TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Ecclesiasticus 3:19-21.30-31; Hebrews 12:18-19.22-24; Luke
14:1.7-14)
It is difficult to understand today's gospel. It has to do
with the values of the Kingdom of God. What qualities must we develop to be
welcomed into the Kingdom? In what we have just heard, Jesus describes two. It
is true that Jesus does not mention the word "kingdom" in the
passage. But St. Luke writes that Jesus
tells a "parable", and it is characteristic of Jesus to speak of the
Kingdom in parables.
Jesus advises people to practice humility. He tells them to
take the seats in the back of the hall when they are invited to a banquet. He
assures them that they will not be disappointed. Perhaps the host will move
them to a more prominent place. If he does not do it, although Jesus does not
say so, they will have the opportunity to meet simple people.
Is Jesus prompting us to feign humility to advance our own
interests? Of course not. If he were to do that, he would be betraying the
Kingdom that he has come to proclaim. In the Kingdom of God, everyone is
appreciated as a son or daughter of God. What more could we ask for? In this
world we make distinctions according to classes and achievements. For this
reason Jesus says that the host will exalt the distinguished person. However,
in the Kingdom everyone will enjoy the presence of God with their companions,
whoever they may be.
Perhaps we think that humility is one of the minor values
of the kingdom. Let's listen to what St. Augustine says about it: "...
if humility does not precede everything we do, our efforts are in vain."
Furthermore, humility explains the action of Christ in the incarnation. As St.
Paul says: "Although he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality
with God something to be grasped. Rather,
he emptied himself taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness… "
Jesus also recommends hospitality as a value of the Kingdom.
As in the case of humility, this virtue can be distorted. If a person invites
to his house only those who can help him out personally, he does not have the
virtue of hospitality. True hospitality asks for nothing in return. It always
provides the other with free food or lodging. The origin of the word hospitality
even indicates this. It comes from the Latin word hospes which means stranger.
It is likely that the stranger is not
going to return the favor given to him because he lives in another place.
To ensure true hospitality, Jesus insists that people invite
the poor, lame, and otherwise unfortunate to their parties. For Jesus it is not
just a matter of caring for their needs. No, for him we take care of the poor
as friends in our homes.
There are several other values of the Kingdom of God. We
will certainly count among them love, peace, and joy. These values are like the
variety and abundance of fruits at harvest time: watermelons, strawberries,
apples, and a thousand others. The
values we develop now make our lives truly richer. All of them will be present together when the Kingdom
of God comes in its fullness.
