Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Lk 14:12-14)
Jesus addressed the disciples, the apostles, the listeners and those who followed him. He also addressed the Scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the priests. He taught them, he spoke to them in parables; he answered them when they questioned him. He also advised and admonished the people who were close to him and in this passage he advised the person who invited him for dinner.
His advice is that one should not invite people for party with an idea of being repaid. The people who can repay are those who are rich or the relatives (because of the social, cultural practices) or friends. Invitation should be sent to people who cannot invite one back: poor, strangers, sick etc. This seems very strange but this communicates an essential view of Jesus. Kingdom is inclusive.
Jesus was invited for a dinner by this friend. Now with does Jesus associate himself with? Was he invited because he was a friend or someone else? Sure Jesus was invited because he was known by this man. However Jesus was always with the poor, the sick, the unwanted and the underprivileged. Jesus could not think of himself other than belonging to these people. He was one with them and he identified himself with them.
