Click here for today’s Scripture readings.
Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a
Luke 14:1, 7-14
A fellow Passionist recently received a new assignment to an exotic European city. I live in Baltimore, so an exotic elsewhere is very exciting. As he ties up loose ends and works to prepare for his new ministry, he was looking for a place to stay in this transition time. Could he stay with our community? It is a bit crowded here, but, “you can do anything for a year.” A little tight living should be bearable to help a fellow religious. Since my needs for space are not the same as the other members in the house, when I presented the request, I added, “Remember, if we are hospitable here, our friend may be hospitable there.” One never knows the need to visit an exotic European city, right?
If you have read today’s gospel you will realize that my speaking to the community took place before I read it! The gospel concludes, “do not do good things for others expecting to collect some repayment. Do good things for those who will never be able to repay you.”
Some days we get out of bed knowing a tough day is ahead. We anticipate a confrontation, an exam, the doctors! Today’s gospel is that way. Hostile Pharisees gather with Jesus for a meal on the Sabbath. Pharisees, meal, Sabbath – each a setting or the participants in recent struggles with Jesus. All of these ingredients are now together in one event, one sentence. Put on your helmet; a major storm.
Jesus says: the Kingdom of God has higher demands than our social etiquette. And, since we are in a parable of Jesus, the surprise: “You will be happy when they CANNOT repay you because your reward will be paid back in the resurrection of the righteous.”
Our parable will continue and conclude in next week’s gospel reading. It is a struggle we wake up each day as a follower of Jesus. Why? Because this is what it means to follow Jesus: not to be glued to possessions, worldly opinions, our apparent success, and so to be free to respond to the invitation and call of Jesus. If your etiquette is that of mere social custom and not what is expected at the banquet table of the Kingdom, then you will not be proclaiming the joy of the Kingdom, you will have very bad manners, and you will be like salt that has no flavor.
Do good to those who cannot repay you. Your reward will be in the exotic place that the gospel today calls, the resurrection of the righteous, where the followers of Jesus gather.
Father Bill Murphy, C.P. is the pastor of St. Joseph Monastery Passionist Parish in Baltimore, Maryland.
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This Baltimore author continues to confront us with the obvious but totally revolutionary spirit of the parables which disarm us. They melt our coats of medieval mail which protect us from others, so that we might embrace the poor who would be crushed by our steel clothing.