Sunday of the Holy Ancestors. Octoechos Tone 4; The Holy Prophet Daniel, the Three Holy Youths Ananiah (Ananias), Azariah (Azarias) and Mishael (Misael) (6th century BC).
Nativity Fast.
Colossians 3:4-11; Luke 14:16-24.
Read Luke 14:16-24
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
What’s not to like about the “man” in this parable? He is extravagantly generous. He gave a lot – “a great banquet” – and he wanted to give it to many.
Why? What did the “man” want? He wanted “that my house may be filled”. What does that mean? It is a picture of hospitality, a sharing of both oneself and one’s goods. And clearly the “man” had much to share. The escalation from “come” to “go out quickly…bring in” and further to “go out…and compel people” shows that it is imperative that what the “man” has to offer not go unrecieved.
The lengths to which the “man” will go to give to others is extraordinary. He begins with his own circle, “those who had been invited”. He extends the circle further out, “to the streets and lanes of the city”. Then, further out yet, “to the highways and hedges”.
What’s going on here? Immediately preceding today’s gospel reading, in telling this parable, Jesus was bringing another guest at a home he was visiting back to the point he had been making with their host. Jesus had been telling their host to widen his circle of invitation beyond his “friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors” to “the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind”. The other guest missed the point and piously extolled the blessing of “eat(ing) bread in the kingdom of God”.
The key to this parable lies in the answer to the question, why would their host be repaid at the resurrection for widening his circle of invitation to include those who could not repay him? The answer is because that is what God is like. God is the “man”. Jesus is saying, don’t be the guy who misses the point; be like the “man”.