Behaving well ....

I am often quite keen to admit the moments when something embarrassing has happened to me. Perhaps the most relevant or even significant was when I was seven years old and a bridesmaid at my cousins wedding. The petticoat I was wearing was very itchy and being a child I realised that I needed to sort this out. I decided to wait until people were praying as, in my thinking, they would all have their eyes closed at the time. So I took the opportunity and made life more comfortable. Of course people didn’t all have their eyes closed and noticed the bridesmaid lifting up her dress even though they were supposed to be praying! Apparently this was not the correct behaviour !! 

The readings for this Sunday spoke about correct behaviour and people trying to catch each other out. In the gospel reading Luke 14:1; 7-14 we read of Jesus being watched very closely. He had been invited to a meal by the leader of the Pharisees, who along with the other Pharisees watched Jesus closely.

Now, I often worry about etiquette and people watching me so I don’t embarrass myself. This is worse, these Pharisees were watching Jesus. They wanted to see what He would do. They wanted to make sure that they had some more evidence on Jesus and His behaviour. They seemed to be most concerned with how Jesus behaved. Jesus turned all their thoughts and plans on their heads, as He pointed out the appropriate and inappropriate behaviour that was happening. 

Firstly, to save embarrassment for others He made the point that you shouldn’t put yourself at the place of honour, after all you wouldn’t want to be moved to a lower place. It wouldn’t do your ego much good. Then Jesus gave another example, as He explained that the invitees to a dinner shouldn’t be the people you would normally expect, but rather those who are different, those in need.

I love the film ‘Amazing grace’ which tells the story of William Wilberforce who felt called to change the world by treating others as Jesus would. Wilberforce, the great social reformer, is seen in one scene of the film explaining to his cook that there would be more people at dinner. These people were rather different to the people who would normally be seen in a home such as the one Wilberforce lived in. They were people who were in need of food and friendship. The meal, when it is shown is a right mix of people. A rather motley group. They are shown to be having such a lot of fun.

I think the dinner Jesus describes, where you would invite those who normally wouldn’t be part of the expected guest list, sounds both fun and a huge challenge. After all, the unexpected can happen when we do things outside of the norm.

This all couples well with the epistle reading (Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16) where the readers of the letter are reminded, as we are, to not neglect to show hospitality. Then making a link with Abraham and the three strangers (Gen. 18:2) there was a reminder that you may be welcoming angels. 

This is a good reminder and it is also a bit of an incentive - after all you could end up hosting someone very important. This though would not be the true hospitality that Jesus was thinking of, when He said to invite those who could not repay you. 

When we do this, when we show love to others, when we reach out to those who seem to be on the edge, well, surprises can happen. Of course, we all know really that when God is involved the surprises are far outside all we could expect. The surprises may be something as simple as just knowing that you have learnt something from sharing with someone totally different to you.

Jesus wasn’t caught out by the judging of His behaviour. He caught people out with a challenge about what it is to follow Him. Social conventions are good, but breaking the mould as we preach about Jesus, His love and challenge to follow Him is much better.