Worship - 31 August 2025

Summary of this week's theme

At our parish in British Columbia, we ran a weekly lunch programme open to anyone who came. It was primarily aimed at the homeless and those in need, but we placed no conditions, no screening, no questions. Whoever wanted a bowl of soup could sit at a table and be served with dignity. The principle was simple and biblical: as Jesus taught, invite those who cannot repay. The singer Gregory Porter captures it in his song: “They will be surprised when they hear him say, / Take me to the alley, / Take me to the afflicted ones, / Take me to the lonely ones who somehow lost their way.”

Jesus makes clear that God’s invitation is for those the world overlooks. Those of us who have received the gift of faith must be grateful, discerning God’s design for our lives - though we stumble and err. But none of this makes us superior. We are all guests at Christ’s table, all unable to repay his invitation.

When Jesus saw the jockeying for seats at a Sabbath meal, he urged humility: take the lowest place. That advice works on several levels. First, it is sound wisdom for any guest. Secondly, it reminds Israel of its calling - not superiority, but to be a light to the nations. And thirdly, it speaks to us, the body of Christ today: our vocation is to serve, not to seek honour. As individuals and as a church, if we claim the best seats, we risk exclusion where Jesus taught inclusion. True greatness lies in humility.

Jesus overturns the table manners of pride, showing that the real feast is elsewhere. The reciprocity of ordinary meals cannot compare with what he offers: the heavenly banquet, the family table of God. We cannot repay that invitation. But we can imitate Christ’s hospitality by welcoming those who cannot repay us. Hospitality need not be literal meals - it may be kindness, refuge, or inclusion. But it must be free of arrogance. Pride is subtle, shaping the language we use about those in need. The “language of hate,” so common in politics today, dehumanises the very people Jesus calls us to love: the poor, the refugee, the stranger.

Instead, scripture urges us to show hospitality, to cherish diversity, to expand our tribe. In the spirit of ubuntu: “I am because you are.” The love of Jesus calls us to see every person as kin, every life as part of God’s design. And so we follow where he leads: to the alley, to the afflicted, to the lonely ones who have lost their way