Luke 14:15-24

Philippians 2:5-11

Psalm 22:26b-27, 28-30ab, 30e, 31-32

Luke 14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him,

“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”

He replied to him,

“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.

When the time for the dinner came,

he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,

‘Come, everything is now ready.’

But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.

The first said to him,

‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;

I ask you, consider me excused.’

And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen

and am on my way to evaluate them;

I ask you, consider me excused.’

And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,

and therefore I cannot come.’

The servant went and reported this to his master.

Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,

‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town

and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out

and still there is room.’

The master then ordered the servant,

‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows

and make people come in that my home may be filled.

For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I have heard your invitation to dine in your Kingdom. I have heard the message of your Servant and want to respond generously. Help me to overcome the noise of this world and transcend its cares to focus on you and your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Divine Invitation to Dinner: The image of dining with God in his Kingdom is a powerful one. It evokes the joy and blessing of a family meal. Jesus alludes to his role as the servant who calls the people to the feast. Instead of rejoicing at the invitation, they make excuses to not attend. “Israel was long invited to this feast by the prophets, yet many of the people declined when the Messiah announced the meal was ready. The Father therefore revised the guest list, summoning the despised of Israel (Luke 14:21) and the Gentiles (Luke 14:23; see Acts 13:46; 28:28) to enjoy the banquet in their place” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 135). We dine in the Kingdom of God first in the Eucharist (Luke 22:19-20), but, ultimately, in the communion we will enjoy with God in heaven (Revelation 19:9).

2. The Incarnation and Humiliation of Jesus: In the First Reading, Paul reflects on the mystery of Christ. He begins with Jesus’ divinity. Jesus, as the Son of God, is fully God. He is “in the form of God” and equal to God the Father. Jesus did not use his equality with God as something to be used for his own advantage or exploited for his own gain. In the fullness of time, the Son became incarnate and assumed our lowly human nature. The Son humbled himself by emptying himself and assuming our nature, “the form of a slave.” “The idea is, not that Christ divested himself of divinity when he united himself with humanity, but that he restricted his rightful exercise of certain divine abilities during his earthly life and accepted certain limitations of the human condition. In effect, the Son of God made himself poor in order to make us rich with his grace (2 Corinthians 8:9)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 359). The ultimate humbling was Jesus’ obedient death on the Cross. It wasn’t enough to be born in a manger in a stable. It wasn’t enough to live in obscurity for 30 years in Nazareth. It wasn’t enough to be misunderstood and rejected by his people. “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” 

3. The Exaltation and Enthronement of Jesus: The hymn contained in the First Reading does not end with Jesus’ humiliation. Jesus’ humble service and obedient sacrifice lead to glorious exaltation! The hymn proclaims Jesus as “the Lord.” It alludes to Isaiah 45:5-23, where Israel is called to worship the Lord alone as the only God and savior. “The Lord proclaims that to himself alone ‘every knee will bow and every tongue will confess’ (Isaiah 45:23). Philippians 2:9-11 agrees that on the final day of judgment, every knee will bow and confess to the glory of the Father, but what they confess to God’s glory is that ‘Jesus is Lord.’ The world’s ultimate acknowledgment of God as God at the judgment day is an acknowledgment of the supreme lordship of Christ” (Prothro, The Apostle Paul and His Letters, 194). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is consubstantial with the Father, “and the Father is pleased to receive creation’s prayer and praise ‘through’ and ‘in the name of’ the Son” (Prothro, The Apostle Paul and His Letters, 195).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I confess that you are the Lord! I see the path that you took and want to follow along that same path. Do not let me be discouraged when I experience humiliation and do not receive gratitude for my service and charity. Keep my eyes focused on you and your Father’s glory.

Living the Word of God: Am I truly listening to the Servant of the Lord’s message? Do I need to spend more time in quiet meditation and contemplation to hear God’s voice better? How can I today be still in my heart, overcome distraction, and hear the gentle voice of God? What is God saying to me in the depths of my heart? Where do I need to grow in true humility?