Luke 14:13-14 "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame..."

"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" (Luke 14:13-14 NRSV).

Comment:

I think the most radical aspect of Jesus' spiritual teachings is his emphasis on consciousness rather than action. In the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew he repeatedly teaches that God will express in our lives according to our intentions—not necessarily according to our words or actions. If we pray or tithe, for example, in a very public way to be sure that other people are impressed, we may indeed succeed in achieving that goal—others may well be impressed by our piety. But that's all we'll get, because that's all we really wanted. If we express the same prayer or tithe privately, without regard to the opinions of others, but as a genuine effort to connect with the Power of God, then we will experience a surge of that divine Power in our lives, expressing according to our creative intentions.   The same is true here. If you invite people to dinner to impress them with your home, or to fulfill a social obligation, or to create a sense of social obligation in them, so that they will then invite you to their homes, you may achieve those goals. But there will be no spiritual benefit, because there has been no spiritual intention. But if you invite to dinner people who are afflicted—"the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind,"— they will not be able to return the invitation. Therefore, because your intention was spiritual, your reward will also be spiritual. Your "repayment" will come from Spirit, and will contribute to the new consciousness that is the “kingdom of heaven.”   I think this could be seen as a key distinction between religion and spirituality. Religion has traditionally emphasized action—doing or not doing according to proscribed law. Spirituality recognizes that two individuals may perform the same action—tithe the same amount, say—and experience very different results, depending on the purpose they held in consciousness.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed