"For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted....when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you." (Lk 14:11, 13-14)
The first reading for this Sunday provides us with simple wisdom: "humble yourself the more, the greater you are." The second reading has another tone to it. It speaks to us of the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem, and the exaltation of those who are within "the city of the living God." These seem to be opposing themes being presented to us, but both of them merge beautifully in the Gospel reading.Jesus is invited to a feast at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and He notices that the other guests are seeking the seats of honor at the table. This is the context in which Jesus takes the opportunity to provide two parallel teachings, the summaries of which are in the quote at the beginning of this post - humbling oneself, and inviting the poor and rejected to your table. So what ties these two teachings together?
First of all, it is important to recall that often times Jesus uses parables about feasts and banquets to describe what the Kingdom of God is like in Heaven. In addition to Jesus' metaphors there are numerous other references throughout the New Testament where the sacred authors use the imagery of a wedding banquet, or a feast, to describe Heaven - especially in the Book of Revelation. So Jesus' teachings about humility and the poor within the context of a banquet give us a further glimpse into the nature of the Kingdom of God. We see this confirmed in recalling the first Beatitude, "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:3) In Pope Benedict's book Jesus of Nazareth he demonstrates that the Scriptural phrase "poor in spirit" is a reference to those who belong to God - those who depend upon Him for everything.
Back to the question at hand: what unites the two lessons we hear about in today's Gospel - being humble, and inviting the poor to your feasts? To answer this I think a phrase from St. Teresa of Avila can be of some use: "to be humble is to walk in truth" (located somewhere in her book, Interior Castle). For St. Teresa of Avila, humility is intimately united to truth. If we live in the truth that we are helpless without God ("without me you can do nothing"), but that with God all things are possible (Mt 19:26), then we have the proper disposition of being "poor in spirit". So humility is not about debasing ourselves, but rather living in the truth. Inviting the poor and the rejected to share your table is a concrete reminder of the truth that we are all one - it helps us to live in truth, and awakens us from the world of illusion which seems to be ever expanding - a world where someone can feel as if he or she doesn't actually need God, and can be happy and totally self-sufficient without Him. There is no bigger illusion!
I was listening to someone explain to me last night that the Community of Sant'Egidio seeks to truly befriend the poor. In fact, to be a member requires that you actually befriend someone who is poor - you honestly become their friend and involve them in your life. What a beautiful witness at a time when many people do not feel that Jesus' teaching of inviting the poor, the blind, and the lame to a meal at their house is even possible. The poor, rejected, abandoned, and forgotten are out there in droves (on the streets, in nursing homes, shelters, etc...), and sometimes within our very own homes and families. May the good Lord open our eyes and hearts this day to see the poor, and recognize ourselves and Jesus in them. God bless you.
(Photo of "Blessed Among Women" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)
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