Privilege

(Apology: Due to computer failure couldn't post the articles on time. Kindly bear up with me)  
Today’s Gospel Text: When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; 17 and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' 22 And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23 And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'" Luke 14:15-24

Reflection: "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

Indeed blessed is the man who shall eat bread in the kingdom of heaven; for it is no ordinary bread!

If bread suggests life and is an essential food, then it not the quality of the food that matters but the type of food and where it is served that matters the most.

Hence who would not feel privileged to have received an invite from the great king and him having been thoughtful of him. One would really feel elated and rejoice greatly at the special invitation.

Immediately next; one would be definitely feel tempted to find one’s position and privilege to see who all are invited and thus evaluate this invitation in the light of those other invitees.

Then one would ask a few others to check whether they too stand invited and again compare themselves and ascertain for themselves where they stand.

If then they find that they have been treated like anyone else and the kings invitation is too general then the invite will stand undervalued and one may not respond at all to the kings invite.

Or even if one goes to the banquet they could go with mindsets which may bring about a casual approach to the banquet.

Imagine every individual approaching the banquet of the king with a similar approach.  How easily we loose our focus that the king is seeking to treat us special and gives this privilege only to the chosen few who may be the poor in spirit, oppressed by evil, life ridden with turmoil, rejected by the many. 

This is exactly how most Christians approach the greatest ever banquet prepared for us by the greatest every God and king of the whole universe. We do this by looking at each other and comparing ourselves with one another rather than responding to the invite as a special guest in need of the eternal invite.

Then we shall not be envying one another's roles and positions in the great assembly of God.

Prayer:  Lord, I now know that I need to respond to your invite with the right attitude and mindset but I tend to sin against you by not valuing the special privilege you have showered on me. 

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