Once again in Luke’s gospel we encounter Jesus at a dinner party. This one is hosted by a leader of the Pharisees and takes place on the Sabbath. Knowing that he’s being watched closely, Jesus, as he often does, turns the table on the norms and traditions of the day—in this case, the honor and shame culture—with a suggestion about seating choices. Take the worst seat in the house, he suggests. Better to be invited to a better seat than to have the host ask you to move to a seat by the kitchen door, which would be humbling indeed!
It’s a lesson in humility: hopefully not a calculated and curated humility, but one that seeks to place others ahead of ourselves. Jesus doesn’t stop there, as he turns to the host and offers some suggestions for future guest lists. Yes, both host and guests are served a lesson in hospitality that runs completely counter culture to their rules and practice of social engagement.
What then are we to take from Jesus’ teaching? To put it simply, it’s that we need to practice something called “radical hospitality.” What’s that you ask? Well, the hospitality referred to in the parable of the wedding banquet is based on the Greek work philoxenia, a compound word that is more aptly translated “to love the stranger.” This has always been challenging, never more so than right now. Jesus met these challenges by leaning in to heal, welcome, and restore others, even if it flew in the face of societal and religious norms. That’s what made it radical!
Given that Jesus expects us to do the same, we have to ask: what must we do? Well, I think we start by not following Jesus’ example and stop taking ourselves so seriously. If the Son of God and Lord of All Creation can eat with sinners and wash his disciples feet, I think that we too can show a little humility. We might also remember that each and every person is made in the image and likeness of God and that this, in and of itself, means that everyone has a place at God’s dinner party. This is something I’m fond of reminding people when we celebrate the aptly-named Sacrament of the Lord’s Table, what we commonly call Communion.
Leaning in to the commandment to love God and neighbor is to practice philoxenia. Inviting people in and welcoming them to the table, sharing, listening, learning, showing genuine concern and care: These are a few actions that reflect radical hospitality, but let me ask: is these things really that radical? The truth is that it doesn’t have to be overly complicated or orchestrated; it simply has to be real and from the heart. I think it’s easier than we might imagine, and that in doing so, we will both be and experience blessing beyond our wildest imagination!