Year C Proper 17 - August 28, 2022
Christ’s Banquet
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen
This morning, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus attends a meal at the Pharisees’ house, and at that meal, he gives advice about where to sit at the table. To me, this could be a scene straight from a middle school lunchroom. Nobody is sure where to sit, when someone does sit, they may be told that the seat is saved for someone else. If leaves their place to sit elsewhere, how do the others feel who are left sitting by themselves? The struggle of searching for one’s place is real.
Banquets, for the Jewish community in the first century, were certainly not just about consuming food. They were holy events, filled with ritual significance, not vastly different than rituals at the altar in the Temple of Jerusalem. The Pharisee, in Luke’s story, is honoring Jewish code by inviting Jesus, who is a member of the host of Israel.
And, to set the scene a little bit more, this story is set amongst a series of trick questions that the Pharisees ask Jesus, particularly about how to behave on the Sabbath. In Luke chapter 14, while Jesus was going to the Pharisee’s house, he found a man sick with a skin condition, and healed him, making a point to the experts in the law that it is better to heal on the Sabbath than to ignore the needs of those around him.
And so, when Jesus describes where to sit, and whether to sit at the place of honor or at a lowly place, he is not just telling a nice story about humility. Rather, he is responding to the Pharisees who have been trying to catch Jesus disobeying the law.
When it comes down to how Jesus really felt about the banquets, he basically tells them to throw out the entire system. When you host a banquet, he says, “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,” not the rich who will return the favor. And so, we are reminded about a common theme in Luke: following Jesus means embracing those on the margins, bringing them into the center of God’s love.
This is the essence of the Gospel. This is the essence of the Kingdom of God.
Who would Jesus have invited to a banquet today? Those without a home, perhaps women and single moms who struggle to find safety in this world, people of various races, sexual orientation, and gender, and certainly children. Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Luke 18:16). In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt. 18:5).
Let us, at Trinity Cathedral, create an image of Christ’s banquet. What does Trinity’s version of Christ’s banquet look like?
We strive to seek those on the margins and embrace them, both within our walls and within our community. Let us always strive to care for those around us. Maybe it’s someone walking past our church one Sunday and decides to enter in and join us for the service. Maybe it’s someone who has had a recent miscarriage or other loss, who needs to know they are not alone. Let’s not be too busy to reach out and care for one another.
And, our image of Christ’s banquet embraces the children in our midst, during worship services, at the altar, in Sunday School, and through blessings such as the Blessing of the Backpacks. Scripture makes it very clear that we learn about the Kingdom of God from our children. We learn about joy, faith and love from our little ones!
Let us join together as we continue to create an image of Christ’s banquet in the community around us, as well, through ministries like the Downtown Episcopal Outreach and the Victory Veterans Apartments.
So, reaching out to those on the margins is the essence of the Gospel. Last, but certainly not least, when you feel isolated, rejected, or perhaps, a little like a middle school student searching for your place, know that the love of our Almighty God draws you back into the center.
Let us imagine together, and work together, to find opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s care and love to those around us. Let us enfold those on the margins, and let us be assured that God’s love folds us in whenever we feel disparaged. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The Rev. Deacon Lisa Aguilar