Banquets

 

Have you ever been to a banquet? Banquets are a lot of fun. Lots of friends gather in one room and have a party. They celebrate someone’s birthday or wedding. They may celebrate the anniversary of a couple or a church. There is a lot of good food to eat and all kinds of beverages to drink. There is a band or someone playing music. Everyone is happy and feels like celebrating. Would you like to go to a banquet?

In our Gospel (Luke 11:15-32), Jesus describes a banquet that a father has for his long-lost younger son. The father had not seen his son for a very long time. It was years. More years than you might be old! That’s a long time!

While everyone was at the banquet celebrating the return of the younger son, one person refused to go to it. That person is the father’s older son. Could you imagine being so angry that you could not even enjoy a party? The older son was. He was angry that his father left the party to beg his older son to join everyone and be happy that his long-lost brother was alive and home.

You know who Jesus was talking about in this Gospel? God and us. God is throwing the party. His younger son is a sinner who came back home to his father, and when sinners do that, God is so happy to throw a banquet.

Most of the time, we are happy to join a banquet, especially if it’s for us. We like to be with other people and eat really good food. But sometimes, we’re not happy about a party for someone else, and we don’t join the fun. When we’re like that, God begs us to join Him. We should be glad that God welcomes sinners because His banquet is for us. That’s a reason to celebrate God.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.