Luke’s Gospel has a unique focus on the significance of sharing a meal at table. He presents his Gospel in a way that makes this very human activity and Christ’s message inseparable, and he does this by framing the narrative as a great journey. Along the way, meals and hospitality play a critical role for Jesus and his followers. One such occasion becomes a springboard for a parable which teaches us much about God and about ourselves.
In the ancient world, eating a meal was a very structured affair. Guests were seated according to a clear hierarchy of importance. The place of honor was at the right hand of the host. The person who sat to the left was in second place. Other places of importance went down from there. At the very end of the table were the places for those seen as having a lower importance - children, slaves, and (unfortunately) women.
In all of the "table discourses" of Luke’s gospel, Jesus breaks through the barriers that society and religion have constructed. It's a pretty clear clue that this parable is not a moral teaching nor an instruction on getting ahead at social events, or how to behave at dinners. Parables have more to do with our standing before God who is the host at "the banquet.”
Jesus speaks about the guest list and who is on it. He has already identified himself with social unfortunates and outcasts. The invitation is sent along the highways and byways to call them in to the table that he is preparing for them. They are to sit with him at the banquet as honored guests.
The point? All who are in need of mercy and acceptance are invited. That pretty much includes all of us.
There needs to be a shift in our perception of God from the One who looks down on us, to the One who looks upon us with love, and can smile at what he sees. To think correctly about who we are as a community, we must adapt our vision accordingly. We must realize that we are not simply a liturgical community, concerned only with rubric and the "how" of worship. We are a Eucharistic community, which gathers together to be nourished by the bread of Life and who leave the table to become that bread for others.
Accepting Jesus’ invitation, we sit with him at the banquet as honored guests. And we must understand that anyone who acknowledges their poverty and need before God are the special recipients of this same honor. If we really understand this, if we really believe this, we too will invite to the table of reconciliation and equality the very same honored guests - the poor, the suffering and those held captive by the brokenness of this world.
There is a place for everyone at the table.
