Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Embracing Radical Hospitality

Today’s reflection centers on the radical hospitality that Jesus calls us to embody, especially as seen in his instructions about banquets and invitations. In the world of Jesus’ time, meals were not just about food—they were loaded with social, political, and religious meaning. Who you invited, where you sat, and how you behaved at the table all reflected your status and your place in the community. Jesus steps into this world and turns it upside down. He challenges both guests and hosts to abandon the games of social climbing and quid pro quo. Instead, he calls for humility and generosity that expects nothing in return.

Rather than scrambling for the best seats or currying favor with those who can repay us, Jesus invites us to seek out those who are overlooked—the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This is not just a lesson in etiquette; it’s a blueprint for God’s beloved community, where the table is open to all and where grace is the only currency. The church is called to be this kind of table: a place where all are welcome, where no one is left out, and where love is not transactional but freely given.

Hospitality, in this vision, is not about perfect table settings or matching plates. It’s about making room for others, especially those who have nothing to offer us in return. It’s about resisting the patterns of empire and privilege, and instead living out the radical, inclusive love of God. When we open our tables and our lives in this way, we participate in God’s dream—a community repaired, restored, and reconciled. The question for each of us is: whom will we invite? Our answer reveals the kind of kingdom we truly belong to.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True hospitality is a spiritual practice that resists the world’s obsession with status and reciprocity. Jesus’ instructions to invite those who cannot repay us challenge us to examine our motives and to extend grace without expectation. In God’s economy, blessing is found not in what we receive, but in what we give away freely. [22:33]
• 2. The table—whether in our homes or in our church—is a sacred space where God’s beloved community is made visible. When we gather without regard for social standing, we enact a vision of the kingdom where all are valued and no one is excluded. This is a radical act of resistance against the transactional nature of the world. [32:06]
• 3. Humility is not a strategy for advancement, but a posture of the heart that reflects God’s own character. Jesus warns against seeking places of honor, reminding us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. True honor comes from God, not from human recognition. [22:14]
• 4. The call to hospitality is rooted in the ancient command to love the stranger, for in doing so, we may entertain angels without knowing it. This echoes the story of Sodom, where the failure was not in breaking social rules, but in refusing to show love and welcome to outsiders. Our faithfulness is measured by our willingness to make space for those on the margins. [33:27]
• 5. The church must continually examine itself to ensure it is not replicating the world’s systems of privilege and exclusion. We are called to be a community where grace flows freely, where the table is always expanding, and where the dream of God’s beloved community is lived out in tangible ways. This requires repentance, courage, and a commitment to transformation. [35:26]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:34] - Call to Worship
• [04:48] - Opening Prayer
• [05:12] - Song: Draw the Circle Wide
• [09:39] - Announcements and Community Updates
• [13:53] - Video: Who’s Invited?
• [17:39] - Gospel Reading: Luke 14:7-14
• [23:07] - Reflections on Hospitality and Miss Manners
• [27:09] - Banquets in the Ancient World
• [29:10] - Jesus’ Radical Instructions to Guests and Hosts
• [32:06] - God’s Table: Breaking Patterns of Privilege
• [33:27] - Hebrews 13 and Entertaining Angels
• [34:12] - The True Meaning of Hospitality
• [35:26] - The Church as God’s Table
• [37:29] - Prayer for Transformation and New Life
• [39:10] - Prayers for the Community

Bible Reading

Luke 14:7-14 (ESV) — 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,
8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,
9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in 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 table with you.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.
13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Hebrews 13:1-2 (ESV) — 1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Observation Questions

1. In Luke 14:7-14, what specific instructions does Jesus give to both guests and hosts at a banquet?
2. According to the sermon, what was the social and political significance of meals and banquets in Jesus’ time? ([27:09])
3. What does Hebrews 13:2 say about the importance of hospitality, and what example does it give?
4. How does Jesus describe the kind of people we should invite to our tables, and what reason does he give for this? ([22:33])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus warn against seeking places of honor at the table? What does this reveal about God’s values compared to the world’s? ([29:50])
2. The sermon says that hospitality is “not just about etiquette; it’s about resistance to empire.” What does it mean for hospitality to be an act of resistance? ([33:05])
3. How does the call to invite those who cannot repay us challenge the way we usually think about generosity and relationships? ([32:06])
4. The sermon mentions that the failure of Sodom was not about breaking social rules, but about refusing to show love and welcome to outsiders. How does this reshape our understanding of faithfulness? ([33:49])

Application Questions

1. Think about your own table—whether at home, work, or church. Who is usually invited, and who is left out? What would it look like to make room for someone who is often overlooked? ([34:24])
2. The sermon says, “Hospitality is not about perfect table settings or matching plates. It’s about making room for others, especially those who have nothing to offer us in return.” What is one practical way you can practice this kind of hospitality this week? ([34:12])
3. Jesus challenges us to examine our motives for inviting others. Are there times when you have shown kindness mainly to receive something in return? How can you shift toward giving without expectation? ([22:33])
4. The church is called to be a place where “grace flows freely, where the table is always expanding.” What barriers—spoken or unspoken—might exist in our church that keep people out? How can we begin to break them down? ([35:26])
5. The sermon asks, “Whom will you invite? The answer reveals the kind of kingdom you truly belong to.” Who is one person on the margins you could reach out to this month, and what would it take to invite them into your life or community? ([36:53])
6. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us that by welcoming strangers, we may be entertaining angels without knowing it. Has there been a time when you were surprised by the blessing of welcoming someone new? How did it change you?
7. The sermon calls for repentance, courage, and a commitment to transformation. What is one area where you need courage to open your life or table to others? What step can you take this week? ([35:26])