Luke 14:7-14: “A Place at the Table, Part 1”

“And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both shall come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man, and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.

“But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher,’ then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’

“And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed since they do not have the means to repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:7-14, NASB).

In 1965, when the United States was just beginning to get involved in the Vietnam conflict and the stirrings of campus protests were beginning to be an ember that would soon turn into flames of revolt and violence, a song written by Burt Bacharach appeared on the pop charts in competition with the Beatles, Beach Boys, Elvis, the Rolling Stones, the Mamas and the Papas, and a slew of one-hit wonders. That song was entitled, “What the World Needs Now Is Love” and was sung by a well-known artist at the time named Jackie DeShannon. The song was a plea for people to concentrate on the wild concept of learning to get along and treating each other with respect and decency in a loving manner. Would that we would find and listen to it in this day of rage and anger towards everybody and anything.

This is not a plug for an old song, but to stop and consider that even some secular music can present a worthwhile concept, and I dare say needs to be heard and applied by many in the Christian world who could use a lesson in real compassion and less on personal status or “anointing” or whatever the evangelical catch phrase might be now.

I have been a Christian nearly fifty years, and I must tell you that what I am seeing in the evangelical world does not resemble what the Scriptures describe as genuine Christ-like faith or behavior in a lot of people. I see little godly character and sense of humbleness before the LORD and our brethren, nor do I hear of many sermons that emphasize the holiness of God and the need to repent and surrender to Christ for salvation from an all too real hell. Much of what passes for preaching today seems more like a rally or sales seminar where you are the product ready to succeed. There is a lot of “me” centered, “met need,” and other thinking that elevates our egos and reduces God to a servant of our pleasures.

We have personalities in the evangelical world that dare not mingle with the “regular” brethren. They believe they have some kind of special “anointing” where we need to keep away from them, lest they lose it and rob us of a “Spirit-filled” message that may be nothing more than a “personal revelation from God and to sow a seed for blessing” diatribe.

I ran into one of these yokels several years ago when I lived in New Orleans. This speaker dressed like an Old Testament High Priest, had a long beard, used a lot of Hebrew in his presentation, but had some good points in his talk overall. I went up to him after the talk to try and tell him that I enjoyed what he had to say, only to be rudely rebuffed by the guy, who said that he “didn’t interact with the audience” and that I needed to “make an appointment with him” after the presentation if I wanted to say anything. Really, dude? All you did was to turn me off all your future presentations and work. I walked out and thanked the LORD that I was saved, because if I had not been, I would have never listened to any gospel presentation again.

Self-importance and egotism of any kind should never be in the life or example of a true child of God. When the Lord Jesus presented this teaching to his host and those at the table who had been busy trying to get the best spot at the celebration, he was gently but firmly rebuking them for their self-centeredness and belief that their status somehow gave some of them the right to sit anywhere they pleased in order to get attention. Jesus told them that this kind of attitude will only end in humiliation when the host tells the pompous guest to move somewhere else for another person who may be more important to the host’s family than him.

Jesus then told the host that when he had a celebration the next time, to do something different and “think outside the box” as far as it pertains to his hospitality. There were a lot of sick, lame, and poor folks in that part of the world, just as there is in all countries. Many of the poor were day laborers who fought to get any kind of employment they could to take care of themselves and their families. The lame and sick could not rely on state subsidies or a system of welfare to help them. The good graces of neighbors, friends, and the occasional benevolent stranger may get them a few coins now and then, but life in general was hard for anyone in the days of the Roman Empire who was not a noble, soldier, official, skilled tradesman, or had an inheritance.

Jesus told this host to skip inviting his friends to the next party, and instead invite “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” of the area who could never repay the hospitality and honor given to them in this act of care and concern. Our LORD was telling this man and all who were there that everyone can come to the table and enjoy the bounty of God’s blessing. It does not matter who you are, where you are from, your color, economic status, education, family structure, or any perceived barrier we may put up to turn people who “don’t look right” away from the open arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The first church that I served as pastor was in the “toe end” of the Louisiana peninsula that goes out to the Gulf of Mexico and was the next-to-last town in that region, surrounded by levees and the Mississippi River. I can recall having to stop in the middle of the state highway going there to let an alligator cross from one side of the swamp to the other. My kids thought it was the neatest thing they ever saw up to that time. However, numerous swamp tours with both my kids and their elementary school buddies tended to lessen the thrill as time passed. Living in New Orleans at that time was like being at a Donald Trump Rally. It was the greatest free show on earth. Back to my story.

Riverview Church had a grand total of 30 members on a good Sunday. The membership was comprised of shrimp fishermen, boat repairmen, contractors, laborers, a deputy sheriff and his family, and the local dentist. These were godly “salt of the earth” people who did not know a stranger and would bring in drifters and foreign sailors who had been left behind by their ships and had nowhere to go. We did not have a lot, but we fed a lot of hungry people, visited in the neighborhoods, looked out for one another, cared for each other’s kids, held revivals, and as Cajuns do, “passed a good time.”

I put together a playroom for my daughter, who was four at the time, and the church welcomed my son at his birth, making him the only member of Riverview’s “Cradle Roll.” Poor? Materially, yes, but not spiritually. Everyone had a place at the table, so to speak, and after three great years, we said our goodbyes with some tears as we went to a new field of service. Hurricane Katrina tore apart Riverview in 2005. The building does not matter. The fact of it all was that Jesus was welcome there, and so were His angels unaware.

I am so thankful that He has a place at His table for me and my family, and I believe that we will be there sooner than expected. If you are reading this and don’t know where you stand with God, I implore you to come to Him, ask for forgiveness of your sins, repent of them, and surrender your life to Jesus Christ TODAY. Your place is waiting. Do not let it be unoccupied.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.donaldwhitchard.com

The “left” is steadily trying to get “vote by mail” and “no voter ID” laws passed. With all the voting irregularities that have been obvious in the past few elections, no one is really surprised by their motives. When the Speaker of the House made the statement that we must protect the “illegals’ constitutional rights,” it should have been a total wake-up call. However, there’s so much socialistic, anti-establishment money floating around, it barely raised an eyebrow. (emphasis mine)

Couple this with an almost totally liberal news media that only reports negativity toward anything truly constitutional and, heaven forbid, anything remotely pertaining to Jesus, and what you have is the setup being put in place for the New World Order. Allah, Buddha and any other false god is fine to talk about, and even to be taught in public schools. Anything biblical, though, is somehow a violation that is dealt with severely. Sadly, even the liberal lower courts are playing a role in getting us prepared for the arrival of the ultimate evil one, and the Supreme Court is starting to lean more to the left every day.

For people who put their true faith in our Lord and Savior, these are cautious, yet exciting times. At the present time, for someone to drive a vehicle, cash a check, and in many places even to go to work, they must present some form of identification in order to be “legal.” States even provide personal identification cards that resemble driver licenses, so people can conduct their personal business. To say that “illegals” should be allowed such cards misses an important point, and that is that “illegal” means against the law. This sounds very simple, but many of our elected representatives want to allow illegals to vote, so the scales can be tipped in their favor.

One day in the near future, it won’t matter what a citizen’s residential or political status is, but rather, whether or not they have chosen to totally worship the Antichrist, and, therefore, worship Satan. All who refuse to accept the “mark” whatever it will be, will be subject to martyrdom. Everything pertaining to the current “pandemic” is preparing the people to be ready to accept such a requirement without question. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to buy, sell or even live without complying with the beast’s demands. By the way, everything taking place due to the Covid crisis is not new and has been in the planning stages for years.

Our Lord and Savior made it very plain that His “flock” would not need an ID card or mark. All who have truly received and accepted His gift of Salvation have the Holy Spirit living within each of us. No one but those who have Jesus have a way to the Father, and ultimately an eternal heavenly home (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 8:1 and Romans 10: 9-13).

No one will be able to “con” their way into eternal life with Jesus.

John 10:11, “Truly, truly, I say to you; he who does not enter the sheep-fold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man/woman is a thief and a robber.”

John 10: 7-9, “So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep [true believers] did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he/she will be saved, and go in and out and find pasture.”

John 10:14-16, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me; just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep [this includes everyone worldwide] that are not of this fold [Jews]. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So, there will be one flock; one Shepherd.”

This offer is for everyone, but few will accept and receive it (Matthew 7:13-14).

Finally, John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life [completed at Calvary], and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are One!”

When Jesus talks about the “flock,” it’s like referring to the parable of the sower. For example, Matthew 13:3-8; “And He told them many things in parables, saying; A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up since they had no depth of soil; but when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil, and produced grain; some a hundred fold; some sixty; some thirty.” (See also Mark 4:2-8 and Luke 8:4-8)

The first three seeded areas are all “worldly-based.” They range from totally rejecting the Savior, to actually hearing the word, becoming momentarily enthused, and then going back to the old ways without sincerely calling on Jesus. There never was a solid base for their relationship to “take root” and grow.

The final seeds are sowed on fertile soil or in the pure word of the Lord. Over time, the seeds grow and multiply, just as our devotion to the Lord grows stronger. We begin to think more on heavenly eternal things, rather than the lure of this sinful world. We will slip and sin, but just as growing seeds need to be cared for, we begin to get rid of the “weeds” (habitual sin) around us. Our nourishment is in the love of our Father for us through His Son, Jesus (John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8 and many others).

Jesus knows who are His own, just as the Father knows who are, and also will be; and those who are under the wicked deception, He sends them a strong delusion so they will believe what is false (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). Some may say this isn’t fair, but the word has been available, and men/women have known since the creation that there is a God. Even though they knew it, they chose to worship images of mortal man, birds, animals and creeping things (Romans 1:18-32).

Romans 2:6-8 is a strong warning, “He will render to each one according to his/her works; to those who by patience in well doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality, will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking (“ME” syndrome) and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

It should be noted again, we are not saved by “works”, but through the Grace and Mercy of our Heavenly Father (Ephesians 2:8-9). The two greatest commandments are to Love God and each other. By doing so, we follow what Jesus told us to do, and are doing His “work” on this earth.

There is a day of reckoning coming very soon. Paul describes the start of the process in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. It will be the Rapture to take all true believers out of the coming wrath to be with Jesus. The following seven years will be horrible, and the majority of people on earth during that time will perish.

As stated, no special ID is needed. All who call on Jesus to be their Savior will be saved (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9-13). Jesus paid our admission fee in full on that cruel cross, and asks that we accept His gift by asking His forgiveness and to be our Savior. The exciting part is, He will be returning very soon, and we are the generation that will see it. The clock started ticking on this generation on May 14, 1948, when Israel became a sovereign nation once again after nearly 2,000 years.

The world (Satan) cannot offer anything except a spot in the Lake of Fire. Jesus is offering a forever home, which He personally will prepare for each of us (John 14:1-3). Call on Him today, as tomorrow could be too late. Shalom!

huebshman46@gmail.com