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
In St. Luke's gospel, Jesus shares a parable about a Great Banquet in the Kingdom of God. Invitations are once again sent to the guests, but this time the servants delivering them are unharmed. Instead, those initially invited offer excuses for not attending.
Disappointed, the master instructs his servants to invite the marginalized members of society at that time. He wishes to extend the invitation to the lame, blind, poor, and crippled—those who were often excluded from society.
Even after these individuals were invited, there was still space for more. The master then sends the servants out once more to invite those "passing in the streets," referring to the pagans.
Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders who would not dine with unclean guests or pagans, as it was against their Jewish law. Jesus, the Messiah and a Jew Himself, seeks to open their eyes and hearts to God's wish to include all humanity in His Kingdom and the heavenly banquet.
This gospel speaks to us today! Do we invite others, regardless of their race, social status, denomination, physical condition, or political views, to our table? Do we invite them to visit our Church?
Let us pray that we see others as Jesus sees them and not as the world or society sees them. Be prepared to accept your invitation. You won't get a second one.
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