The Kingdom of God, the perfect society, which is the goal of the Christian message, is often pictured as a banquet. As such, it is a meal for everyone, not just a private dinner for two by candlelight. All the dishes on the table are for everyone equally. It is an occasion of sharing and joyfulness. That is exactly what we do not find in today's Gospel. Today we read two parables about eating. One of them arises out of the concerns people had about where they sat, about the 'face' they were or were not getting. If you were there, would you have cared? Do you feel your worth as a person depends on how you are treated on such occasions? Our real status is measured not by our rank or occupation but by the level of love and service offered to God through our relationships with those around us. What counts is not how we are looked on by others but the degree of care and compassion with which we look at them. And that is what the second parable is about. Is eating with others an occasion for selfish status-seeking or an opportunity to share our goods with others, especially those in need?