Invited Guests

Gospel: Luke 14: 15-24

This dinner party of the Pharisees continues with another parable from Jesus that is about the great banquet in the kingdom of God.  The king invites guests who refuse the invitation - take note as to who refuses the invitation: a wealthy landowner, a prosperous farmer, a worldly married man.  The invitation to the king's banquet is unimportant to them; they are self-sufficient men and would only attend the banquet if they could see a way of benefiting themselves as in the earlier parable about sitting in prominent spots.

So, the king has his servants invite the poor and lame, beggars and outcasts - and they come to fill the hall.  Why do they come?  They are hungry for food and have need of the meal.  They are lonely and have need of companionship.  They have never been invited previously; kingdoms both civil and religious were always exclusive clubs for the wealthy and influential.  But here in God's kingdom there is an equal place for them.

Our communion tables are supposed to reflect this banquet hall of God, but do they? Are they places of refuge for those who have long been excluded and outcast by society and religion? Is our own attitude about the banquet merely transactional and self-serving, or do we want to encounter God in the guise of other people different from me? This dinner party at a Pharisee's house has given us much to consider...