Sunday Reflections
22nd Sunday of Year C
God favours the humble
✠ A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 14,1;7-14
On a sabbath day, 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 honour at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at a table in the place of honour.
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.”
1. Today’s readings present two clear messages: God favours the humble, God loves those who love the poor. The first reading summarized it this: he who is humbles is accepted more than he that gives gift. He who is humble is favoured by God. He who gives to the needy will have his sins forgiven. In all these, the Wise man outlines the advantages of a humble life.
2. The gospel enlarges the two messages. Jesus, as we know, was an enemy of the pharisees. The pharisees were religious elites, versed in the knowledge of the law. Most of them were rich and influential. They keep aloof from the masses whom they regard as nobodies (Jn 7:49). Jesus, on the contrary, remained simple and mixed up with the poor and simple folk. He teaches the law in simple language accessible to the poor. The pharisees in their pride could not accept the teachings of a simple folk like Jesus. Why then was Jesus invited for dinner by a leading pharisee? The first line of the gospel gives the answer. He was invited to be watched carefully. A sick person was even placed in front of him to see if he would heal someone on Sabbath Day. Jesus healed the sick and went ahead to give them a teaching on humility. He observed how the guests were struggling for places of honour, an attitude of those who feel that they are more important than others. Jesus told them that it should be left for the host to decide who is important and who is not.
3. Humility is not a virtue for our age that is characterized by pride and packaging. But a proud christian is a misnomer. One cannot claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ and still be proud and arrogant, looking down on others. Unfortunately, the church is filled from top to bottom with such people. Such people are discernable by their fruits. They criticize those placed over them. They want only their views to be accepted, and when this is not done, they cause trouble. They believe that they know better than others and, like the pharisees, can even set traps for those who do not accept their views.
4. Jesus also addressed the host of the dinner party. Having noticed that most of the invited guests were rich and influential pharisees, Jesus advised the host to adopt a fundamental option for the poor. The man was not merely generous. He was rather investing, sowing seeds of friendship with the people who will in time pay him back by inviting him to their own party. Jesus drew his attention to the fact that the true investment is one that will be rewarded in heaven. For Jesus, the invitation list to any party should give priority to those who cannot repay the host. This was a simple admonition valid for all times. But how many of those who hear this call today will be able to put it in practice before their death? Jesus invites his hearer to practice the fundamental option for the poor. This does not simply mean giving food and money to the poor. It means concrete identification with the poor, an identification that leads to allowing the presence of the poor to condition our choices and lifestyle. Jesus remains a model for this fundamental option. He is God but identified with humanity in all things but sin. This implies recognizing the God who is hidden in every poor person. St. Mother Theresa says that poverty disfigures the image of God in man, meaning that it could sometimes be difficult to discern the image of God in a poor, disfigured person. But that is what we are called to do. In this Damian, the leper becomes a good example of our time. At the age of 33, as a newly ordained priest, he volunteered to serve the lepers as the chaplain of a leper colony. For 16 years, he lived with and ministered to lepers until he died of leprosy. He became like the lepers in all things but sin.
5. You may not have the courage of Damian, but you can help the poor regain their dignity by making them feel that they are fully human. People may forget what you tell them or what you give them, but they will never forget how you make them feel. Learn from Jesus to be meek and humble of heart, and you will find peace for your soul.
