Luke 14:12-14 — Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

How’s Christmas dinner (or lunch) at your house? I have to be honest, we always have something nice. (Did I tell you that Myra’s a really good cook?) I know we’re not the only people that like to enjoy a mini-feast at Christmas either.
But here’s the thing, I can’t really find the Biblical base for a Christmas party. Can you? I don’t see where Joseph and Mary tucked into turkey and all the trimmings …
So I’m not trying to depress anybody, because there’s no good evidence that Jesus didn’t approve of people having a good time together … And I think there are some really important things that the Christmas celebration can do for us.
Christmas dinner is a great time to remember everything God has done for us. There is, of course, the greatest gift of all — the gift of His son. Then there’s the sheer magnificence of His generosity. This is the God who “richly gives us all things to enjoy”!
But did you see what Jesus said about dinner guests? I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean “don’t feed the family”. But isn’t it interesting — that idea of not throwing the kind of party where all the guests might ask you, in return, to their next celebration. Is there a way we could take that idea and apply it to Christmas?
In year’s past, Myra and I have shared somebody else’s Christmas table — or invited friends to ours. But that’s not quite what the idea is, is it? Now I’ve got to admit that calling the “the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” might not be practical. But here’s a simple proposal. How about we each commit to making sure that one family, that would otherwise go without, gets a good Christmas meal?
There’s quite a few ways of meeting such a commitment. There’s a Housing and Homeless Shelter that Myra and I support. Then there’s any number of groceries running “Point of Purchase” programs that provide an opportunity to donate a family meal. Then there are food pantries that run desperately short of food at this time of year.
What do you think? Will we all enjoy our Christmas meal more if we know another family is having just as much of a celebration — instead of missing out?