Sunday morning is here, and I am walking to church. My teammate Jamie and I will be meeting up with a picky picky[1] to take us the rest of the way. This particular Sunday our team has split up into pairs to visit various churches and share a Word and fellowship with the members there.
We have Moses with us, one of Pastor John’s close friends. Moses instructs the picky picky driver where to take us, and says the driver will come back for him once we have been dropped off. We take off and after a while it is evident the driver does not know where the church is located. He stops to ask several people. We arrive to one church, but this one does not seem to be expecting us.
“Do you know Moses?” we ask.
“What is the name of the church you are going to?”
“We don’t know,” we say laughing.
(Side note, this would have stressed me out 8 months ago, but the Race is mellowing me out quite a bit!)
There is another church in that same area, not too far away. When we pull in, and are greeted by two young men. They are excited to see us and usher us into the church. I need to use the latrine[2] and due to the language barrier, I quickly excuse myself before entering the building, and take a squat a distance away. When I return, we enter to hearing people praising and singing with enthusiasm to our Abba. We attempt to take a seat near the back of the church. The young men encourage us to continue walking toward the front. We ask if we can sit near the back and they give a firm shake of their heads, “nope!”
(P.S. Moses arrived and it is confirmed we are in the right place!)
Originally, I had planned to share from Matthew 5:13-16 about being the salt and light of the earth. But in that moment of coming to the front of the church and being in the line of vision of everyone present, I had a flashback from my childhood. I remember watching a “McGee and Me” VHS when I was young. I saw the parable of “seeking out a seat of honor” being acted out by McGee and the other cartoons. I was so confused of why the people here showed us such honor.
Since we have been in Uganda and Kenya, I have experienced children and adults screaming, “Mzungu![3]” every time I walk or run by. There seems to be this invisible pedestal that Mzungus are placed upon. When we come to a village or church, we are told over and over again how excited they are to have us as visitors. They say things like “Praise God for our visitors” and “Clap for Jesus for our visitors.”
Honestly, this makes me uncomfortable. I am not any different then they are because I have white skin or come from the United States.
Let’s get back to the church service.
When my flashback was over, I sensed the Lord prompting me to talk about what I like to call the “Picking Your Seat” parable. Jamie and I introduced ourselves and explained about our trip, and she spoke first so I could get reacquainted with this passage.
I am going to share with you what I shared with the congregation that Sunday.
Luke 14:1-6
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” And they had nothing to say.
Jesus is at the house of a Pharisee for dinner. These Pharisees were respected religious leaders at that time. Jesus was continually ruffling their feathers. He questioned their practice of following the law so meticulously. He challenged them by saying that He cared more what was going on in their hearts, then their outward appearances.
Luke 14:7-11
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
When I first walked in your church, I wanted to sit at the back of the church. I did not feel comfortable sitting up here, for all of your eyes to see me. If I do something silly, you will all see me. When I take a sip of water, you see me. When I need the latrine, you see me leave.
I have learned so much from your culture here in Kenya. I appreciate the honor you have shown my friend and I. I hope to take back this spirit of hospitality to my own country and share it with others when I have visitors also. However, I want to tell you that just because I have “Mzungu” skin, I am no different than you. The same Spirit of the Living God that dwells within me, dwells within each of you. You and I are family, brothers and sisters. God loves each of you intimately and passionately with the same love he loves me.
Luke 14:12-14
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
I want to encourage you to continue to show honor and hospitality to others. Throughout the gospels, Jesus speaks of this upside down kingdom. You see, Jesus hung out with people who didn’t have money to go to the doctor, and He healed them. Jesus hung out with people who were hungry, and He fed them. The same honor you have shown me, I encourage you to show to the poor, crippled, blind, hungry…invite these people in your village and community into your homes. Give these people the best seat in your home. Love these people with the agape love from your Father in the same way you have loved me!
The words Jesus spoke long ago also apply to His followers today. Inviting someone into your home is such an intimate and vulnerable thing. I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and OBEY the words of Jesus! What you do for the least of these, you do for Him.
