THE PARABLE OF THE “HIGH TABLE” Sirach 3:17–18, 20, 28–29 / Psalm 68:4–7, 10–11 / Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–24 / Luke 14:1, 7–14 Humility: The first reading from Sirach tells us “The greater you humble yourselves, the greater you are.” Humility is not weakness; it is strength under control. Humility brings peace; while pride leads to […]
Uncategorized
HOMILY FOR THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C THE PARABLE OF THE “HIGH TABLE” Sirach 3:17–18, 20, 28–29 / Psalm 68:4–7, 10–11 / Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–24 / Luke 14:1, 7–14 In Luke 14:7–11, Jesus exposes the human obsession with seats of honour. Many live for chairs, titles, and positions, but Jesus reminds us that true honour is not in where you sit but in how you live. The chair may lift you before men, but only humility lifts you before God. When they call you “Chairman,” remember — without the chair, you are still a man. Do not build your life around tables or positions, for they fade with time. Instead, choose the lowly place, embrace humility, and let God Himself exalt you. For in the banquet of eternity, it is the humble who will be given the true seat of honour at the Lord’s table. 1. Humility: The first reading from Sirach tells us: “The greater you humble yourselves, the greater you are.” Humility is not weakness; it is strength under control. Humility brings peace; while pride leads to anxiety and stress. St. Augustine reminds us that “Pride turned angels into devils, but humility turns men into angels.* Pride is a vice that blinds us; humility is a virtue that opens us to God and others. In the “parable of the high table,” Jesus exposes our obsession with seats of honour. Many today build their lives around positions, titles, and chairs. But when they call you Chairman, remember: without the chair you are still a man. Positions don’t define your worth; humility does. Whether you sit at the high table or the low table, remain humble, for “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). True honour is not in where you sit but in how you live. 2. Radical Hospitality: Giving Without Gain. The Gospel challenges us to a deeper form of hospitality — one that is radical, selfless, and countercultural. Jesus commands: “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you” (Luke 14:12–14). But look around: most of our celebrations are about profit and prestige. Weddings are organized for show. Burials are monetized. Even the gospel, at times, is preached for gain. True Christian hospitality is not about what we get, but about what we give. Selflessness is the heart of hospitality. A selfless husband or wife makes marriage sweet. A selfless worker makes the office humane. A selfless priest makes ministry fruitful. Without selflessness, even charity becomes a business. 3. Divine Reversal: The “Divine Reversal” is one of the most consistent themes in Scripture — God overturning human expectations, lifting the lowly, and humbling the mighty. The readings point to a radical reversal. The proud will be brought low, and the humble lifted up. The world says, “Take the front seat, protect your honour, seek recognition.” But God says, “Go low, and I will raise you high.” Examples include the Magnificat (Mary’s Song) “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”Luke 1:52–53. The Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”(Matthew 5:3). The Rich Man and Lazarus “Now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.”(Luke 16:25), David, the Shepherd Boy “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). God bypassed Saul and the elder brothers to raise up young David, the overlooked shepherd boy, to kingship. Joseph, from Prisoner to Prime Minister. “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” (Genesis 50:20). The First Shall Be Last, and the Last First “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16). Kingdom values invert worldly hierarchies. The Cross: Defeat, but Victory. “We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23–24) The shameful death of Jesus on the cross becomes the greatest triumph of salvation. In God’s economy, the ladder is upside down: the humble rise, the proud fall, the last become first, and the cross becomes a crown. The parable of the high table is not just about seating arrangements; it is about the posture of the heart. To be great, be humble. To be blessed, be hospitable. To reign with God, embrace His divine reversal. For in the end, “the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16). “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) 4. Humility and worship: Hebrews reminds us that we have come not to a market square, but to Mount Zion, the city of the living God. Worship demands reverence and humility. Yet many treat church like a hall of distraction, scrolling phones, chatting, refusing to kneel even at consecration. Without humility, worship is empty ritual. Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
30
Aug
Aug
