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Luke 14:12-14

INTRODUCTION: We are taking a break from our usual series of messages to look at some different passages of Scripture over the next few weeks. First of up is this passage from Luke where Jesus is invited to a meal at a Pharisee’s house, and after healing a man and talking to the guests about seating placements, Jesus then turns his attention to the host. (Read Luke 14:12-14 and pray.)

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When I was a kid, I had a friend at school named Hank. One year about a month before Christmas, Hank started dropping hints to me about this great Christmas gift he was going to give me. “Oh wait until you see what I’ve got for you this year. I have got the best gift for you. It cost me a lot of money, but man are you going to love it.” Now Hank had never given me a Christmas present in his life, so I thought this was rather odd, but I was also intrigued about this wonderful surprise he had waiting for me.

Then after a couple days of dropping hints, Hank began to ask me, “So, what are you going to get me for Christmas this year?” Well, I had never given Hank anything for Christmas, but I thought, “If he has gone all out for me, I had better get him something really good too.” So, I did extra jobs that year to earn money and saved everything I could, because I wanted to get Hank a nice present, and of course I wanted to buy gifts for my own family, too. And every day I would wonder and dream about this amazing gift that Hank had waiting for me.

As Christmas approached, I bought Hank a very nice, very expensive gift. I don’t even remember what it was – but I remember I spent a lot of money on it for a kid. And then on the last day of school before Christmas break, I brought my gift in for Hank. I gave it to him the first chance I got. He was very excited about it, just as I was very excited about receiving my long-awaited, eagerly anticipated gift from him. And you know what that gift was? Nothing. Hank didn’t have any gift for me. Apparently, he never did. Maybe he had good intentions of getting me something, or maybe I had just been taken, but I got no gift that day. I went home for Christmas vacation a disappointed but wiser youth.

You know, there is an attitude in society today that mirrors my early childhood experience with Hank. It is the attitude that says, “What can I get out of this? What’s in it for me?” Some people approach nearly every situation in life with this attitude. Whether they are dealing with a business transaction or a financial decision or time priorities or even personal relationships, the focus is always on themselves. They constantly ask themselves, “How can I best leverage myself in this situation in order to get the most personal benefit?” And so, they are always jockeying for position on the playing field of life trying to get the most for themselves in every situation.

Jesus addresses this attitude in our passage this morning. Apparently, this attitude was just as common two thousand years ago as it is today. And in our passage this morning Jesus gives us three simple instructions to help us guard against this self-centered attitude in our own lives. 1) Do not give only to get. 2) Give freely to those who cannot give back. 3) Look to God for your reward. So, let’s look at these three principles in the context of our passage this morning.

I. Do not give only to get (12)

First of all, “Do not give only to get.” Jesus gives this instruction within the context of the meal at the Pharisee’s home. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their day, and apparently this particular Pharisee was quite well known and quite well off. In the verses prior to our passage, Jesus had just addressed the guests at this meal who upon entering the home had all scrambled for the best seats around the table. Now he addresses the Pharisee hosting the meal.

It was common in those days for the wealthier and more prominent persons in the community to throw these banquets for each other. To be invited to one of these banquets was a sign of high status in the community. And so, you would invite people to your banquet in hopes that they would also invite you to theirs.

Now the poor and the disadvantaged in the community were often allowed to come and observe these feasts from a distance. They would sometimes stand around the perimeter of the hall or wait outside, hoping maybe to get some leftovers after the meal. But the poor were never actually invited as guests. That would have been scandalous, and probably the ruin of any host who dared to do such a thing.

And so there was this revolving guest list of important persons who were viewed as the “in” crowd, those persons who truly counted in the community, and the Pharisees guarded that guest list carefully. Jesus was on the guest list for this particular meal. Jesus was never afraid to speak up in any setting, and so, just as he had spoken to the guests concerning their choice of seats, he now addressed the host concerning his choice of guests.

Look at verse 12 where Jesus tells the host: “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors” (Luke 14:12a). Now this instruction was completely contrary to the custom and practice of the day. The people Jesus forbids were the exact types of people that you invited to your meals. These four groups of people all had one thing in common. If you invited them over to your house, they would most likely return the favor and invite you back. But that is the very reason Jesus gives for not inviting them. He continues: “If you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid” (Luke 14:12b).

So, what are we to make of this instruction from Jesus? Does this mean that we should never have friends over for a meal? Am I disobeying Christ if I invite my relatives over for Thanksgiving? If so, Rosi and I are in big trouble, because we have had family and friends over for meals lots of times. What exactly is Jesus saying here?

Well, Jesus does not mean that we should never invite our friends or family over for dinner. There are many examples in the Bible of family and friends getting together for meals, and God obviously encourages good friendships and strong family relationships. Jesus is not banning common meals between family, friends and neighbors. He is not saying that it is wrong to exchange Christmas gifts, or that we should never be kind to anyone who may repay us the favor.

Rather, Jesus is addressing our attitude and our motivation. We should not give only to get. Giving is different from spending. When you spend, you always spend in order to get something in return, but giving should have a different motivation. Your motivation in giving should never be that someone would give back to you, but you should give freely and generously from the heart.

And this was the problem Jesus saw around the banquet table that night in the Pharisee’s home. This Pharisee had invited friends, brothers, relatives and, especially, rich neighbors – all who could and probably would repay him for his kindness. His attitude was not, “What can I give?” but “What can I get?” And that is the attitude Jesus is condemning here.

This can be a problem even in the church. Some churches base their whole appeals for giving on what you will get back in return. “Sow your financial seed here and reap a harvest.” Or how about your motivation for doing ministry in the church? When you serve in the church, are you seeking only to give and to minister to others, or are you looking for approval? Jesus says, “Do not give only to get, but give freely from a pure heart.” That’s the first instruction. Do not give only to get.

II. Give freely to those who cannot give back (13)

Jesus’ next instruction gives us some practical wisdom on how we may change our attitude in this area. What is the best way to guard against this self-centered attitude? Jesus gives us the following principle in verse 13, and it is marvelously simple and profound. How do you break out of this cycle of giving only to get? Jesus says you should give to those who cannot repay you. Give freely to those who cannot give back.

Look at verse 13 where Jesus tells us: “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:13). Just as Jesus gave us four groupings of people not to invite (friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors), now he gives us four groupings of people that we should invite – the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

The word for “poor” here refers to those who are poor or needy, those who are helpless, those who lack the necessary resources for daily living. The “crippled” were those who were disabled or injured in some way. The “lame” referred specifically to those who could not walk of their own accord. And the “blind” of course were those who could not see.

The common factor among all four of these groups was that they all lacked the ability to repay. The poor had little money or influence in society. The crippled, the lame and the blind had few resources in Jesus’ time, and they were often neglected, ignored, or even despised by those who had been blessed with much. As we mentioned earlier, the poor, the crippled and otherwise disadvantaged might sometimes be allowed to observe the banquet, but they would never be on the guest list. They were treated as outsiders, not as honored guests.

So how do we apply these words of Jesus to ourselves and our present day, especially when we don’t do these revolving banquets like they did back then? Well, we can certainly offer hospitality to other people in our homes, and not just our friends and relatives. We can reach out to our neighbors or people in church we don’t know well yet. We can step out of our comfort zone and have someone over for a meal who may be lonely or away from home.

I remember when I had just graduated from college and moved from my home in Massachusetts to California to work in the recording studios out there. I was visiting a church when an older couple came up to me and said, “We have a ministry to the orphans in our church.” I thought, “That’s nice,” and looked around for any orphans. They said, “We like to take them out for lunch after the Sunday worship service.” I was still looking around and didn’t see any orphans. Finally, they smiled at me and said, “Would you like to go out to lunch today after the service?” Now I got it – I was the orphan! There were actually a number of us singles at the church who were away from home, and every Sunday this couple would take us all out to lunch for food and fellowship together. It was a wonderful ministry! (I not only joined that church; I eventually became one of the pastors!)

There are many ways you can give to those who cannot give back to you. Obviously one way is by helping the poor. God has a heart for the poor and needy. He commands us to give to the poor, and he delights when we give to those who are truly in need. You might know of a particular family in need and choose to give to them with no thought of return. If you really don’t want to get anything back in return, you can always give anonymously. Or you could give to an organization like World Vision or Compassion which will distribute your gift responsibly to those in need.

Or think about Operation Christmas Child. Each year many of you give of your time, money and effort to prepare a shoebox for a child you will never meet in this lifetime. Wouldn’t you love to be there and actually see the child open your shoebox? Wouldn’t that be great? But you know that’s not going to happen. The child who receives your shoebox has no way to repay you. Jesus says that’s a good thing.

Actually, anytime you give to missions you are fulfilling this command of Jesus. Many of you contributed money recently for the Bible project in Mozambique. I’m guessing you don’t know anybody in Mozambique, and they certainly don’t know you! There is no way they can pay you back in this lifetime. But I believe you will meet some of those people in heaven because of your generous gift.

And then if we are faithfully to apply Jesus’ words to our time, we should recognize that Jesus is talking about more than just money. We can also give of our time, our friendship, our hospitality to others. Teens and other students in school: who are the poor or disadvantaged in your environment? Every school has those students who are considered outside the “in-crowd” – those people who never make anybody’s guest list. Perhaps Jesus is talking to you this morning about reaching out with kindness and friendship to someone who is unpopular at school.

So, what’s the best way of breaking the cycle of giving only to get? Give freely to those who cannot repay you. That is the absolute best way of checking yourself and keeping your motives pure. As followers of Christ, we should make a priority of giving to those who are truly in need and cannot repay us.

III. Look to God for your reward (14)
      – Proverbs 19:17; Matthew 6:1-4; Hebrews 6:10

And then finally, Jesus gives us our third principle: “Look to God for your reward.” Jesus says in verse 14 that when you give to those who cannot repay you: “You will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14)

There is a blessing when you give to someone who cannot give back to you. Just think how good it feels when you hand in that shoebox for some child. Doesn’t it feel great? Isn’t there a blessing in giving that way? Well, how would you like to feel that way all the time? The secret is in giving with no thought of return. And although the person you help may never repay you in this life, God promises to repay you in the next. As Christians we should look forward to our heavenly reward rather than any earthly reward we may receive.

Jesus says specifically that “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Now the Bible speaks of two resurrections: there is the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked. At the resurrection of the wicked those who do not know Christ will be repaid for the wrong things they have done. I don’t want any part of that. But at the resurrection of the righteous those who have placed their faith in Jesus will be repaid for the good things they have done for Christ and his kingdom. We read in Proverbs 19:17: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done” (Prov. 19:17)

Those who give only to get will have no reward waiting for them in heaven. Jesus spoke of a similar situation in Matthew 6. He said: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt. 6:1-4).

In other words, you can’t get your reward twice. If you give only to get in this life, then you already have your reward. But when you give expecting nothing in return, God who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Hebrews 6:10 tells us: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Heb. 6:10).

Now, there is an irony at work here. When you give only to get, you ultimately end up with far less than when you give freely to those who cannot give back to you. When you put God and others first in your life, you actually end up with far more! But that is not the reason you do it, or else you are simply putting yourself first again.

God has promised to supply all your needs in this life, but the great rewards don’t come until the resurrection. And there’s a reason God does it this way. Think about it – if God’s rewards all came now, it would skew our motives. If you automatically prospered in this life anytime you gave to those who could not repay, people would catch on pretty quickly. And then we would all be tempted to give only to get! And so, God very wisely makes us wait for our reward.

You might wonder, if we are not supposed to give in order to get, then why is it okay to look to God for your reward? Let me give you four quick reasons.

1. First of all, you cannot manipulate God. Hank may have manipulated me into giving him the best Christmas present of his life ever, but you never have to worry about manipulating God.
    
2. Secondly, one of the greatest rewards you can ever receive is simply God’s approval. And I believe that will be a big part of our reward in heaven, just hearing God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That’s all the reward I need.
    
3. Thirdly, it takes faith to look to God for your reward, and faith is always pleasing to God.
    
4. And fourthly, looking to God for your reward shows where your heart is. Jesus said in Matthew 6: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven….. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). We should all be living on earth but living for heaven.
    

CONCLUSION: I am guessing that Jesus probably offended his host at this particular banquet, but he gave the host – and us – some valuable words of instruction for life.

      1) Do not give only to get.
      2) Give freely to those who cannot give back.
      3) Look to God for your reward.

I would like to close this morning by asking you two questions. First of all: “Who is on your guest list?” To whom do you extend love and friendship and hospitality? Only to those who can repay you? Or are you willing to reach out to the poor and disadvantaged and those who have never heard of Christ?

Did you know whenever you reach out in kindness to another person, the Bible says you are also reaching out to Jesus? Jesus said in Matthew 25: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). When you give freely to others, you are also giving to Jesus. And so, I guess the question really comes down to this. Do you want Jesus on your guest list? Then make sure that you give freely to those who cannot repay you.

And then the second question I would like to ask you is this: “Have you ever considered who is on God’s guest list?” Think about it. Who has Jesus invited into his kingdom? Those who could not pay him back. God created you. He gave you life. He sent his own Son to die on the cross for you. He offers you eternal life in heaven as a free gift. He invites you into his kingdom, and it’s all by grace.

You and I can never repay God for all that he has done for us. But that’s okay. Because God did not give to us in order to get. He gave freely of himself to those who could not repay him. And now he asks you and me to do the same.

© Ray Fowler

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