The parable that Jesus told in today’s gospel is generally taken to mean that the Jewish people were the guests originally invited to the Kingdom of God, but they did not accept Jesus. As God’s chosen people, Jesus came to them first, but they did not acknowledge him as the messiah. Therefore, the Kingdom of God would be given to whoever would accept Jesus Christ as the son of the living God.
Isn’t it a beautiful thing how the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame, were invited to the banquet first in this parable? The weakest of those in the community were invited first. Jesus always reached out to those on the margins of society, the outcasts, and the sick. Their lives were not as easy as everyone else’s, but Jesus cared about them first. We should remember this when we are weak and sick too. Jesus loves us and he cares what we are going through.
The other beautiful thing about today’s gospel, is that the king had his servant go into the highways and bring to the table, everyone that he found. Everyone was invited and welcomed to the table of the Lord, and this is still true today. Jesus Christ is the servant that came that we might have eternal life. He will not reject anyone that comes to him, no matter their station in life or the condition of their soul.
It’s also pretty awesome how the servant in the gospel went out and looked for people on the highways and hedgerows. Hedgerows were clumps of trees or shrubs and were not people’s houses. The homeless and those who could not afford to stay at an inn may have been resting in those areas, from their journey. Again, Jesus seeks out those on the fringes of society, and if we stray from him, the Lord will go and look for us as well. It’s not so easy to escape his attention.
The entire gospel was about service though. The king prepared a great dinner for His guests. When his guests refused to come, He could have just gotten mad, put the food away and remained upset and angry with them. But, He didn’t. His kindness was simply offered to other people who would accept this loving act.
God the Father gave us His son so that we could be admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven, but Jesus spent his entire life as an act of service. From the first moment when his ministry began and he changed the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, until his death on the cross, he did not seek his own personal gain.
What about us? What do we do for other people that we do not receive anything back for our efforts? Even when we do acts of service for others though, we should look at our motives. Do we feel like a martyr because we are always giving to others and no one gives to us? Do we have a position in a ministry that we take a little too much pride in, during our service to others? Perhaps we feel more holy than others because we are part of a prominent, visible ministry in the church and everyone looks up to us?
Pride can be a hidden motive behind many of the good acts we do, rather than the kind of unselfish love the king has in today’s parable. Let us strive to be unselfish and generous with our time, talent and resources with other people, without expecting anything back. Then, we will most certainly be worthy to be called the children of God.
Daily Mass Readings:
Philippians 2: 5-11 / Psalm 22 / Luke 14: 15-24
