Daily Catholic Lectio
Tue, 5 November 2024
Tuesday of the XXXI Week of the Year
Philippians 2:5-11. Luke 14:15-24
Come to the banquet!
‘Those who reject the call of the kingdom and discipleship or those who honour it because of compulsion will not taste them.’
The narrative of Jesus’ dining at the house of a Pharisee ends with a parable of Jesus at the great banquet.
A person who reclined at the table with Jesus makes an assertion: “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” These words draw our attention. This person was able to move from the earthly banquet that was just in front of his eyes to the heavenly banquet, which is unseen. Moreover, he knew that all the miracles and the parables of Jesus must be understood in the light of the Kingdom of God.
What does this anonymous person understand about the banquet of the Kingdom of God?
(a) In the banquet of the Kingdom, even exceptions are rules. One could get healed even on a Sabbath day.
(b) In the banquet of the Kingdom, the invited ones don’t seek the seats of honour.
(c) The invitation to the banquet is given to those who are not able to repay.
Jesus answered this person through a parable. A man prepares a great banquet. When the banquet is ready, he sends reminders to the invitees. Instead of honouring the invitation, they begin to make excuses – field, oxen, marriage. The invitation is extended to the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. When there is still space, the invitation is further given to those along the highways.
The parable concludes with a statement by Jesus: “None of these men who were invited will taste my banquet!”
Metaphorically, ‘banquet’ refers to ‘Kingdom of God,’ ‘the time for the banquet’ is ‘Jesus’ first coming,’ ‘those invited first’ are ‘the Jews;’ ‘their excuses’ are ‘their own priorities;’ ‘those who were called later’ are ‘the Gentiles.’
Or, in the light of the text that follows the parable, the banquet could be understood as discipleship. If so, the implied message is that making excuses is not worthy of a disciple, and a disciple who is compelled to follow Jesus will not celebrate his call as the disciple of Jesus. For ‘wealth’ (‘I have bought a field’), ‘works’ (‘I have bought oxen’), and ‘relationships’ (‘I am newly married’) are obstacles to discipleship.
Those who were invited first do not taste the banquet because they rejected the invitation. They had their own priorities.
Those who were invited later do not taste the banquet because they came under compulsion.
What do we learn from this parable on the kingdom of God and discipleship?
(a) No one merits the call to the banquet. The invitation is a gift from the Master.
(b) The kingdom of God and discipleship belong to all. All are invited!
(c) God respects the internal freedom of the invited.
(d) The invited ones must make themselves worthy.
And the parable raises questions concerning our priorities in life and our yielding to pressures from outside.
Let us not allow Jesus to say, ‘You too will not taste the banquet!’ May the Kingdom of God and discipleship be our priorities.
In the first reading, as Saint Paul ends his epistle to the Romans, he puts forward certain wisdom sayings in the form of an exhortation: (a) Coordination of a body must be imitated in a community; (b) Communion that is built on love; and (c) Complementarity as an act of solidarity with the vulnerable.
‘Those who reject the call of the kingdom and discipleship or those who honour it because of compulsion will not taste them.’
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The ‘pilgrims of hope’ willingly accept the call of discipleship (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 240).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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