The Ethics of God

Proper17 St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP, The Ethics of God Luke is the gospel that often puts Jesus in the setting of a meal. Feeding people is important. Feeding everyone is important, both the feeding out on the grass and the more formal meals with those of importance in the community. A meal with important people is where Jesus is in this gospel lesson. Perhaps we should think of God as the one who provides food, invites others to a heavenly banquet. By now not only do the disciples know that Jesus sometimes bucks tradition, so do all the people with whom Jesus interacts. At first glance, this piece of Luke looks like a lesson in etiquette.[1] Etiquette, as you know concerns the seating chart. And of course, there are the placement of silverware, cups, glasses, napkins and who sits at the head of the table. Usually, it is the host who sits at the head of the table. If in a king or queen’s court, people are seated in line of importance of position in the palace. In the Jewish society of the time, apparently that mattered because the host decided where each person sat and gave the best seats to those who were considered the most esteemed and most deserving of honor. Jesus has decided to take this opportunity as a teaching moment. He brings up seating arrangements which have been in place since at least the writing of Genesis. In Old Testament times the Israelites sat at table;[2] and in the order of their dignity or seniority [3]. We also know that double and five-fold portions were given to distinguished guests. Food was given to the poor, but it was less and sometimes just crumbs.[4] In the backdrop of the Old Testament where a banquet is a frequent emblem of heavenly happiness,[5] Jesus brings us a vision of the kingdom of God that is the reverse of his day’s wedding feast. His day’s wedding feast is also a reflection of how many people of that day and age lived their lives. Basically, he is saying to them that they are focusing on the wrong things. If a tradition is not all inclusive where people are treated with equal dignity and respect, it needs to change. Luke, throughout his book continuously informs us from start to finish that Jesus turns societal norms upside down. Jesus says that we should not be honoring the powerful, but those who have nothing and are considered nothing in society. We should be honoring the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Also, of concern are those who have grown up in dysfunctional families of abuse and neglect, whose chance for normal relationships is severely compromised. Is the gospel lesson just about proper etiquette? Absolutely not. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer has written, “Your ‘yes’ to God requires your ‘no’ to all injustice, to all evil, to all lies, to all oppression and violation of the weak and poor…” “The ethic of God is honoring others above yourself, embodying God’s generosity. We are to be the ethics of God. We may be tempted to take a seat not meant for us, even though it is clearly marked at the place setting. We have seen that in the movies how someone will disguise themselves or obtain the ID of the person they are pretending to be. But there is one thing to keep in mind, in God’s kingdom, we are all God’s children and our role as God’s children is to invite and make friends with those we don’t know, those who have severe mental illnesses, those who may have a criminal background, take a healthcare job or work as a prison guard, feed the hungry who for some reason are not able to obtain food for themselves at this time, be a friend to someone who doesn’t seem to have a friend. We live in a transactional culture where giving expects a return. Yet Jesus talks about generosity. But the reward is being in a place where all are honored. Assessing worth is eliminated. Disregard questions of worthiness to be where you are---I did this and I did that, I earned my spot. When Luke talks about releasing the captives, we are all captives. We are captives especially to our own way of thinking, when we engage in comparing ourselves to others, and when we somehow think we are superior to another person. The truth is all of us are good at something. We all have something to offer the people of our communities and of the world. Remember that we are a role model to other people whether we know it or not. [1] Working Preacher for Proper17C August 28, 2022 [2] I Samuel 16:11 [3] Genesis 43:33 [4]http://www.biblehistory.com/links.php?cat=39&sub=413&cat_name=Manners+%26+Customs&subcat_name=Banquets+and+Feasts [5] Isaiah 25:6; Luke 14:15; Revelation 19:9