THE WORD
FIRST READING: Sir 3,17-18.21.29-30
My child, conduct your affairs with humility,
and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,
and you will find mercy in the sight of God.
What is too sublime for you, do not seek;
do not reach into things that are hidden from you.
The mind of the wise appreciates proverbs,
and the ear that listens to wisdom rejoices.
As water quenches a flaming fire,
so almsgiving atones for sins.
SECOND READING: Heb 12,18-19.22-24
Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them. No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.
GOSPEL: Lk 14,1.7-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. 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.”
IN OTHER WORDS
In our community in Tagaytay, it is during meal times that we are able to open up to one another especially in the evenings. We share about the movies and TV shows we have watched, the books and newspapers we have read. We share laughter; if one of us has a good story or joke to tell, all of us tune in. Meal times are also an occasion for discussion of what concerns the good of the community.
Jesus, too, is interested in meal times. He loved the gatherings around meals. He would like us to think about “meals” in first-century life. Meals, in particular, provided the central settings for his mission. And, the language of food, in general, served as a basis for his teaching. Eating is a sign of life and celebration. But it also symbolizes the harsh realities for the enslaved. Food has religious connotations as well; Jesus “blessed” it and prayed for it daily.
In this particular pericope in Luke, Jesus is less interested in the actual food than in the composition of the banquet. So, he tells a story about meals and honor. It’s an unusual “parable” in light of its clear references. His story emphasizes two components of the banquet setting: (1) the selection of “seats” (honor?); and, (2) the invitation list. In an honor-and-shame culture, avoiding shame is of the utmost importance. Public shame may have tangible implications for the shamed.
A family’s marriage proposals can be negatively affected by a public shaming, if the shame is significant enough.
On the opposite end, public honor may come to those who express public humility. Jesus expresses expectations of hosts. His words are a challenge to the honor system embedded in first century culture. To secure one’s place in this system, it was appropriate to invite friends, family, and rich neighbors. But Jesus calls into question this type of caste system, imagining instead hosts who choose to associate with people who are “poor, crippled, lame, and blind” as their new network. The problem for hosts, however, as Jesus explicitly recognizes, is that no honor is forthcoming in return.
His teaching is about the way we treat others, especially those among us who are unable to “pay us back.” In a modern democratic society, it is easy to miss the emphasis of Jesus’ teaching in his own status-oriented, honor-shame and hierarchical space.
Yet, we have our ways of distinguishing one from another, in order to structure our contemporary world. Oftentimes, these distinctions among us hinder us from true fellowship with one another. Jesus’ story is a reminder to us about the company we keep. The invitation in today’s good news is to be more sensitive to the marginalized, the outcasts and the helpless of society. The
Year of the Poor is a concrete space and time-frame for it. May we be open to this challenge!
- Fr. Lex Ferrer, SVD | DWST, Tagaytay City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
