In the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks about the kingdom as a banquet to which all are invited. In coming to this banquet, we are not to take the places of honor nor are we to invite those from whom we expect repayment. We all belong.

The Pharisee in this gospel questioned Jesus with a sense of superiority. However, Jesus challenged him to see others including the sick, the lame, and the outcast as equally worthy to sit at God’s table. This feast, prepared by God is open to all.

We are all called to a sense of humility as we approach God.  We must treat others out of goodness and not with the expectation of being rewarded. Perhaps this is a way of being humble.

In the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 14), Jesus says to those hosting a banquet, “Do not invite people who would be expected to repay them to dinner but to invite those who could not repay: the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This is where real blessings can be found.”

In this Gospel, Jesus is calling us back to what it means to be Church.  We must help one another on this journey without counting the cost. No matter what we are going through, it is by our love and humility that our identity as Christian can shine through.