At that time, 15 a man who was reclining at the table said to Jesus, "Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

 

At that time, 15 a man who was reclining at the table said to Jesus, "Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 Jesus answered, "A man gave a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is ready. ' 18 But they all began one by one to make excuses. The first said, 'I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please accept my excuse. ' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them out. Please accept my excuse. ' 20 A third said, 'I have just gotten married, and I cannot come. ' 21 The servant went back and told his master everything. Then the owner of the house became very angry and said to the servant, 'Go out quickly into the squares and streets of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. ' 22 The servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room. ' 23 The master said to his servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel people to come here, so that my house may be filled.' 24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my banquet."

— Word of Salvation.

Reflection

1. Luke begins the text with the final beatitude: "Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God!" This was the manifestation of someone who was at the banquet. The parable will answer the question: who will be happy at this banquet? In Mt 22:1-14, the question is: who will be chosen?

2. It is necessary to make a serious decision in order to participate in the eternal banquet. Respecting the freedom of those who have been prepared, God's invitation is presented in a tremendously serious context. God does not give up on the guests, but they have given up on God because they have made other choices: they have exchanged the salvation offered by God for things linked to worldly interests. In response to their refusal and abandonment of the Lord’s call, the guests received a grave threat: “none of those who were invited will taste my banquet.” God is infinite mercy, but he is also infinite justice. He respects human decisions, awaits their response, but he is not a slave to the follies of those who have been called. Here it is up to the disciple to take God’s invitation seriously, a call that immediately demands a decisive response.

3. Something unexpected happens: God calls those rejected by society, the last, the forgotten, those who are treated as worthless, the rest according to the mentality of the world. They are the ones who take the place rejected by the first guests. Israel rejected the invitation and, for this very reason, lost its place. The banquet was taken from one people and given to another. For the disciple of Jesus Christ, this is very significant. It is important that each one of us place ourselves before God in a constant state of personal vigilance, because the temptations of the world are very strong and can lead the elect to make unbalanced decisions. It is necessary to remain before the Lord, attentive to His calling, determined in his life of communion with Him, aware of the value of belonging absolutely to God. A disciple’s concern should be to take care of the things of the Lord first, to give his life so that the Kingdom of God may be established in his own life and in the lives of others; to be an authentic sign of appreciation for those who are undervalued; to be a true instrument of transformation in love, truth and faith.

4. It does not suit a disciple to follow the dictates of a world that is bankrupt in its arguments and interests. The intellectual illusion of many condemns them. A mentality forged in the struggle for oneself does not correspond to the truth, but only to the distortion of good. Attachment to one’s own “world” disqualifies a life that was born with the vocation to be a gift. When the Jewish people, for various reasons, embraced the logic of the world, they distanced themselves from their instrumental salvific objective. Of course, the world is beautiful, but it is full of traps. Looking fixedly at God allows us to see both the beauty of creation and its limitations. The problem is that, because of sin, humanity tends precisely toward limitations, inclinations contrary to God. Israel found itself in this reality, as do many others today. God’s call is for everyone, but we need to do our part, not in any way, but responsibly. It is urgent that we discover God’s will and throw ourselves into it; let go of what the world thinks and let ourselves be led by the Spirit of the Lord. We will all be chosen when we follow the logic of God manifested in Jesus Christ. Our total adherence to Christ will make us fit for the Banquet.

A big and affectionate hug.