Gospel Reflection by Deacon Mark Kelly:
It seems Jesus delights in catching us on the wrong foot! Week after week in Luke’s gospel, his challenges fly in the face of worldly wisdom.
Shouldn’t I just look after myself? No, put your neighbour (that is everyone else) first. Don’t the practicalities of the world take first priority? No, don’t stress over the things of this world; listening to the Word of God takes priority. But how can I be sure? Have faith in God’s love for you. Wouldn’t I be wise to focus first on financial security? No, that would be dumb. Look to spiritual security. Be prepared for your eternal future. Surely only the good guys (that is people who think like us) are saved? Don’t you worry about that!
And in this gospel (Lk 14:1, 7-14), set in the house of a leading Pharisee, Jesus again turns accepted wisdom on its head. Don’t big-note yourself, be self-effacing, leave honour for others to accord and give generously without anticipation of earthly reward.
Yes, we nod sagely at Jesus’ advice to his audience of Pharisees. But do we listen as though we were fellow guests there ourselves? Or do we sit in our comfortable, clean-scrubbed congregation pointing at those Pharisees from long ago?
Do we hear Jesus instructing us in our parishes and communities to invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind to our Sunday feast? Are we inspired to share our abundance with the homeless and hopeless, with the unwashed and maybe the “unworthy”? Do we simply wish for it, or do we roll up our sleeves and actually do it? Are we alive to the precious essence of each person we encounter, especially the seeming least, cherishing them and easing their burden without counting the cost?
As always, if Jesus’ teachings don’t make us uncomfortable, then we are not truly listening.
