29.08.2004 22nd Sunday Ordinary Season - Year C
First Reading: Siracide 3,17-18,20,28-29 Psalm 67
Second Reading: Hebrews 12,18-19,22-24 Gospel Reading: Luke 14,1,7-14
Last Sunday Jesus concluded his teaching encouraging us to become rich in the
sight of God. We are left wondering how to do that. What are the "riches"
considered valid "in the sight of God"? Perhaps today we can learn
from Jesus himself. Our hearts and minds are made ready by the words from Siracide,
words in praise of humility and modesty which are attitudes that favour the
ability to listen, to meditate, the source of wisdom and from wisdom comes generosity
towards the poor.
Now let's listen to Jesus who accepts an invitation to dinner by one of the
rulers of the Pharisees. We know that these people who are so religious are
not well disposed to take our Lord seriously. They call him "master",
but spy on him and use his words to think and speak ill of him. However, Jesus
accepts the invitation: who knows someone might be able to appreciate his presence
and his words. We too, would like to be able to.
First of all, Jesus observes his fellow diners. They enter and chose a place
to sit. Some rush to occupy the best seats without waiting for indications from
the owner of the house. Jesus feels it necessary to give a first teaching.
His words, initially, might seem to be simple rules of etiquette, but listening
carefully we realize that he is talking about a banquet in God's kingdom, where
nobody prevails over others or simply chooses a place they want. In God's kingdom
everybody will wait for the words of the King, everybody will wait on Him with
joy and will appreciate the respect that He has for everybody. Even in God's
kingdom there are best places, but it is not man who earns them, they are a
gift of friendship by he who invites us; Jesus!
Those who chose the best places and put themselves before others are destined
to retrocede: in the kingdom of God they will be the last as they do not have
that humility that is pleasing to God, or that love for men and women which
makes them resemble the Father, or that inclination to offer oneself for the
salvation of others which would make them participants of the love of the Son
of God! Those will go ahead who, with gentleness and humility, consider others
superior to themselves. They have learnt from him when he says, learn to be
gentle and humble in your hearts.
So Jesus helped those who were invited like him to be ready for the Kingdom,
but he also wants to help the owner of the house, ruler of the Pharisees who
should not presume to be without fault. He, too, must correct something in his
life. He is doing the right thing to invite others to dinner, but whom should
he invite?
All those are invited to the banquet in the Kingdom who do not deserve it, even
sinners. They cannot repay anything. To be invited to the banquet in the Kingdom
is a gift, an act of grace. Whoever participates in the banquet will never be
able to say or even think that they are worthy, for they have been called from
a situation of poverty and suffering or from sin. There are even pagans called
to the Kingdom of God and they gather the crumbs that fall from heaven with
gratitude; not so the Jews, however, who feel they have the right to the invitation
and would even exclude others. If this is how it is in the Kingdom of heaven,
why shouldn't it be the same on earth. So Jesus suggests to his host that he
should continue to organise banquets, but to only invite people in need, those
who nobody wants and who cannot repay the invitation. Whoever lives now as in
the Kingdom of Heaven will be rewarded by God. God will reward those who anticipate
signs of His love for the poor!
The second reading shows us the heavenly Jerusalem, the beauty and the joy that
shines in the faces of the elected. The wish to reach her will give us the strength
to cultivate both humility to take the worst seat and love for the poor, otherwise
excluded from all the joys of life. We will become so rich in God's eyes that
He will consider us His friends and His children because we do His work!