“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:13-14, NIV)
Man, start talking to me about politics on the golf course and you’ve ruined my game. You’ve maybe ruined my day. Though it’s not just politics. I’ve also been derailed by baseball, family cares, and the inability to shake the work projects that whip around in my head. No wonder the mental coaches and their clients talk so much about staying in the moment!
The world is crammed full of content these days, and you can be so tempted to “know it all.” You start to think you can have an opinion about everything and that you shouldn’t miss your golden opportunities to share it—which is why you might get so many “oh no!” glances around the Thanksgiving table. You’ve got to be careful if you want to have friends.
But among us friends today, I’ve dared to title this devotion “Liberals and Conservatives.” And that may have caused you to go into one of two modes: heightened interest or heightened caution. I understand. But I’m going to go to Jesus today and stay as close to him as I can.
In Luke 14, Jesus was dining with some dignitaries at the house of a prominent Pharisee. He began by speaking of relative places of honor at the table, and of seeking out the low places, for the humble are those God exalts. Then he turned to how we should give out invitations.
If the Bible is, as we say, timeless, we probably need to shed the label and just do what Jesus says.“Don’t invite your family and friends and the rich,” he told them. “They can pay you back.” (In other words, watch out for cronyism and favors—whether you’re liberal or conservative.) Then Jesus gave them the specific instruction seen in our verse today: Invite the needy of all kinds, those who can’t repay you. That’s where the blessing lies. And that’s what sounds so “liberal” today. But if the Bible is, as we say, timeless, we probably need to shed the label and just do what Jesus says.
If that’s killing you right now, you only need to read a few more verses to find a bit of conservative thinking, too, when Jesus was speaking to the crowds about the cost of discipleship.
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” (Luke 14:28-30)
Personal responsibility. Planning before spending. Now that’s classic conservative philosophy! Maybe you’re feeling more at home now.
But do you see what all this means when we really walk in step with Jesus? He doesn’t fit into our modern liberal and conservative boxes, especially as polar as they have become. When it comes to earning and spending, Jesus says, be conservative. When it comes to generosity and sharing, be liberal. Truly, we see both in the father of the prodigal. He had saved well to give his child an inheritance, and he gave freely when this same son, so long lost, returned. God is always more well-rounded than we are.
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Jeff Hopper
March 17, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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