Part Three : "Uninvited"

It might just be my own personal bias, but I am never comfortable or at ease in fancy restaurants or big houses. Honestly, there have been times when I felt incredibly strange just being in a designer retail store. Or, I'll be on vacation, staying at a resort, and not be able to shake off this feeling like I am doing something wrong. Expensive things, places, or experiences simply do not sit well with me. I'm not trying to frame some theology, or guilt anyone. I'm just sharing an internal experience, which may be completely unjustified.

But, I will say that I know Jesus can understand. I love that Jesus spoke so much about the poor and disenfranchised during His human experience here. He said things like:

“When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind." (Lk 14:12)

Seriously, who does that? We all seem to do quite the opposite, living self-indulgently. But, sometimes we have an epiphany. We hear stories of millionaires giving away all their money, or of extreme makeovers and the like. There is the mark of our Creator within us all pointing us to stop our selfishness.

If you want to see the best example of this, take a minute and read Philippians 2. It shows how God, ultimate power, came to His own creation in the most vulnerable manner. And, God even allowed us to murder Him just to prove how much He loves us.

So, what really upsets me is people twisting the whole story for their own selfish gain. I hear preachers telling of so-called secrets to get healthy and rich. I see churches that cost millions of dollars to build and maintain. And, I've yet to go to any party where the poor, crippled, lame, and blind are the invited.

But, I love Jesus. I know He is not mocked. It doesn't matter what is being done in His name, because in the end, He will sort it all out. In the meantime, I just want to be close to Him, and that probably means few, if any visits to exclusive, VIP events.

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” (Matt 25:41-46)