From today’s Scripture: “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 14:13-14

In Jesus’ time and culture, much like today, banquets were opportunities for hosts to establish their social standing and provide networking opportunities for both guests and the host—hence the references to family, friends, and rich neighbors in today’s Scripture reading. How many times have we ourselves studied seating charts or wondered about who would be on a guest list for a particular party or fundraiser? And beneath that, how many of us have thought, “Why should I make an investment of my time, talent, and treasure if it will not be repaid? It’s not worth it. I’ve got to make sure I invite the ‘right’ people to make the event worthwhile.”

How many of us would really be willing to invite the nobodies of society to an expensive dinner we are paying for, with the potential payoff not even occurring during our own lifetime? Many would scoff and say we would be wasting an opportunity and throwing money away. But what if the true waste was focusing on the short-term payoffs in today’s world, rather than the rewards secured for all eternity? Are we playing the long game or the short when it comes to how our faith guides our choices and decisions?

Let us pray: Dear God, help me to wisely invest my time, talent, and treasure in ways that help build the Kingdom of God, rather than secure my own interests at the expense of others.

Today’s author is Julia Sauter, a member of Glenmary’s Development team. She holds a master’s degree in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

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