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Homily for Tuesday of the 31st Week in OT, 5 Nov 2024, Lk 14:12-14
I hope you don’t mind that I do some “reading between the lines” of the parable narrated by Jesus in today’s Gospel. Is the host in the story commanding his servant to let the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame partake of his banquet because the ones he had invited had made all sorts of excuses not to attend? One gets that impression based on the way the story is being told. But you know, I suspect something else. I have a feeling that the invitees were just making all sorts of excuses because they knew that this host had a reputation of welcoming to his parties, not just his friends but also the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame. And the invited guests must have felt that it was below their dignity to be dining in the company of those who were not of their own class status in society.
In one of the countries recently visited by Pope Francis, the media had publicized everything that the Pope had done and said, except a dinner that he had with the homeless. Every now and then, during his visits, the Pope does certain things that do not please the leaders of his host countries—such as his efforts to call attention to the plight of the poor and marginalized, especially the migrants and victims of human trafficking. The leaders usually find such gestures as offensive or even uncomplimenting. They expect him as a State visitor to just follow the usual protocol for guests in a State visit, abide by the ceremonials and photo opportunities, toast champagne exclusively with the monarchs and political leaders who are welcoming him.
I imagine the kind of discomfort the Pharisees felt about Jesus welcoming tax-collectors and prostitutes, or even people who were categorized in Jewish society as “impure” or “unclean”. That must have been the reason why, Nicodemus, for example, in spite of his admiration for Jesus, chose to meet with him in the dead of night. Or remember that Pharisee named Simon who felt scandalized that Jesus had allowed a woman of ill-repute to massage his feet with oil at a dinner the Pharisee had hosted?
Up until this day and age, we still have fellow Catholics who prefer to make the Eucharist an exclusive meal for the righteous and deserving, than a body broken for broken people and for the forgiveness of sinners. They frown at the idea of widening the spaces of the Church’s tents to accommodate the rejects and the excluded. How do you think the Father must have felt when his righteous older son refused to partake of the fattened calf which had been slaughtered for the banquet prepared to welcome home his prodigal brother?
When Jesus invited himself to dine with Zaccheus, he did not say, “Only if you turn away from your sinful life, can you enjoy my company.” Rather, his merciful, non-judgmental and welcoming treatment of Zaccheus was enough to make Zaccheus come down from his sycamore tree, to give up his corrupt way of life and follow the way of Jesus. And so, to those who say sinners are welcome but only “in Jesus’ terms”, perhaps it is important to know what Jesus’ terms are really about—they are about enrelenting mercy and unconditional love, a love willing to descend into hell even for those whose very righteousness keeps them apart from the God of grace, whose mercy always exceeds his justice.
