HOST: Ron House
SPONSOR: Start2Finish
He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
In yesterday’s reading, Jesus was speaking to those who were attending a feast. In today’s text, He turns his attention to the host of the feast. In essence, His teaching is that one should not invite those who would not truly benefit from the feast, and who could and would invite him to a feast of their own in return. Instead, we should invite those who were in need—the poor, the infirmed, the needy—those who could truly benefit from our kindness and generosity and who could not repay the favor. Jesus is certainly not teaching that we should never spend time with friends or show kindness to loved ones, but that we should also be mindful of those who are in need. So often, we spend all of our time and effort on those we know and love, while neglecting those who have no one to care for them or help them. The larger principle here is that we should do good for the sake of doing good. Give to those who cannot give in return. Give your attention, time, and care to those who are needy, Jesus says, and your reward will be from God.
Why is it important that we show kindness to those who are in need?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
