Reflection - Self

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110419.cfm
Romans 11:29-36
Luke 14:12-14

William Randolph Hearst was a well known figure in the late 1800’s and the first half of the 1900’s. Beginning in San Francisco he created a newspaper and magazine empire. In the course of his life, he also built a palatial home, popularly known as the Hearst Castle, in the vicinity of San Simeon, California, just north of Los Angeles. There he entertained the wealthy, the powerful and the celebrities of his day. Many guests would stay, not just a few days, but a few weeks or even a few months.

The ‘Castle’ has several separate buildings for the guest’s residential privacy, but only the main house had kitchen and dining facilities since all guests were required to eat meals together and engage in timely conversation.

The master of the house — Hearst, of course — occupied the center seat at the long banquet table. And it is said that Hearst would personally assign the seating at his dinner table. Guests whose conversations Hearst enjoyed, were seated close to him; but as their conversation or opinions became more tedious or boring, Hearst would seat them further and further down the line with each passing day. An astute guest might take the hint, while the more obtuse would linger on until they were assigned no seat at all.

The current incident from the Gospel of Luke recounts Jesus at a lunch or dinner; but it properly begins earlier in the chapter.

“One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.” (Luke 14:1)

As Luke proceeds through the next several verses he notes multiple incidents which take place before or during the meal. First there is the issue of healing a man with dropsy, which, as in a similar earlier incident, the Pharisees refuse to discuss. Then follows a short parable through which Jesus asks the guests to consider what they would do if an ox or a child fell into a pit on the Sabbath. Next comes the well known teaching about taking the highest — or lowest — place at table when attending a marriage feast. Concluding that teaching is the line “he who humbles himself will be exalted” and vice-versa. Finally we are presented with the teaching read today regarding who to invite.

Each of these segments has a teaching of its own; but there is an overriding theme which pervades them all.

The question of healing on the Sabbath provides the introduction. The Pharisees are silent in the face of this challenge to their pre-determined order of spiritual issues. Their focus is on themselves as the righteous who have decided what is right and what is wrong.

The parable of the ox or child in the pit attempts to expand the issue and to explore it at a personal level. Silence again prevails. The Pharisees might as well have said: “I’ve made up my mind. I don’t want to talk about that.” Again their focus is on themselves as the arbitrators of correct behavior.

So Jesus redirects his challenge by questioning the advisability of assuming that you have the ‘right’ to be seated close to, or even next to the host of the banquet. Is this not an attempt to force a reconsideration of the Pharisees’ assumption that God’s judgement is harmonious with theirs? That’s the reason for the conclusion: “he who humbles himself will be exalted” and vice-versa.

Finally, after other efforts have failed, Jesus takes a more direct approach. The Pharisees’ smugness has prevailed no matter the dilemma posed. Jesus is forced to be blunt. In selecting those to invite they focus on themselves just as Hearst did. Who will entertain me? Who can give me access to their power, prestige or celebrity status? Who can augment my reputation by returning this invitation of mine? Who will reinforce the truth which I clearly possess?

The Pharisees wouldn’t deal with the immediate problem of the man in need. They wouldn’t reflect on the consequences of their rules. They were quite willing to presume their place among the exalted. What was there left to say except: Do you realize you are just exalting yourself?

Maybe that’s a question we all need to ask.

SUMMARY