"But when you give
a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be
blessed, because they cannot repay you ..."
This is the parable of the wedding feast, in which Jesus encourages his
audience to humble themselves, so that they will be exalted, not humbled. That part is
much easier to do than the last two verses of the parable. When we give a dinner party, it
is natural to invite friends and family because we value and enjoy their company and
because they also have invited us.
But Jesus has a different guest list: the very ones no one else would
want. In the Judaic tradition, someone who was disabled or destitute was assumed to be
paying for some sin, for health and wealth were rewards for good behavior and faithfulness
to God. So, once again, Jesus turns everything on its head by indicating that 1) suffering
is not punishment for sin, and 2) that we are all to serve those in need and not be
self-serving. Inviting the marginalized and suffering will be repaid, Jesus said, not now,
but "at the resurrection of the just." Remember that in Matthew 25, Jesus said
that at the Final Judgment, the Son of Man "will separate people from one another as
a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Those who have fed the hungry, given
drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, cared for the sick, and visited the prisoner,
will be rewarded. "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of
these, you did not do it to me." And, even more importantly, those who have not
ministered to these people will be asked to depart from his presence.
Despite the difficulty of carrying out such a charge, let’s plan
to be among the righteous servants, who will be welcomed to eternal life.
Prayer: Lord, Today’s lesson goes against everything accepted by
society and comfortable to us. Move us to care for the least members of your family. Amen.
