“When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor; he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host, and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place,” and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Grace to you from the Mystery in whom we live and breathe and
have our being.
“You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous”
I WANT TO DIE
My first spiritual director in the late 90’s Scott Hassarud, was a retired Lutheran minister and Jungian psychoanalyst. He was a brilliant, intuitive man. He once told me a story about a client who called him at two in the morning saying she wanted to die. He said, “go back to bed and call me during the day tomorrow. You don’t want to die.” He said it was a risky approach but chuckled and said it may have been more a result of his sleepiness rather than the wisdom that would save her.
She said again, “you don’t understand, I really want to die right now.” Scott repeated, “you don’t want to die.” After one more plea, Scott said, “you don’t want to die, you want something to die. What is it you want to die?”
What phenomenal insight! Scott knew his client and that’s probably why it was not as risky as it might have been for a suicide hotline counselor to say to a desperate caller.
Scott’s suggestion was his client’s breakthrough. Once she understood why she wanted to die, she understood it need not be her very life or anyone else’s. Instead of turning on herself she awakened or resurrected to a new perspective.
no bypassing death
Unfortunately, there is no bypassing death on the way to resurrection. Something must die to have a personal and collective awakening.
I wonder what had to die inside Jesus when he faced the rejection, hatred and jealousy of those in authority. Why would he attend a dinner that was a setup?
I’m afraid we too often attempt to compromise the well-being of others and refrain from upsetting the apple cart of an oppressive individual and system. We say we are being strategic or playing the long game while the vulnerable beg for mercy and bread.
Not Jesus. I am taken by how willing Jesus is to subject himself to extreme scrutiny in front of his followers. The passage says they were all watching him.
If it had been me, I wouldn’t have accepted the dinner invitation. The host appeared to be setting him up. Earlier in the chapter a person suffering from “dropsy” shows up during dinner. Could it have been a plant since they were watching his every nonconformist move? They must have wondered if he would dare heal someone on the day of the sabbath. Especially while sitting at the table of his accusers.
respect the law
Jesus had a profound respect for the law. In Matthew chapter five Jesus is quoted saying, “do not think I came to abolish the law but to fulfill it.” Big words for the guy who healed the man with dropsy during the Sabbath meal and did it in front of the keepers of the law! How did Jesus respect the law and violate it at the same time?
In Matthew five Jesus laid out for his disciples the principles of reverence for God and others. This was the intent of the law of Moses. But somewhere along the line the intricacies created by people were no longer for the reverence of God or for the well-being of others. The original purpose of the commandments and the law were to reverence God and respect the sacredness of others.
Jesus could have had the man wait until the next day to be healed and appease his hosts in hopes of winning them over. Jesus could have refashioned his image before the courts and the synagogue. He could have bypassed the cross. Afterall, it’s just one dinner.
Jesus did not bend to the judgment of his dinner hosts. Jesus did not ignore the caste system at the dinner table. Jesus brought to the table what it means to seek God with everything you’ve got and to love others as yourself. His actions fulfilled the purpose of the commandments and what represented the sermon on the mount in action.
Jesus maintains great calm and serenity amid his enemies. Without hesitation he shares what could be a life-giving parable. In it he elevates humility as a response to all who might struggle with perceived privilege. He is ever hopeful that change can occur even in an atmosphere of skepticism and ego. His own pride, fear and rightful position with God needed to die.
die to ego
Jesus was clearly inviting proud people to die. Die to their ego and pride and in humility resurrect their own lives.
He says to invite the poor to dinner instead of repeatedly having family over in hopes of reciprocation. We ought not miss what Jesus is saying. He is saying consider showing hospitality to those who cannot return the favor. That is the purity of divine hospitality. It is the ultimate grace.
Regarding the seating arrangements, I believe Jesus is saying humility is the only thing that can save and resurrect a religion-bound pharisee. Humility is the only way to discover the thing you want to die. Perhaps the only meal served on sabbath is humility.
let it die
The ego will do anything to resuscitate pride, place and popularity when threatened, but Jesus says let it die.
In the words of theologian William Barclay. “Many a person has decided to burn his clubs after a day at golf Open Championship. Many a person has decided never to appear in public again after hearing a master musician perform. Many a preacher has been humbled almost to despair when they heard a real saint of God speak. And if we set our lives beside the life of the Lord of all good life, if we see our unworthiness in comparison with the radiance of God’s stainless purity, pride will die, and self-satisfaction will be shriveled up.”
Amen
Wednesday Respite is a 30-min contemplative service of scripture, prayer, music and a Spirited Touchpoint by Henry Rojas, spiritual director at Spirit in the Desert.
Touchpoint is a reflection on where God’s story touches our life story. It is a short homily based on a biblical story of people in the Old and New Testaments and their relationship with God. Our spiritual ancestors’ experience of God’s grace connects with our lives in the present and our relationship with the Divine. Previous Touchpoints are available as PDFs or on SoundCloud.
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