Are we Christians capable of gratuitousness?

Listening to the Spirit

Prayer for generosity

Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.

(St. Ignatius of Loyola)

Listening to the Word

Luke 14:1, 7-14

One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come, and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Reflection

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus is told about the plan of Herod, the fox, to kill him. Some pharisees invite him to escape, but Jesus continues his journey: I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. (Lk. 13:32). The courage, the determination, the openness, the trust of Jesus are motivated by his relationship, obedience and abandonment to the Father for the accomplishment of His plan of love for each of us.

The heart and intelligence of Jesus are attentive to what is happening around him. He “observes” how people invited to eat together are looking for the first place, the place in which someone is recognized and honored by the host, the place reserved for someone important and distinguished. Having observed the situation, Jesus offers his “word” and his sentiments about the attitude of protagonism and exhibitionism of those who are looking for the first places. He uses a parable to share his teaching: when you are invited to eat, do not try to take the first place, that is do not think that you are an important person, worthier than other people to be near the host because in that case you run the risk of being asked to leave the seat to someone worthier than you. Do not have an inflated concept of yourself that blinds you and makes you think that you are more valuable and precious than others. Remain simple, close to the last seats, do not overestimate yourself because you might experience the calling of the host: "My friend, move up higher”, that is, come closer to me, come to a better place. In this way, your real importance in the eyes of the host will be revealed. Therefore, the intention of Jesus by using this parable is expressed in the last words: “For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up.” (Lk. 14:11). It means that only when we really experience humiliation, we can become truly humble. This vocabulary, in fact, expresses what creates a true relationship with the Lord and our brothers and sisters. It would be painful and empty to pretend to be humble in order to be moved up higher! The invitation of Jesus is to remain in the lowest place with simplicity, without any kind of forced “littleness” attitude, and above all without seeking for what does not depend on us: "My friend, move up higher”.

Simplicity, modesty, disinterest are part of the style of a person, of a Christian. Only in this way we can enjoy the “feast” and communion in an authentic and constructive way. A real “feast” can be celebrated only by “remaining in our place” and not by “stealing” the place of others. These attitudes contribute to the real growth of our family relationships and communities. Saint Paul reminds us: “never pride yourself on being better than you really are, but think of yourself dispassionately, recognizing that God has given to each one his measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3)

Jesus then, turning to the host, adds another exhortation: “When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and so repay you.” (Lk. 14:12). The sentence “in case they invite you back and so repay you” reveals the real “reasoning” when we invite people: to be reciprocated and repaid in our favors. From a human perspective, there is nothing wrong with this because human coexistence is based on this principal. Reciprocity and interest dominate our “invitations”. However, this very logic denies the fundamental characteristic of love: gratuitousness. For Jesus a real feast, a real meal, that is the communion of life is such only if it is gratuitously offered, without expecting anything in return.

If those who cannot “invite us back and so repay us” are excluded from our tables, then out tables are not according to the Gospel: “when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you...' (Lk. 14:13-14). Are we Christians capable of this gratuitousness?

For Jesus is clear that gratuitousness is repaid by God our Father Himself: “and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again”. (Lk. 14: 14).

Lastly, this parable reveals the face of the Lord: “Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. And for this God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names….”. (Phil. 2:6-8).