Giving back is important

All of us feel honoured when invited to a grand banquet held in honour of a marriage, but a greater honour is possible. Jesus said, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Lk. 14:15). Jesus frequently compared the kingdom of God to a feast. Sharing a meal with everyone is an expression of respect and equality; it symbolises breaking barriers of social distance and of purity and pollution. The description of a feast helps explain what is involved in following Christ and spreading His message of God’s love for all. Feast presents an image characterised by abundance of food and drink, capable of satisfying human hunger. Christian understanding of human nature emphasises that we have been created for fellowship with God; He alone is able to fill the emptiness plaguing us. We may try to fill this void with other things, such as financial success or powerful status, only to find out that in the end these will not and cannot satisfy. The image of feasting, thus, points to the fact that we are seated with Christ at His kingdom table, and God is the object of our desire.

Feast also evokes the idea of invitation. We must receive an invitation for a feast, acknowledging that we are wanted and welcomed, before we can participate in the celebration. Jesus himself ate at the table alongside those regarded as social outcasts, affirming that people rejected by society are welcomed by Him. Jesus affirmed their identity and dignity of all people created in God’s image; a deeply profound matter. Refugees, orphans, widows, the homeless, and those hidden away in institutions, need more than just food and shelter. They need relationships, friendships, and communities which will allow them to contribute and belong. God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ is the reason we all are invited to participate in the feast of the kingdom of God; let us be equally hospitable to all.