Jesus was politically incorrect when saying, "invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; because they will not have anything to repay you"? For me, being a Servant of Charity, that is literally not true because the vulnerable persons have so many things to repay back, which we do not have; such as smiles, innocence, and simplicity. The people can receive and learn a lot from them.
To understand Jesus’ speech we need to understand the Palestinian context in which the poor lived. The poor of those days (differently-abled persons, blind, widows etc) were considered a curse in the society. They were considered to be born like this because their parents or generations before them committed a grave sin. In this context, Jesus asks his followers and disciples to invite such persons.
In those days, people would not say “thank you”, but they would say "pay me back". A guest was expected to pay the host in return. This was the common rule of reciprocity when a guest is invited for a banquet, "I do you a favor, you do me a favor. I invite you, you invite me".
There are three insights from today's gospel:
1. There are some things in the world, that we can only receive nd we cannot give back. The love of God (we cannot give in return to God), mother’s love, the sacrifices of your father, the friendship of companions. These things in our life, can not be given back in return. We cannot become an accountant to calculate God’s graces in our life. God’s love is being revealed to us through so many persons and events. We receive graces, simply we receive them like we receive the sunlight. Let us be happy and enjoy receiving the graces from God. Let us not lament, and not be pessimistic.
2. When we invite the poor, crippled, and lame, we recognize the brokenness and weakness in the poor. St. Paul says in 2 Cor 12:10, I take delight/pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and difficulties for Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. How do I look at others? What is my vision for the weak people? Am I able to feel Joy in sharing experiences of brokenness and weakness?
3. Philippi was one of the cities of Northern Greece, governed by Romans at that time. This letter was also called a letter of serene joy. Why? This is one of the letters where St. Paul rebukes way less the Christians, offers pieces of advice, and more peaceful blessings. Do you know the context in which Paul was writing this letter? When Paul writes this letter, Paul and Sila were imprisoned in Philippi, receiving Roman punishments during imprisonment.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but remember they cannot kill the soul” Mat 10:28. St. Paul’s soul was free; nobody can harm him when you accept your real state. That is the state they call Nirvana in Buddhism, the perfect state where your soul is still with God. Complete my joy of being the same in mind. Today God has called you for this day, do not preoccupy with more things, leave everything to God.
