Many if not all of us have been invited - at some time or another - to luncheon and dinner parties at the homes of others. In fact, we ourselves have most probably reciprocated and invited friends and relatives to dine at our tables. What wonderful memories are created around such tables, yet Jesus invites us to consider issuing a different sort of invitation: one that challenges us to go beyond the confines of our own comfort and to dare to experience something new.
While he himself was sharing a meal as an invited guest, Jesus dared to challenge his host: When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your brothers or your sisters, or your relatives or your wealthy neighbours ... rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind (Lk 14:12-13). This invitation is issued to us today, but in order for us to accept it, we must also be prepared to make ourselves vulnerable, to set out on a journey that necessitates stretching ourselves beyond the limits of our usual comforts, yet to do this also holds the promise of growth and maturity.
Embracing a life of faith will often take us to places that we would not normally visit, and open for us adventures from which we might normally shy away, but these adventures also help us to appreciate the gifts that we have. Give thanks today for any opportunity to invite unexpected guests to sit at your table, and be prepared for something new.
Have a great day.
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