Phillipa and Martina grew up in a small town in the north of Denmark toward the end of the 19^th century. Daughters of a very strict Lutheran pastor, they, and their whole community eventually took on the characteristics of their pastor. His was a life of discipline and denial, but not of joy nor celebration. Father, possessive of his daughters, prevented them from marrying. When he died he left them to carry on the traditions he embedded within them. And they did.

The community was aging and dying out. Worse, acrimony and sour attitudes festered among the faithful, only adding to the joyless life. That would change with Babette.

A political refugee from Paris, there she was, soaked to the skin by torrential rain, on the doorstep of the sisters. Reluctantly, they took her in. Babette thanked the sisters, and later the community for accepting her. But she was curious about their lack of joy and celebration. Still, they were good people. In exchange for taking her in, she began to care for the aging sisters. There she stayed for many years.

Then, a surprise came in the post. A friend in France had purchased a lottery ticket each year in the name of Babette, since she left so many years before as a refugee. To her amazement, Babette won a small fortune. Overjoyed, she decided right then, to have a feast for the sisters and community who took her in. Excitement over the pending feast mixed with sadness. The sisters feared Babette would now leave them. They had come to depend upon her. However, Babette presented her feast. It was greater than any had ever seen before!

More than that, according to the tradition of piety, such a feast was sinful. They had a faith based on fasting not feasting. The sisters attended, but with the attitude we would describe as Party Poopers. What they did not know - Babette was a renown chef in Paris. She knew HOW to throw a party. The finest meats and vegetables, fruits and wines were purchased. It was too much joy ready to bubble over. The guests tried to be miserable, but before they knew it, they were all laughing with joy! Everyone, including the sisters, were so transformed by the feast, that they began to open themselves up. It was as if the Holy Spirit finally broke into their lives...like on the day of Pentecost. Joy bubbled over with a hymn of praise. Phillipa declared, "The stars have moved closer tonight!" (Babette’s Feast, I Dinesen)

How true! Joy is the echo of the life of God within His people! (Marmion) The Christian life without joy is not Christian at all. But the sisters remained sad.

To ease their fears and lift their sadness, Babette drew them to her:

"I cannot leave you now.

I have no funds.

I spent it all on the feast!"

What freedom! What abandon! No holding back. She threw the house out the window for a wonderful feast for those who did not think they deserved it.

Jesus is dining with a Pharisee. When we read the words we wonder if they are enjoying the dinner, the fellowship, the sheer joy of being in the presence of Jesus. Remember, Jesus had just healed a man. If someone was just healed in our presence, I should hope there would at least be a silent prayer of thanks. Nothing! It was as though they did not know how to celebrate even if they wanted to. Maybe the wrong people were invited.

That’s something we must pay attention to. Joyless living in Christ makes for miserable witnesses. The first thing I lift up before you in this passage that Jesus Christ showed me: LOOK FOR GRATEFUL GUESTS!

Question: Are you a grateful guest of Jesus? If you and I want to be part of a feast where Jesus comes, LOOK AT HIS GUEST LIST! There will be a lot of "Babette’s" in the room. People fleeing injustice. Refugees from a society that tolerates, but does not welcome half-way homes next door. People on the outside! Jesus sees them...they might even be standing next to us. He smiles and waves for us to come in. The poor, the disabled, the blind stumble in and find a wonderful seat right next to Jesus.

The overlooked, the beaten and dispossessed. All have a place with Jesus when they run to the feast He offers. "When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT REPAY YOU!" I remember hearing of a mailing that Senator Bob Dole gave to thousands of people. On the list was Bosko Struminikovski. He was invited to join Dole’s group called, the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle. It was an elite group for wealthy contributors. Bosko could not attend. Seems he was previously engaged at a federal penitentiary for drug trafficking and bribery. Senator Dole straightened it out. Bosko stayed put.

But it does remind us that we are tempted to restrict our relationships to those who are members of our own "Inner Circle." How shocked we will be when we sit down at the Lord’s Table. We will break bread and share one cup with people we did not know EVEN EXISTED! Not of our inner circle. Get used to the idea that our guest list will not match the guest list of our Lord. HE invites those guests who will be grateful!

But a second thing we should note: LOOK AT YOUR HOST! Is your host gracious? How can you tell? The feast is only for those who could not repay with their own event. You might say that is an undercurrent theme throughout the New Testament. God loves to give feasts! A woman finds a lost coin - she throws a party. A lost boy comes home - the father throws a party! Jesus compared Himself to a bridegroom at a wedding feast. Some leaders despised Jesus for this. But they did not like John the Baptist, either. John came fasting - Ugh! Jesus came feasting - who did He think He was? He knew who He was ... that is why He gave feasts!

Yes, I know it is easier to see Jesus as "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." We don’t want to lose our decorum in His presence. A woman visited the Presbyterian church for the first time. Excited during the songs, she shouted, "AMEN!" As the pastor preached, "Amen’s" and "hallelujah’s" bubbled out. An usher came forward and whispered, "We don’t do that here." But the woman shot back, "I’ve got the joy of Jesus!" The usher responded in a hiss, "Well, you didn’t get it here."

I’m getting ready for the wedding of my daughter Andrea. Father of the bride! I want to tell you, it’s a shock to the bank account. But I will also tell you, I have joyfully made a feast for our family and friends. The credit card melted down once, but recovered...and so did I. It’s great! I needed this message today! If your life and mine are regulated by our bank accounts, how sad! They are regulated by our love for those around us who need a feast once in a while.

Yes, we need to be cautious most of the time with our resources. But we need to guard against the spirit of Judas. Remember, he was offended at the extravagance of the woman who placed the perfume on Jesus. He muttered that the perfume could have been sold and the poor helped. Yes, Judas was right and wrong. For we know by reading the whole story, he did not really care. It is important for us to celebrate the good and generous love of our God of Grace!

He rejoices every time a sinner returns to Him. He rejoices when there is healing between enemies. He is ready to throw a party...to have a feast with restored lovers!

Now...one last thing - ask if you are INCLUDED ON THE GUEST LIST. Do you see your own life as less than perfect? Broken? Lost? COME TO THE FEAST!. Did you understand? God offers a feast and offers it to all who qualify! "I don’t deserve this feast, Pastor. I am not worthy." Precisely! That’s the point! Read the story again.

The only people invited are those who don’t deserve it and cannot do anything about it. God has done it all! He paid for His feast with the sacrifice of Jesus His Son! All by His G-R-A-C-E: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense! All we have to do is accept His invitation! I know I do. Rejoice in the invitation...and COME TO THE FEAST!

Only our own pride and foolishness will cause us to miss the feast and make the invitation worthless, like one young boy. His mother planned a special surprise party on his birthday. All his classmates and even the teacher were invited. The boy came home from school and went upstairs to his room. The class and teacher gathered in the living room. Then, when his mother went for him, the boy had climbed out the window, and slid down the roof and went off to a nearby park. The rest of the children had a great time. When the party was over and all had left, the boy returned. His mother told him of the event and what he missed. Tearfully, he admitted he heard his mother call, but, "I thought you had work for me to do. I stayed away."

How sad for him...for us...if we make the same mistake. A feast is being prepared. Grateful guests will be there! The One giving the feast loves us more than we could imagine! He is the most gracious, grace-filled host we will ever know. Are you one of the grateful guests? You are invited! You could be one of the grateful guests.

I hope you accepted His invitation. If you have, you know the joy of coming to His Table and eating and drinking the emblems of His life for you and me. This Table of our Lord tells us that a feast is waiting for us - COME TO THE FEAST!