In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.
A meal is, perhaps, the last natural sacrament of our society: even those who are atheists, on special occasions, will put a cloth over a table, decorate it with candles and flowers and dress in their best clothes. This is more than just about sustenance and nutrition, more than the mere fact of eating and drinking, this is about an occasion, an event—it is still a profoundly religious event even in our secular society, it is sacred, it is a mystery.
Sharing a meal together unites us with all meals and with all peoples: we share together. And this most beautiful of gifts to humanity from God is used throughout Scriptures as an image of eternity—the Heavenly Banquet. The Lord sends out his servant, his very Image Jesus Christ, into the world and calls all to come to the feast. And yet those who are invited make excuses.
Do you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, make excuses? Do I? All the excuses given are honourable things, are morally good things—tending to a field or livestock, caring for a new wife—but these things are only good when we do them for God and for the sake of the Kingdom. They are not to make me feel better nor to earn me entry into Heaven, rather they are to train my heart that when I hear the call of my Lord I may raise my head and leave all for the sake of him. We are called to life, abundant life: not to place our hope in this world where all will rot and wither but in the next where decay has no place, where life reigns.
In the place of those who were invited the Lord finds more to share his Banquet. But this is no ordinary feast—the verse immediately preceding today’s Gospel reading has a man calling our “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15)—because this is the Heavenly Banquet itself. Our world desires riches, strength, abundance, opulence yet the Lord calls out to and identifies with the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame, those who are outside the society and civilisation of the city—the Most-High God identifies with those whom we would despise and put away as being not like us and says they will be the ones who inherit eternal life with him.
My dear brothers and sisters, accept the Lord’s invitation to his Banquet, he wants you to be with him. And bring with yourself those who are rejected by this world, who are mistreated by this world, who suffer injustice in this world because to them we owe our service and to the extent we serve them to the same extent we deserve to be with the Lord.
To our Lord and God be all glory, honour and dominion, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Brethren, walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.
— Ephesians 5:8–19
The Lord said this parable: “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'”
— Luke 14:16–24