The Gospel according to Luke (14:15-24)
One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Reflection:
Today’s Gospel, where many of the invited guests to a grand party make very poor excuses for why they can’t attend, is a telling parable to those whom Jesus originally directed it to, as well as to you and me. Would we *really* turn down a wonderful dinner party for what amounts to the lamest of excuses in real life? I suppose it depends on how much we value our relationship with the one who is doing the inviting.
I think that’s the key here today. In the parable, God Himself is the Inviter. All of humanity are the ones being invited. All we ever have to do is to say “yes” to the invitation, and enter the celebration. In God’s view, that’s all. But, entering the celebration means giving up some of our own desire, perhaps. It also means that we choose to try to live after the example of the Son of the One who invited us – living a self-sacrificing love to others, not because they deserve our kindness, but because they are a child of God, even as we are. It means not turning a blind eye to someone in need right in our midst, when the more comfortable thing would be to keep walking.
The parable further highlights that no one is outside of the “invitee list”. Jesus says that the master of the house said to go “to the highways and hedgerows”, so that his home would be filled. Even those who once turned away from God, or who are actively trying to run away from Him (like that is even possible). I think all of us have been in that latter category at one time or another in our lives.
The good news is that God never stops calling us to the party. The invitation is always open, provided we know what it truly means to join in. Can we be as loving as God’s own Son – loving those who are hard to love, not looking for our own interests all the time, but being aware of those who suffer, and doing what we can to help? Maybe not on our own, but God gives us the ability through His Holy Spirit, and just asks us to love like His Son does. It’s a tall order, and if we fail today, let us know that we are always invited to try again tomorrow, and to try to draw everyone into that same party of joy that leads us to eternal happiness and joy in heaven. Now, that’s an invitation I never want to decline!
Action for the Day:
Today, look for an opportunity to help one of your brothers or sisters who is in need. Maybe it will just require a kind word from you, a word of recognition that you see that other person, or maybe buying a stranger something to eat or drink, so they know that they aren’t on this journey of life alone. And, no matter what, pray for all who may feel alone and abandoned, that they may know that God will never abandon or forsake them.
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