Invite the Poor

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’ One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, ‘Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.” ’ Luke 14:12-24

People who are used to being invited to fancy dinners, to parties with the influential and powerful, have no concept of what an incredible gift that invite would be to someone who is always left off the list. We live in a country where, more and more, the gap between the haves and have nots is deep and wide, ever growing. Many of us may not have the money to host a big swanky party, but we can share what we have and invite the excluded. We can give up a place in line, a seat on the bus, or a place at the table. Most often, the most generous folks are those who know poverty and need and are thrilled to share with others. There is abundance in some of the most overlooked places. May we too be thrilled to share with others making them a place at the table.

Gracious Creator, source of abundance and beauty

this tender earth, this one home you give us to share

is a place divided by war, poverty and excess.

You call us to invite and make welcome the least

yet we want to exclude those different and scary

despite the fact that you have call us all as your family.

Help us to be generous when we have plenty from you

and make us generous when there are those with great needs

and make us willing to give up for others so all may be fed. Amen.