How do you explain Luke 14:13 when Jesus says not to invite your friends to dinner!!

Christians value hospitality, the Chinese value hospitality. We invite our friends over all the time!

I am studying the parables of Jesus with several Chinese friends (who have been to our house for dinner by the way). We had just read the parable of the rich fool, who wanted to build bigger barns so that he could rest and enjoy his life. My friend understood the error of selfishly living for yourself, but what should you do with your goods? So I turned to Luke 14.

After some help from the Holy Spirit, I think we finally understood that while it is good to invite friends to dinner, it is not really noble if we are likely to be repaid. And God is not so interested in “good” things that we do, but in “noble” things that we do. Selfless giving. “Wow” he finally said, “That is powerful.” And I was impacted too.

So, are there any internationals that you can get to know, someone who cannot invite you back to dinner? Oh how blessed it is to give!

“… and you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous”