Gospel Luke 14:12-14 Do not invite those who might be able to invite you back Jesus said to his host, one of the leading Pharisees, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’ Short Reflection ​Jesus critiques the common practice of hosting with an expectation of reciprocity. By advising his host, a leading Pharisee, not to invite those who can easily return the favor (friends, family, rich neighbors), Jesus exposes how often hospitality is driven by social climbing or a desire for mutual benefit rather than genuine giving. ​Instead, He instructs us to seek out those on the margins—the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. These are the people who, by...