Day 22 / Luke 14:12-14
By Leslie and Hunter Tenpenny
Luke 14:12-14
Then he turned to his host, “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
“Generosity across social conventions”
Generosity can sometimes become something we do out of obligation and convenience rather than it being a part of who we are as Jesus followers- with compassion and love.
The Lord has a heart for the “underdogs” of this world. We see it time and time again in the Word as he sought out the less fortunate. Being generous to those who have nothing to return is holy Kingdom work. It sets Christians apart from the greedy, self-serving world and allows Jesus to be seen. Individually, it forces us to humility knowing that we are also receivers of the ultimate act of generosity- the gift of Jesus.
It’s natural and easy to serve those we know and love most, and it’s good! But if we are trying to live as Christ lived, then we must also be seeking out opportunities to serve others in need rather than seeking our own gratification or social successes.
These verses challenge us to align our hearts with the desires of the Lord and to open our eyes to Kingdom service. Am I embracing the humility like Jesus to “invite” and love on the “least of these”? What am I doing in my life right now to seek out these opportunities to serve how Jesus served? He invites us all to embrace that same heart of compassion and humility.