1 Samuel 16:7b For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
Jesus teaches that our neighbor isn’t just the person that we like most or the person that offers the greatest benefit to us, rather, he calls us to be a neighbor even to those with whom we have the least in common. Sometimes this means learning to look beyond the external to what God sees and loves- the Heart
Jesus teaches in this scripture what the Kingdom of Heaven is like and how that disciples us to view ourselves and our neighbors differently.
v7-11 How should we view ourselves? With
Don’t take most important seat. You may be embarrassed. Allow God/the master to lift you up.
Psalm 75:6-7 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up (honor), but it is God who executes judgment (who decides), putting down one and lifting up another.
We can take the humble view, recognizing that we don’t need to exalt ourselves. The most important thing about us is not how amazing we are, but how an amazing God loves us. Our value and worth comes from
When we take a humble view of ourselves, we can begin to open up our hearts to our neighbors who are different from us.
v12-14 How should we view others? Without
We tend to prefer those we can benefit from, Jesus teaches us to value those who are the outcast, who are different, who can’t seemingly benefit us.
Why, because He
Your neighbor, no matter who they are, have value in God’s sight, how do we recognize that and see them as God sees them?
v15-24 How should we view the Kingdom? As
How do we work out in our churches, families and neighborhoods what it would mean to celebrate God’s kingdom so that the people at the bottom of the pile, at the end of the line, would find it to be good news.
It is one thing to see and recognize that we are the ones dragged in from the country lanes, to our surprise, to enjoy God’s party.
But the party guests are then expected to become party hosts in their turn.