Isn't It Ironic

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, August 28th, 2022
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Luke
14.1, 7-14​

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, the lawyers and Pharisees were watching him closely. When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.

“But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus said also to the Pharisee who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or rich neighbours, 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.”

As I imagined this scene at the table in this Pharisee’s home, I was struck by how Jesus appeals to their desire for honour and reassures them that, in cultivating their humility, they will be exalted. 

I’ve been reflecting on that ironic bit of this parable, and I realize that the subtlety here is in the motive.

The subtlety is revealed when I acknowledge that God knows my heart better than I do. 

When I ask myself whether I have made an effort to do everything I do out of love for God and for others, and not for self-centred motives, I need to really examine my conscience and unwind the tangled threads of genuine altruism and self-interest, because they can be closely intertwined. There are many ways in which I can be tempted to seek a place of honour, including the achievement of worldly recognition.

So how can I tease out the difference? How do I know what my motives are?

I really do need the love of those around me in order to be healthy and to grow and learn. But the truth is, people love imperfectly, and seeking the love and approval of others to affirm my self-worth is dangerous territory into which I can easily stray. It can be difficult, in every moment, to see past the immediacy of my desire for validation from others. If instead I rest in the perfect love of God, which is healing and never-ending, I will, ironically, receive the honour I desire. It will lead me exactly into what I am here on earth to do.

Jesus is saying here that the ultimate honour is in glorifying God, not ourselves. Others, out of jealousy or doubt, may question our motives even if we know they are pure – but they are not the judge of our hearts – God is.  

Let us pray: 
Dear Lord, heal the wounds in my heart that keep me looking anywhere but to You for the Love that I need. 

Reinforce in the depths of my being that I was made by Love, for Love, and this is the essence of who I am. All the gifts You have given me are for the creation of heaven on earth. Help me to discover and to rest in my giftedness, delighting only in its purpose, which is to glorify You. 

Thank You for those You have placed in my life who have encouraged me in Your name; through them, You are transforming my soul. Help me to see clearly how I might assist others to discover their own gifts, allowing Your healing touch to transform them as well. Enrich all of my relationships with vulnerability and honesty, selflessness and forgiveness. 

Illuminate my path, Lord God, so that I might grow in true humility, the kind of humility that clothed You as You carried Your cross to Your death. May my life reflect Yours, Jesus – replace my hurts, pride and self-interest with Your heart. Amen.



Lindsay Elford

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