Sunday Gospel Warm-up

Aug. 28 Luke 14:1, 7-14 The Path to Heaven

This Sunday, we are given a dinner scene from the Gospel. Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with a group of Pharisees. It probably was more of a veiled invitation evident by the fact they were “closely watching him”. A dinner invitation of that time was a sign of social status and, within the dinner, one had to abide by the social order. Of course, what Jesus describes in his parable and teaching is a way of life without social status. In fact, it flips it on its head. In heaven and in the Kingdom of God, those who are first in this world may end up last and the last will be first. So, his teaching today is both encouragement and warning, value the things of heaven and the poor of this world. They are your path to heaven.