LK 14:1, 7-14
Dear Friends, As always, today’s Gospel passage has many levels. On the surface, Jesus is offering some practical advice. It touches on two strong customs in his day: hospitality and reciprocity. Both were wedded to the idea of, “You do something for me and I will return the favor”.
Luke places today’s teaching in the context of a meal. Much of the evangelist’s teachings are presented in the sharing of a meal. It has been said we can eat our way to Gospel in Luke’s rendition of the Good News.
Obviously, Jesus was always inviting his followers into a much more profound level of human experience than practical table know-how. He is always drawing us into the presence of God that opens the stuff of daily life to the deepest mystery.
Luke puts special emphasis on Jesus’ mission to turn the world upside down. He puts great importance on the of the theme of reversal: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11).
Today’ teachings are given in the form of a parable. The message is about the Kingdom: the great reversal that is to come. We are called to receive the poor and the lowly. There we will find God. The great and powerful of this world will find their fate woefully lacking and diminished in the new upside-down world of the Kingdom. The call for us in this great reversal is to go beyond the handout to true hospitality.
Hospitality in Jesus’ teaching is not a token gesture but true sacrifice and involvement with those in need in our midst. Too often, it is about fundraising and not service, feeling good and not self-giving that draws us out of our narrow comfort zone.
Jesus was challenging the deeply entrenched self-serving customs of his day: a distorted sense of hospitality and reciprocity. Jesus is calling us to truly go beyond a handout to share our table and our life with those in our midst in need. This is not easy an ask. It shares the uprooting and world-shattering dimensions of all of Jesus’ teaching. Too often, the ordinary practices of our helping those in need prove to be an obstacle and a hindrance to the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel. More frequently than not, it is about feeling good rather personal sacrifice.
In the great reversal of God’s Kingdom, God will be the host. As Luke teaches us in the Magnificat (Lk 1:51-53) and the Beatitudes and the Woes (Lk 6:20-26) the poor and neglected will have a special place. The way of the world that wraps self-serving activity in the twisted activities of false hospitality and reciprocity, will come to a crashing conclusion. God, as the host of the heavenly banquet, will do the humbling and exalting. This is the Good News:all have an invitation to the table. The guests will be measured by service not by prestige and wealth. The ticket is a heart and life committed to truly helping those who are in need.
Luke places today’s teaching in the context of a meal. Much of the evangelist’s teachings are presented in the sharing of a meal. It has been said we can eat our way to Gospel in Luke’s rendition of the Good News.
Obviously, Jesus was always inviting his followers into a much more profound level of human experience than practical table know-how. He is always drawing us into the presence of God that opens the stuff of daily life to the deepest mystery.
Luke puts special emphasis on Jesus’ mission to turn the world upside down. He puts great importance on the of the theme of reversal: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11).
Today’ teachings are given in the form of a parable. The message is about the Kingdom: the great reversal that is to come. We are called to receive the poor and the lowly. There we will find God. The great and powerful of this world will find their fate woefully lacking and diminished in the new upside-down world of the Kingdom. The call for us in this great reversal is to go beyond the handout to true hospitality.
Hospitality in Jesus’ teaching is not a token gesture but true sacrifice and involvement with those in need in our midst. Too often, it is about fundraising and not service, feeling good and not self-giving that draws us out of our narrow comfort zone.
Jesus was challenging the deeply entrenched self-serving customs of his day: a distorted sense of hospitality and reciprocity. Jesus is calling us to truly go beyond a handout to share our table and our life with those in our midst in need. This is not easy an ask. It shares the uprooting and world-shattering dimensions of all of Jesus’ teaching. Too often, the ordinary practices of our helping those in need prove to be an obstacle and a hindrance to the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel. More frequently than not, it is about feeling good rather personal sacrifice.
In the great reversal of God’s Kingdom, God will be the host. As Luke teaches us in the Magnificat (Lk 1:51-53) and the Beatitudes and the Woes (Lk 6:20-26) the poor and neglected will have a special place. The way of the world that wraps self-serving activity in the twisted activities of false hospitality and reciprocity, will come to a crashing conclusion. God, as the host of the heavenly banquet, will do the humbling and exalting. This is the Good News:all have an invitation to the table. The guests will be measured by service not by prestige and wealth. The ticket is a heart and life committed to truly helping those who are in need.
