Skip to main content

Wake up call - who are your Real Guests?

Even though it is the beginning of a new year, I thought about the end of the past year as I came across these shocking verses from the bible last night. Here are they - Luke 14:12-14
Jesus also said to the man who had invited Him, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, lest perhaps they also invite you in return, and so you are paid back.

But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind.

Then you will be blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied), because they have no way of repaying you, and you will be recompensed at the resurrection of the just (upright).
The above verses hit straight at me and I introspected about how I (In general people) spent days at the end of the year 2008. It was the time of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New year. We all have invited our friends, relatives and people from fellowship for lunches and dinners. But did we invite the Real Guests as mentioned by Jesus? The ones that should be invited are those who cannot repay our kindness that we show them.

Unfortunately most of us would have invited the not so important guests such as those who can repay our kindness and lost the opportunity to please our heavenly father. It is alright to invite these kind of guests, but it is much better if we follow the above advice from Jesus in addition to inviting our usual guests.

I am wondering why are we not inviting the real guests to our lunches and dinners? Some of the things that came to my mind are -
  • We may have distanced ourselves from them.
  • We may not be willing to identify ourselves with them.
  • We may be concerned about our security.
  • We may not be mindful of them.
The list can go on if we honestly introspect ourselves. The truth of the matter is we lost touch with the Real Guests, with our sophisticated life styles. Where as if we look at Jesus - He came to die for these Real Guests who cannot repay the price. While He was on the earth, He moved closer to them, didn't ignore their physical needs and ate with them. In short, He was and is mindful of them. As the wise saying goes, "Where there is a will, there is a way", I am sure we can find ways to follow the advice from Jesus.

This kindness need not be limited to lunches and dinners only. It can and need to be extended to lending to poor and helping the needy. It is worthwhile to read Deuteronomy Chapter 15 from the Bible to understand the importance God gives to these Real Guests.

It takes real faith and a Christ like heart to practice this. We are called to be different and to be compassionate just as our heavenly father is. It was a wake up call for me and I pray you that you will take it as a wake up call for you too.

I would love to listen to your thoughts. Please don't hesitate to post your comments.

Questions to ponder:
  1. If you are not mindful of the Real Guests, can you write down some of the reasons?
  2. Do you have the courage, faith and a Christ like heart to be different going forward?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Lord is my Light and the Rock of salvation

Read Pslams 27:1 - 3 1 THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident. In this Psalm, the author sings with confidence "The Lord is my light and the rock of my salvation. Whom shall I fear, whom shall I fear". Important fact to note is the confidence with which he sings. Many times, we go through our days without confidence and peace that we observe in the psalmist. The author goes to the extent of declaring that he will not be afraid even if an enemy encamps around him or a war comes up. There is a promise in the Bible, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayers and thanksgiving submit your requests to God and the ...

Walking before God

"I beseech You, O Lord, [earnestly] remember now how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart [entirely devoted to You] and have done what is good in Your sight..." 2 Kings 20:3 In Faithfulness - Do not turn away from God depending on the situation. We are to remain faithful to Him no matter what the circumstances may be. Our faithfulness to God should not depend on our feelings. It should be based on our Faith in Him. In Truth - Not having any hypocrisy, being honest and open before the Lord. Walking in Truth before God becomes easy if we realize that He is our heavenly father. We don't have to wear a mask of holiness in approaching God. We are encouraged to approach God just as we are. With whole heart - Devote yourself to God alone. We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as He is our role model. God is pleased with 100% devotion to Him. Nobody can serve two masters effectively. We read from the Bible in Luke 16:13 "No ser...

Care to be different and make a difference

"And Jesus replied to them, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to arouse and invite and call the righteous, but the erring ones (those not free from sin) to repentance [to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins]." Luke 5:31,32 The above words were spoken by Jesus in response to Pharisees and scribes who were complaining that Jesus and His disciples were eating with tax collectors and preeminently sinful people. The Pharisees and scribes were the religious leaders of the day and they were living hypocrite lives and misunderstood the whole concept of living separated life (Holy life). Outwardly, in view of the public, they were very religious, looking very gentle and pious. At the same time, they distanced themselves from common people who were needy, such as sick people, tax collectors, slaves, poor people etc. They had this wrong understanding about the...