Breaking the Word

On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.

 Then 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 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."  (Lk 14:1,7-14)

 

 

Jesus is invited for dinner to a house of a Pharisee. Taking meals in a house show the table fellowship with those who are around and also shows the relationship that exists between them. Jesus has good relationship with Pharisees or at least with the present one. We have seen Jesus criticising the Pharisees yet he is not against them or against relating to them. He only criticises their attitudes and their approach to the poor, the suffering and the sinners.

 

He makes use of this opportunity to teach the guests and the host a lesson. Whatever opportunity he gets he makes use of it to teach and preach and preach about the kingdom. Here he says ‘you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous’. Every situation was an opportunity to speak about God and His kingdom. He was so much immersed in God or he was so much possessed by God (He was God) that he could not but speak of God.

 

In the kingdom, there were no places of preferences or honours by choice. All are equal and any place is as good as the other. So you do not choose the place of honour but honour will be given or should be given (it should not be taken). Kingdom is inclusive of all. It does not limit itself to people of relationship or wealth or importance. Kingdom includes the poor, the lame, the sick and all. Yes kingdom does not have preferences (honour) and does not exclude. 

  "It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.  To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately  the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money…

For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' (Mt 25:14-30)

 

 

Any reader of the parable will turn his attention to the third servant who buried his talent. In fact the story seems to revolve around him. The other two servants are almost forgotten. Almost all the parables of Jesus seem to have the same trend. He gives importance to the lost sheep, prodigal son etc.

 

The parables are addressed to the Jews. In this parable, it looks as though, he is addressing them straightaway. They are the ones who have buried the talent. They have just preserved the talent that was given to them without making anything worthwhile out of it.

 

And the cryptic saying at the end of the parable should be understood rightly otherwise it will lead to misinterpretation. The saying should have been: ‘For to everyone who has made more out of what is given to him, more will be with him and he will grow rich, but anyone who has not made anything out of what was given to him even what he has will be taken away.