Gospel: Lk 14:1, 7-14
ON a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 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.”
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In the parable of the wedding party, Jesus does not talk about social etiquette but uses it to confront the attitude of the leading Pharisees who tend to jostle for higher position of honor. In the same vein, Luke points out to the early Christian community of his time that they should not segregate people according to social status; rather, in partaking of the Eucharist what is important is sharing (agape) and fellowship (koinonia). To participate in the final banquet of the Kingdom of heaven, those who humbled themselves in service of others will be given places of honor by the real host, God.
A fictitious story became viral in Facebook about a certain pastor, who disguised himself as a homeless person just before he would be introduced as the new head of the parish. At the entrance of the church, he asked for loose change to buy food, but no one gave him any. He milled around people entering the church and greeted them. Some three persons greeted him back with “hello,” while the rest stared down on him. Attempting to sit at the front row near the sanctuary, he was ushered to sit at the back.
When all were seated, the elders called on the new pastor to appear. The congregation clapped with great anticipation, but as the “homeless man” stood from the back and began walking down the aisle, the clapping slowly died down. He introduced himself as the new pastor and began to speak, quoting from the parable of the last judgment and ending, “Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me” (Mt 25:45).
Many were stunned and bowed their heads in self-reproach; others cried in shame. The new pastor dismissed the congregation and said there was no homily that day. Instead, he asked them to reflect on their experience, whether they deserved to be called a Christian community or just a bunch of people gathered together.
The story challenges us to look deeper into our Christian faith and practice. While many persons judge people by their outward appearances and positions, God looks into our hearts and sees the truth. Will God, the host of the heavenly banquet, welcome us into the feast of God’s Kingdom?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2018,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
