Biblical Invitations

Gracious God, we pray for the people of Ukraine suffering from war. May they be held in your loving care and protection and given the strength to endure their suffering and hardship.

Transform the hearts and minds of those who perpetuate the violence and oppression. Grant wisdom to world leaders in advancing efforts toward peace; may they not be compromised by self-interest and blind indifference.

We ask all this in the name of your Son Jesus the bringer of peace. Amen.

Luke 7:36 “Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.”

Have you noticed how often the subject of invitation appears in the Gospels and particularly those that involve and invitation to spend time around a meal table. Here we find the invite of Simon the Pharisee and we could question whether this invitation to Jesus was one with an ulterior motive; was he trying to trap Jesus, to belittle him and frustrate his mission and ministry.

However, this puzzling episode shows that not all pharisees were hardened opponents of Jesus and that within the pharisaic group there were divisions, and so we here have a pharisee entertaining Jesus. But it is not that simple; for while he entertains Jesus, he omits acts of hospitality and Jesus then contrasts that with the superabundant generosity of the ‘sinner’. The passage can, therefore, be taken as a lesson on what is important, and Jesus makes it clear that generosity trumps legalistic practises.

The women in her humble practical devotion more than makes up for the Pharisees omitted courtesies. 

This passage certainly gives us all a lot to think about today just like the guests at the Pharisee’s table that day. They were eventually led to wonder who Jesus really was when they heard him declare that the woman’s sins were forgiven. And the reason for this: her great love.

She spoke no words. Her actions and her silent tears spoke louder than any words. The words of one French mystic seem appropriate: “some things can only be seen through eyes that have been filled with tears”. Towards the end of the life of St Ignatius of Loyola, his doctors forbade him to say mass as when he did he shed many tears of consolation during the celebration and these tears were ruining his sight! Or, in the presence of Jesus, was he given an inner sight.

One hymn writer put this kind of silent insight this way.

Open my eyes that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready, my God, Thy will to see;

Open my eyes, illumine me,

    Spirit Divine!