August 31, 2025

Wisdom from Heaven

Pastor Rok Lee

Luke 14:12-14

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

In January, Sister Kyungsoon Hwang, who had devoted 17 years serving AIDS orphans in remote Uganda, received the President’s Commendation in Korea. She confessed, “I saw and experienced the living God in the poor and the sick, and that gave me the strength to live each day.” Her testimony offers far more than a medal—it is a profound message.

When she was a teenager, Sister Hwang saw a picture of a starving child who could not afford even a single meal. She decided then, “I will live for children like this.” As a result, she spent her life caring for the sick and the marginalized, experiencing God’s work in the midst of it all, and finally, she was honored by her country. This reminds us that God remembers those who humbly serve and will surely reward them.

In today’s passage, Luke 14:12–14, Jesus teaches us the same truth: when we set aside worldly calculations and serve, our reward is stored in heaven.

Jesus says, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors.” In Jewish culture at that time, it was customary to invite family, friends, or people of equal social status to a banquet. There was an unspoken rule: guests were expected to repay the favor. But Jesus breaks this ritualized convention, saying, “If you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.” In other words, Jesus calls us to create a new culture—not the culture of human, but the culture of the Kingdom of God.

This teaching calls us to a service that goes beyond transactional relationships. A well-known example is NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, who has been known to quietly pay off strangers’ bills without drawing attention. In an interview, he explained, “This is what I’ve been taught: do good, and don’t announce it.” He didn’t consider it charity or a publicity act, but rather a way of life—sharing naturally and consistently.

Likewise, when we serve others, our mindset should not be, “One day they will pay me back,” but simply, “This is the life God has called me to live.” After all, everything we have has been received from God. None of it is truly ours. Since God has freely given to us, we too are called to give freely, building a Kingdom culture of generosity.

Jesus continues: “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” Here, Jesus points to the social outcasts of His time. The poor and disabled were never considered worthy guests in the eyes of the Pharisees and the wealthy; they were often despised and excluded. But Jesus tells us they are the “true guests” of God’s banquet. This shows us the principle of the Kingdom: everyone is equally invited.

We see hints of this Kingdom culture today. In Austin, Texas, a Korean restaurant called “Korea House” opens its doors every first Wednesday of the month, offering free meals to anyone who comes in. So far, they have served over 15,000 bowls of food for free. Though the owners are not wealthy, they serve faithfully, saying, “When we give, God fills us with even better things.” Through their restaurant, they discovered their calling, and their decision has blessed their entire community.

We too are called to seek out and serve the marginalized around us. Inside and outside the church, we are called to invite and care for the poor, the sick, and the lonely. This is the “true banquet” that Jesus describes. Not a banquet for our own satisfaction, but one that fills the needs of our neighbors.

Finally, Jesus makes this promise: “Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Christians do not live for human praise or earthly rewards. We live holding on to the promise that God Himself will bless us. From our perspective, it may seem advantageous to stay close to the wealthy or powerful, but Jesus turns this upside down. When we establish the culture of God’s Kingdom, God Himself becomes our reward.

There was a church in North Carolina that regularly served meals to the homeless after Sunday service. One day, in their offering box, they found a small envelope with just 18 cents inside. On the front was written: “Please don’t be mad. I don’t have much. I’m homeless. God bless” If we look at this only in monetary terms, it seems like a huge loss—the church spent hundreds, even thousands of dollars, only to “receive” 18 cents. But no one in that congregation thought the gift was small. On the contrary, it was the most precious offering they had ever shown, because it carried the heart of gratitude.

This is the kind of banquet that pleases Jesus. A banquet where generosity is not measured by numbers but by love. A banquet where hidden acts of service become treasures in heaven.

Dear church, Jesus calls us today to live beyond calculation, beyond expectation of return, and to embrace a culture of the Kingdom—a culture of humble service and generous love. The reward we seek is not the applause of people, but the joy of God. Even when what we give seems unnoticed, even when the return seems small, we believe that God remembers, God blesses, and God will repay at the resurrection of the righteous.

So let us begin this week by extending a hand to someone in need. Invite, share, serve, and love—not because they can repay, but because Christ has already given us everything. And as we do, may our lives become a living banquet of the Kingdom of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~