The Heavenly Seating Chart

15th Sunday after Pentecost at Epiphany on September 5, 2010

Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "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. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 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 your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Growing up with two sisters, one of the frequent cries out of our mouths was one you parents hear on a daily basis: “no fair!” You know, “How come he gets to stay up later?” “How come she gets to choose what to watch on TV?” “How come she gets to do that? We never got to do that when we were her age?” “How come he gets to be in charge when you’re gone?” The most frequent, and least satisfying, response I heard to my heart-felt cries against grave injustice I experienced was: “You’re right. It isn’t fair. Neither is life, so be quiet and live with it.”

It reminds me of a story of a mother who was getting dessert for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over whom would get the last piece of chocolate cake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. She said to them, “If Jesus was sitting here, He would say, “Let my brother have the last piece of cake. I can have something else.” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

When you hear Jesus’ instructions in the home of the Pharisee, it sounds like He’s only talking about fairness, politeness and manners – letting someone else have the best seat or the chocolate cake. But He’s really not giving instructions on banquet behavior, mealtime manners or dinner decorum. He’s telling us that worldly etiquette and heavenly etiquette are not the same thing. The way we do things here is not the same as they are done in heaven. Who gets to sit where may turn out to be a big surprise. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

“One Sabbath Jesus” was invited “to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee.” That sounds nice. Polite. Kind. But then we read, “Jesus was being carefully watched.” His enemies had arranged this banquet and attempted to orchestrate this situation hoping that Jesus would say or do something which they could pounce on and shout, “See! He is not the Messiah!” Interestingly, while they were watching Him, He was observing them.

And the first thing Jesus couldn’t help noticing was their scramble for the best seats at the banquet. Keep in mind the dining customs of those days. Dinner did not take place around a big, long table under a chandelier with the host on one end, his wife on the other, and the guests sitting on chairs facing each other. In those days people didn’t sit at the table. They reclined at the table on cushions or low couches, propped up on one elbow. Teenagers today would love this eating style. The tables were arranged in a U-shape. The host took his place at the bottom of the U, and the best places were closest to him – not way out in the Uecker seats. Jesus observed a mad scramble by those Pharisees for the choice seats, for the front row!

Jesus was not angry about that. We misunderstand this parable if we think so, and presume that Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisees some manners here! We’ll also probably get moralistic in our interpretation and application to ourselves, thinking that Jesus just wants us to be good mannered little boys and girls. ... No, rather, Jesus wants us to realize that the heavenly seating chart is going to hold some surprises. For rank and privilege and honor here on earth hold no weight in heaven. The wealthy businessman, the Hollywood starlet, the elite athlete – those we honor in our society as being special – they may end up being brought low by Jesus. Then we may see Jesus taking the lowest of the low – the prostitute, the murder, the terrorist, the man who left his wife and children for his secretary, and other great sinners like you and me – and bring us up to the front, and asking those who took the chief seats to please get up and move.

The very real temptation for us is to think that even though we aren’t perfect, we are pretty good, at least better than most. As senior citizens, we may think that we don’t have much opportunity to sin, so we are better than those young whippersnappers. As young adults, we may look at other parents in the stands, and pat ourselves on the back because we are better parents to our children than they are. As church-going Christians, we may look down on the gangbangers in the inner city, or those having children out of wedlock, or those that are golfing on Sunday morning instead of worshiping. We may think we deserve the better seats by the bridegroom of Jesus.

Jesus promises, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled.” Better to humble yourself than have Jesus humble you. Get down on your knees in repentance, so Jesus may lift you up with His forgiveness. Stand with your head bowed in debasing shame so Jesus may lift up your head to see the glories of heaven. Admit that you are a sinful wretch so that Jesus may call you His saint, His brother or sister and a precious child of God.
It is certainly not that Jesus approves of any sinful behaviors. Rather Jesus is pointing out that it is not the high, powerful and self-important whom Jesus and the angels rejoice over – they rejoice over the “one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10) And so the distinguished guests at Jesus’ feast will be exactly those sinners (even great sinners!) who humbled themselves in confession and repentance; those who did not claim or expect a place; those who knew their sin and asked only for mercy and forgiveness; who asked only to be let in the door and to have a seat in the back, by the kitchen, even at the worst table imaginable – the kids’ table! For in this Jesus rejoices! Not in how good we are or claim to be, but that we believe His Word that convicts us, and rely on His promises which save us. He exalts those who so humble themselves. You have His Word on it.

Now some think that’s pretty scandalous. The Pharisees certainly did. They called it unfair. Jesus calls it mercy. It is the mercy that all of us need.

But this surprising seating chart is not only true of the heavenly wedding feast that awaits us, it is true also of the feast that is set before us already here and now. Or as we sometimes say in the liturgy, “the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that you have given us to eat and drink in the sacrament”. For here at this feast, at this table, it is again not those who claim anything for themselves who are the guests of honor. It is rather those who claim nothing. Those who come with their sin weighing heavily on them. Those who have failed and fallen short of God’s expectations. Those who ask for nothing other than God’s mercy and forgiveness. Or in other words, if you are a sinner, this feast is for you! It is not for those who do not sin, or claim some goodness or righteousness of their own. The guests of honor here are sinners. Sinners who come in confession and repentance, to receive what we have no right to expect, but which Jesus Has promised to give and to give abundantly – His forgiveness and acceptance.

Again, it is not that Jesus is pleased with us when we sin! As St. Paul wrote in Romans, “Shall we go on sinning so grace (and mercy and forgiveness) may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2) No, it is not in sin that Jesus rejoices, but in faith. The faith that comes to Him, that He might forgive, renew and strengthen us. That He might exalt the humble, the low, the ones who are nothing. That He might give us everything, for if He does not give it, we would not have it. ... And so here already, at this feast, He gives us all that we need for this life. For we receive here not just a place at His table – we receive Jesus Himself.

This meal seems so humble, so meager and minimal. A wafer of bread and a sip of wine. Yet it is so much more! It is the very body and blood of Christ. For He is not only the Host, He is the Meal. He is Christ the Living Bread from heaven, food for body, food for soul. Christ the Manna daily given, nourishes, strengthens, makes us whole. What higher honor and gift could be bestowed upon us than this? And this not just once, but every Sabbath Day, every Sunday. For every time we gather here, He invites you, and He calls to you to come up higher. And there is nothing that pleases Him more than to do so, and to feed you with Himself. You have His Word on it.

But again, some think this is pretty scandalous. Jesus calls it grace. It is the grace that all of us sinners need.

And so with the parable complete, Jesus turns to His host and says, therefore “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Those words are, in fact, a summary of what Jesus did. He took the lowest seat. Although He was everything, He came and became nothing. He humbled Himself to take on human flesh, waited nine months in a womb and was born in a stable and laid in a manger. He ate with those no one else would eat with. Sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, criminals. He even allowed Himself to be treated as a criminal, being arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified, and having Barabbas selected as more preferable than Him! Yet because He did, God exalted Him by raising Him from the dead, raising Him into heaven, and seating Him at His right hand. And now enthroned as King of all, Jesus invites all to share His kingdom. He still comes and eats with sinners. He brings to Himself those people who can do nothing for Him in return. And this He has done for you and me. It is why we are here. Because He has called us; He is here for us; and He is here to give to us.

This heavenly seating arrangement seems so unfair, but Jesus considers it compassion. It is not manners, but God’s mercy that allows us to sit, not where we deserve, but where He has placed us. It is His grace that exalts the humble. It is His kindness that allows us to sit in the front row, next to the King, the Host, our Lord. Amen.