6-Nov-17

LK 14:12-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
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."

Reflection:
At My Brother's Keeper, God bestows on us the privilege to, "invite the poor."
Our sisters and brothers in need hear that we deliver furniture and food free of charge, no questions asked.
It's sounds unbelievable.
With hopeful hearts, they call and discover it is true, there are no prerequisites!
Having no "ability to pay," they find out that they don't need to pay; the furniture and food is not from My Brother's Keeper. Handing them a crucifix, we say, "We're just the delivery people. This is the man who sent you the furniture."
Christ promises us that we will be "blessed indeed."
He says, "For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
As it turns out, we don't need to wait for the resurrection.
God's grace is already upon us, manifested in a thousand different ways.
Jesus has blessed His work at My Brother's Keeper; providing vehicles, buildings, and abundant furniture and food for those in need.
Most importantly, He has sent people.
Young and old come to My Brother's Keeper by the thousands; including grandparents, parents, toddlers, teenagers, and young adults.
They come and bring their children, offering their time, their talent and their treasure.
They come to join in this community of giving.
They know that what they are doing is pleasing in the sight of God, their Father.
It gives them great joy to do good for others. This "joy" is what keeps people coming to My Brother's Keeper.
But, we don't have to be "at" My Brother's Keeper to "be"our brother's or sister's keeper.
We only have to "invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind" among us into our lives.
Those who are "crippled" to the spirit of God in their lives who need to hear of His love for them. Those who are "blind" to the peace that comes from faith in God who need to have their eyes opened.
Wherever we are, and in spite of our busyness, God, our Father, "invites" each one of us, His children, to care for our brothers and sisters who are lost to His love.
Just as it is the greatest joy of a parent's heart to witness their child helping their brother or sister, so, too, does our love and caring for others rise as a sweet aroma to our Heavenly Father.
In that we are made in God's image, is it any wonder that every parent's prayer is: "Dear God, may my children love and care for each other after I am gone."

"We love because God first loved us." John 4:19