Matthew 8:11
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven,
If most people are honest they would say they are an unlikely candidate for heaven. I am no exception to that statement. It took many years of wandering before I found my way home. In today's Gospel we meet another unlikely candidate, a Roman Centurion. He came to Jesus in search of healing for his servant. When Jesus agreed to go to his house the soldier professed his unworthiness for Jesus to enter. Because of this Jesus saw more faith in this enemy of his people than in anyone else he had come into contact with. This encounter is so profound that we get the words we say just before communion from this Roman soldier. "Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed". (Mt 8:8)
Which brings us to our passage for today. Jesus is reminding us again that we can't possibly judge who is worthy of heaven. When Jesus says all are invited he is not kidding. How accepting are we of the unlikely candidate? How welcoming are we to the stranger who visits our church? What if they dress weird or look different than we do? As we enter this season of Advent let's challenge ourselves to seek out the unlikely, the poor, even the enemy, and invite them to the banquet.
