Word to the Wise
Monday, November 5, 2007 - Thirty-first Monday in Ordinary Time
[Romans 11:29-36 and Luke 14:12-14]Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
The giving of banquets could be quite a social "game" in Jesus' time. It was a way of maneuvering others into giving a banquet in return. In other places in the gospel, some folks do everything they can to avoid going to banquets: "I have bought a piece of property; I have married a wife......" In modern times, one might hear the thought: "How do I get to see the inside of their house? Maybe if I invite them to dinner, they'll reciprocate!" Jesus may seem to be rude to the "leading Pharisee" by speaking to him about this - at least by our standards. But he is actually offering the Pharisee an opportunity to be more like God and less like the social climbers. Salvation is a free gift. It is not a matter of reciprocity. The Pharisee is being invited, in the words of a popular bumper sticker, to "practice random and senseless acts of kindness!" rather than acting for social gain. In the end, there is a reward but it is not a repayment. Radical generosity is a hallmark of the kingdom. How do we measure up on this? AMEN
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