22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Sir 3:17-18,20,28-29 II: Hebrews 12:18-19,22-24a

¹ On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.
⁷ He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. ⁸ "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
⁹ and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.
¹⁰ Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
¹² Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
¹³ Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
¹⁴ blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

• This is the last of the six accounts of Jesus' activities on the Sabbath in Luke. The Sabbath has been a cause of conflict stories with the Pharisees before. (4:16-30; 4:31-37; 6:1-5; 6; 6-11; 13:10-17).
  
• The setting of the meals also has been used for other confrontations: washing of hands, eating with sinners ... If Jesus eats a meal with a Pharisee on a Sabbath, there surely will be a conflict.
  
• It was common in the ancient Mediterranean world that a meal is a setting for philosophers and teachers to offer their wisdom. But for Luke, the image of Jesus at table is that of one who accepts and receives all kinds of people.
  
• First parable. Choosing the lowest place at table could be a common advice on social behavior. However, in Jesus' teaching, the point is not about etiquette but the kingdom behavior, as v.11 makes clear: " ... the one who humbles himself will be raised up".
  
• Second parable. Hosting can be a way of putting others in your debt, but why put in your debt those who cannot pay? A banquet is also an opportunity for a host to acknowledge humility. In the kingdom, God is host and who can repay God?
  
• Luke's list of the fringe people: the poor, crippled, lame, and blind, also repeated in the next story where the invited guests refuse to come (15-24) - is his list of kingdom people. That has been clear since Mary's song (1:46-55).
  
• (v.14) Resurrection. The Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection are stung by Jesus' parable. In the confrontation, instead of trapping Jesus, they fell into their own trap.
  

Humility is not a matter of putting ourselves down, but humility is recognizing that we are nourished, gifted by God and then reaching out to others in the same way.

1. In which way am I nourished and gifted by God?
2. Out of this gratitude, how have I reached out to others to share what God gives them through me?

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community