22 OT C Luke 14:1, 7-14 ~ "Making Room" ~ Susan McGurgan, D.Min.

In this climate of political divisiveness

and social polarization,

I hear many Christians longing for worship

that is free of advocacy,

devoid of politics,

sanitized,

neutral,

safe.  

Even bland.

And it’s a tempting vision.

Right?

Who doesn’t want a break from

arguments over justice,

economics,

tariffs,

taxes,

walls,

brawls,

and ICE.

These are complex problems

with complex solutions

and even the thought of them is exhausting.

But Luke—

Luke is like a dog with a bone.

He just doesn’t let it go.

And he doesn’t let us go, either.

He continues to invite us

into a world of liberation and freedom

where justice and mercy reign.    

Jesus tells a parable

about dining room manners—

not to produce sophisticated and elegant disciples,

but to challenge social patterns of oppression.   

He wants us to deconstruct the mindset

that focuses on

privilege,

position,

power,

while the poor remain hungry.

This passage isn’t about dinner seating

or ways to impress your host.

It is about how we can build community;

how we should share resources;

who we make room for at our table,

in our churches,

in our society

in our hearts.

This story reminds us that it is easy to be kind

to those people we owe,

those who can pay us back,

those we already love and care for.

We give something,

expecting something in return:

appreciation,

favor,

affection,

esteem.  

But Jesus calls us to give as God gives—

Freely

even to those who cannot repay.

This is the same message his Mother proclaimed:

 “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

and lifted up the lowly.”

Today,

Jesus might say,

“When you plan your party,  

don’t just invite your friends and co-workers—

invite the homeless,

the undocumented,

the refugee,

the ex-con,  

the pregnant teen,  

the person with a disability,

the addict in recovery.”

Jesus wants us to dismantle the walls

and use the lumber to build a table

big enough for all.

Jesus is teaching us that the Kingdom of God

is not a private dinner party in an exclusive club--

it is a feast for the forgotten.

We are called to be charitable, yes,

but our mission cannot stop at charity.  

We are also called to create a just society—

to become advocates for the banquet

and heralds for the Kingdom.

We cannot let our exhaustion

and our longing for a simpler world

blind us to this work.   

We cannot remain safely nestled in the font.

Our baptism launches us out into mission

and we walk in the world wet.

We are called to stand up against racism

discrimination

and injustice.

We are called to use our minds and hearts

to create economic and social systems

that engage rather than exclude.

We cannot be so focused on the life to come

that we ignore or misuse the time at hand,

because Jesus made it clear that

signs of the Kingdom

should be unfolding in our midst.

When we pray for the hungry,

bread should be appearing on tables.

When we lift up the cause of justice,

we should hear the sounds of chains

breaking open.

The Eucharist we celebrate

is not something separate from this.

The altar is a shared table.

And Jesus is telling us that

if we are not making room at that table

for the poor and forgotten

we are not living in right relationship with Him.  

The true banquet belongs to those

who are big enough

and small enough

to make room.  

May we be counted among them.