Proverbs 25:6-7
November 17, 2017
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL
Christina Berry
Our first reading comes from the book of Proverbs.
The book of Proverbs is “a manual of instruction for wise living.
Its purpose is to teach students of every type: old and young,
experienced and naïve, wise and not-so-wise.”[1]
The first verses of the book describe its purpose:
“for learning about wisdom and instruction,
for understanding words of insight,
for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity;
to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young –- let the wise also hear and gain in learning,
and the discerning acquire skill,
to understand a proverb and a figure,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
The advice about table etiquette presented in Proverbs 25:6-7
is not simply about navigating the royal court, but, more broadly,
it is about an orientation to the world
that is grounded in a theological conviction.
How one treats others at the table reveals something about one’s character
and one’s view of their relation to others and to God.”[2]
Let’s listen for wise words from Proverbs 25:6-7
Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
or stand in the place of the great;
for it is better to be told, "Come up here,"
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
In keeping with our stewardship theme of “Welcome,”
our gospel reading concerns Jesus’ wisdom about how to receive welcome
and how to extend welcome to those whom Jesus loves.
We are once again in the gospel of Luke,
and this is one of the many stories of Jesus
in conversation with religious leaders.
Applying some of the wisdom of humility and hospitality
that is reflected in the reading from Proverbs,
Jesus discusses how his followers should conduct themselves
both as those welcomed and the those who give welcome.
Let’s listen for God’s word to us to today in Luke 14: 1, 7-14:
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house
of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath,
they were watching him closely.
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor,
he told them a parable.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not sit down at the place of honor,
in case someone more distinguished than you
has been invited by your host;
and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you,
"Give this person your place,'
and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.
But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place,
so that when your host comes, he may say to you,
"Friend, move up higher';
then you will be honored
in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
He said also 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,
in case they may invite you in return,
and you would be repaid.
But when you give a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
And you will be blessed,
because they cannot repay you,
for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table,
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, Hallelujah!
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table,
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days.
Have you heard that old spiritual?
It came to mind immediately when I read these scriptures.
The Welcome Table was a symbol of the heavenly banquet
in those old spirituals, but it grew to have a deeper meaning
during the civil rights movement.
Those who marched for civil rights, for the vote, for racial equality
added a verse:
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter,
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter one of these days, Hallelujah!
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter,
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter one of these days.
Many of us, while we can identify with these songs,
have not experienced the kind of rejection that inspires songs like this.
Most of us are accustomed to being welcomed most of the places we go.
have not experienced the kind of rejection that inspires songs like this.
Most of us are accustomed to being welcomed most of the places we go.
But not all of us.
And for many people in our world, a welcome is not assured.
And for many people in our world, a welcome is not assured.
In Jesus’ time, there was a long list of those who were unwelcome:
tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes, gentiles, women,
Samaritans, strangers, people with illnesses or disabilities –
“the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.”
Even though the Torah and the prophets commanded
the people of God to welcome the stranger and the outcast,
to care for the widows and orphans and aliens and the sick,
even though God’s law demanded it, the welcome was not given.
There is something in the human heart –
we Presbyterians would call it Sin, with a capital S –
there is something in the human heart
that wants to reject and exclude anyone who seems like “the other.”
It existed then, in Jesus’ time, and it continues today.
That’s why we keep returning to these stories.
Now, in our Stewardship season,
as we prepare our pledges for ministry in the year 2020,
we are invited to think again about this welcome table.
tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes, gentiles, women,
Samaritans, strangers, people with illnesses or disabilities –
“the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.”
Even though the Torah and the prophets commanded
the people of God to welcome the stranger and the outcast,
to care for the widows and orphans and aliens and the sick,
even though God’s law demanded it, the welcome was not given.
There is something in the human heart –
we Presbyterians would call it Sin, with a capital S –
there is something in the human heart
that wants to reject and exclude anyone who seems like “the other.”
It existed then, in Jesus’ time, and it continues today.
That’s why we keep returning to these stories.
Now, in our Stewardship season,
as we prepare our pledges for ministry in the year 2020,
we are invited to think again about this welcome table.
Acclaimed author Alice Walker’s (2011) wrote a short story called
“The Welcome Table,” about a black woman
who ventures into a white church in the rural South.
She is not welcome, not by anyone.
Eventually the women of the church take matters into their own hands,
and throw the old woman bodily out of the church.
On the doorstep of the church, the Black woman looks into the distance,
sees Jesus and begins to walk with Jesus as he passes by the church.
She “did not know where they were going; someplace wonderful…
The ground was like clouds under their feet,
and she felt she could walk forever without becoming the least bit tired”
“The Welcome Table,” about a black woman
who ventures into a white church in the rural South.
She is not welcome, not by anyone.
Eventually the women of the church take matters into their own hands,
and throw the old woman bodily out of the church.
On the doorstep of the church, the Black woman looks into the distance,
sees Jesus and begins to walk with Jesus as he passes by the church.
She “did not know where they were going; someplace wonderful…
The ground was like clouds under their feet,
and she felt she could walk forever without becoming the least bit tired”
The story ends with the woman’s lifeless body found on the road.”[3]
We pride ourselves here at this church for welcoming all,
and we are really good at that.
When someone new comes into the worship service,
we extend hospitality to them, and really seek to make them welcome.
But mostly, the people who come into the worship service
We pride ourselves here at this church for welcoming all,
and we are really good at that.
When someone new comes into the worship service,
we extend hospitality to them, and really seek to make them welcome.
But mostly, the people who come into the worship service
are easier to welcome – they seem pretty much like us.
And I do trust that no one in this congregation
would ever throw out a person who just wanted to come and worship.
The more challenging welcome for us may be outside the worship service –
And I do trust that no one in this congregation
would ever throw out a person who just wanted to come and worship.
The more challenging welcome for us may be outside the worship service –
where we have to really extend ourselves on behalf of others,
others whom we may not know, may not even see in person.
How do we welcome the stranger?
And how is our ministry truly, deeply welcoming –
not just to those who walk into our doors on Sunday morning at 9:30,
but to those who may NEVER attend worship?
What about those people who seem foreign to us, or frightening?
Muslims? People of color? Homeless panhandlers?
As individuals, each of us has a least one or two categories of people
for whom we do not have hearts of humble welcome.
To extend that welcome, we have to begin from a place of humility.
When we are invited into a situation where there are others unlike us,
the place to start is from that seat of humility.
Whether these strangers are people of color, or homeless, or hungry,
whether they are prisoners or political opponents or problematic people,
Jesus says we begin at the bottom of the table,
the place where we do not assume our status or privilege,
but wait, with humble hearts, to see what will emerge.
For most of us, this begins with listening –
seeking to understand, being open hearted to the other –
not only to their words but to what lies behind the words.
And when we are the ones doing the inviting, Jesus says,
we are not to start with the people of influence,
or the people we already know and love, or friends and family.
Don’t extend hospitality to those who can reciprocate, Jesus says.
Extend your care to those who are in need –
whether it is financial, physical, spiritual, or social.
What qualifies them for your attention is that they are in need.
One of the verses of that song, Welcome Table, says
“I’m gonna tell God how treat me.
I’m gonna tell God how treat me one of these days.
I’m gonna tell God how treat me.
I’m gonna tell God how treat me one of these days.
others whom we may not know, may not even see in person.
How do we welcome the stranger?
And how is our ministry truly, deeply welcoming –
not just to those who walk into our doors on Sunday morning at 9:30,
but to those who may NEVER attend worship?
What about those people who seem foreign to us, or frightening?
Muslims? People of color? Homeless panhandlers?
As individuals, each of us has a least one or two categories of people
for whom we do not have hearts of humble welcome.
To extend that welcome, we have to begin from a place of humility.
When we are invited into a situation where there are others unlike us,
the place to start is from that seat of humility.
Whether these strangers are people of color, or homeless, or hungry,
whether they are prisoners or political opponents or problematic people,
Jesus says we begin at the bottom of the table,
the place where we do not assume our status or privilege,
but wait, with humble hearts, to see what will emerge.
For most of us, this begins with listening –
seeking to understand, being open hearted to the other –
not only to their words but to what lies behind the words.
And when we are the ones doing the inviting, Jesus says,
we are not to start with the people of influence,
or the people we already know and love, or friends and family.
Don’t extend hospitality to those who can reciprocate, Jesus says.
Extend your care to those who are in need –
whether it is financial, physical, spiritual, or social.
What qualifies them for your attention is that they are in need.
One of the verses of that song, Welcome Table, says
“I’m gonna tell God how treat me.
I’m gonna tell God how treat me one of these days.
I’m gonna tell God how treat me.
I’m gonna tell God how treat me one of these days.
Start with giving to those who can’t give back.
Matthew’s gospel tells us that when we serve them,
we are actually serving Jesus.
And Jesus says that when you do this,
when you care for those who cannot repay you,
“You will be blessed,
because they cannot repay you,
for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Amen.
[1] Anne Stewart, Working Preacher, September 1, 2019 http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4173
[2] ibid
[3] McCutcheon, P. (2016). The ‘Radical’ Welcome Table: Faith, Social Justice, and the Spiritual Geography of Mother Emanuel in Charleston, South Carolina. Southeastern Geographer 56(1), 16-21. doi:10.1353/sgo.2016.0005.
Matthew’s gospel tells us that when we serve them,
we are actually serving Jesus.
And Jesus says that when you do this,
when you care for those who cannot repay you,
“You will be blessed,
because they cannot repay you,
for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Amen.
[1] Anne Stewart, Working Preacher, September 1, 2019 http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4173
[2] ibid
[3] McCutcheon, P. (2016). The ‘Radical’ Welcome Table: Faith, Social Justice, and the Spiritual Geography of Mother Emanuel in Charleston, South Carolina. Southeastern Geographer 56(1), 16-21. doi:10.1353/sgo.2016.0005.
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