Gospel: Luke 14:12-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading
Pharisees. 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 sisters 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.”
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Reflection:
Have you noticed that there’s a greater feeling of satisfaction
when you give to the poor than when you give to someone who could repay you? If
you have not done this yet just try doing it so that you would feel it.
For example, try preparing two sets of the same food; you give one to
your neighbor and the other one you give to the poor. Notice immediately the
deeper feeling of grace and fulfillment that will set in to your heart after
you’ve given the food to the poor.
Why is this so? Because the poor, the unwanted and the less fortunate of
our society are closest to the heart of Jesus. In-fact Jesus Himself told a
story about the last judgment where the king said: ‘Truly I say to you: just as
you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did
it to me (Matthew 25:40).’
In the gospel, Jesus was invited to dine at the home of one of the
leading Pharisees. And while there Jesus gave them a food for thought or
something to think about and ponder.
Jesus said this to the host who invited Him: “When you hold a lunch or a
dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters 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 (Luke
14:12-14).”
This loaded and meaningful lecture of Jesus is not only for the leading
Pharisee who invited Him this is also for us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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