Luke 14:7-14: Come dine with me

Jesus took a look around him at the dinner table. It was probably very subtle, but he could make out the power games that were being played. There was very definitely a hierarchy on the seating order, and, although conducted with smiles and signs of humility, there were skirmishes over the seats of highest honour.

So he decided to break another rule. He mentioned it.

If there's one thing that middle class people hate, it's bringing their competitiveness into the open. Whether its places at a coveted school, success for your child's football team, being more successful at work than your neighbours, or better looking than anyone else in the hairdressers, we love to be competitive. Anything, if you try hard enough, can be turned into a contest.

So Jesus, watching with amusement at the tabletop shenanigans, called out this behaviour. As if making conversation, he begins to remark that wouldn't it be good if everybody had a rush for the bottom, then you'd have the satisfaction of your host inviting you up to a better seat.

And he presses his point. Turning to his host, he tells him, don't invite people who can invite you back, invite the poor and the outcasts. Be like God, who is busy populating his kingdom with those you have rejected, under your very nose.

Oh, and you want a reward for this, do you? Well you'll get one. God will see, and God will reward you, according to your deeds. You might fool people,  you might win your little competitions more often than you lose, but God won't be playing by your rules.