought us eternal salvation by paying the price of our sins with his own life.

Properly counter-cultural. Do the good stuff, and you will be blessed because of it. Don’t expect thanks or recognition or glory from those around you - that is not the reason to be doing it. It is when we get pulled into human expectations of what we deserve that we start to feel hurt that noone recognises the hard work we do. This is just as visible when we do big social injustice work as it is in a church coffee rota. Do it, because it is God’s work and that is where the glory lies.