Party Plans

On a Sabbath, Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

I do not know what version of the movie it is, maybe you do, but Old Scrooge is speaking to the people collecting for charity and he askes if the workhouse is still in operation and they say that it is but they wish it was not so. He says a line that resonates with the meaning of our Gospel reading today. Scrooge says, "I want value for my charity."  When we give a party or a dinner, it is nice to contemplate a return invitation the next time our friend decides to throw a party or a dinner.  It is one of those things that we come to expect, almost as repayment. 

What Jesus is telling us is to take care of the needy, the poor, the sick and the suffering and we will receive our repayment, our reward in heaven. What we are being told is to open our eyes to the world around us. Look for ways to help those that need it most. Get out of your comfort zone and away from your familiar world and help those that need it. We will share our time, talent, and treasure with those that are in the same social status as we are.  We may even spend lavishly to impress people with our generosity.  Jesus says to us that it is good to be generous with the gifts He has bestowed on us but we should use these gifts to help others when we can and our return invitation, our repayment will come at the end of time when the Father shows us what the word lavish really means.