XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24; Luke 14:1, 7-14)
It seems that Jesus is always on the move in the Gospel
according to Luke. He never stays in one place for long. Yet, he teaches
constantly. From the moment he set his face toward Jerusalem, Jesus has been
instructing his followers along the way. It is as if he does not want to waste
a single opportunity to form his disciples before reaching his destiny. Today’s
passage from Luke is typical: it begins with the words, “Jesus went to
dine at the house of a Pharisee.” And there he offers lessons on the table etiquette
of the Kingdom of God.
Before examining this etiquette, let us recall Jesus’
teachings from recent Sundays. When he first turned toward Jerusalem, he told
his disciples that his mission was so urgent there was no time even to bury
their parents. The next Sunday, he instructed them to travel lightly, because
there was much ground to cover. He then emphasized the need to love one’s
enemies through the parable of the Good Samaritan and the priority of listening
to his words in the story of Martha and Mary. On the following Sundays, he
taught how to pray, the danger of greed, the importance of being prepared for
his return, and the inevitability of division caused by his mission. In
summary, Jesus wants his disciples —among whom we count ourselves— to be attentive
to him, dependent on God the Father, and committed in the service of others.
Etiquette helps us relate to one another. It is a set of
rules that prevent us from offending others, especially our benefactors.
Today’s Gospel offers us two principles of etiquette that please God in the
pursuit of his Kingdom. The first has to do with how we consider others. We
should not think of ourselves as superior to anyone. A disciple of Jesus will
choose the lowest place at a banquet to show deference to others. But this must
not devolve into a clever strategy to be shown a more prominent place when the
host arrives. Such calculation would earn God’s wrath, not his blessing.
Instead, true deference must be a recognition that all people are images of God
with an eternal destiny.
The second principle is that Jesus’ followers should look
past their usual companions and instead invite the needy as their guests.
Rather than hosting those who can repay the favor, they are to welcome the
poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Can Jesus be serious? Yes and no.
He often uses exaggerated language to drive home a point. When he says, “If
your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out…,” he is not speaking literally but
figuratively to say, for example, we must avoid pornography. When he says (as
we will hear in next Sunday’s Gospel) that we must “hate” our parents and
families to be his disciples, he is not telling us to abandon them but to make
him the number one priority in our lives.
“Invite the poor…” means we should think first of the needy before
hosting parties for our friends. Some do this by giving ten percent of their
income off the top to charity before spending a dollar on themselves. It is not
necessary that those invited be in physical need. A bishop, for instance, has on his calendar
for December 25: “Dinner with priests.” His intention is to invite retired
priests who have no families, but they are not poor, crippled, lame, or blind.
Jesus will continue teaching us about discipleship in the
Sundays ahead as he makes his way to his destination. Yet his supreme teaching
will come when he arrives in Jerusalem and is handed over to his adversaries.
Then he will demonstrate for us perfect love by stretching out his arms on the
cross.
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