Have you ever noticed how often the gospels tell about Jesus being at table or having a meal? or how many of His stories and actviities are connected with food or eating or banqueting? You might be surprised if you tried to count them! Eating together is one of the strongest symbols of our human ties, in family, fellowship or friendship. It affirms our belonging together and confirms our mutual support and interdependence. Human cultures have different customs, rituals and symbolisms about food and eating, which are an important element of the culture itself. So it's not surprising that the scriptures use the image of a banquet to express the idea of paradise or of the kingdom of God. It's why Jesus' "Last Supper" is such an important event for Him and for His followers, and why Christians have always gathered together to celebrate and join in that event. It's what makes us the "Body of Christ".

No meal is ever really 'ordinary', but carries meaning beyond simply "feeding". Yet, today's gospel seems so ordinary and its 'punch-line' simply common sense. It tells of Jesus taking notice of the way people behaved at an invitation meal and then telling them a story that's not much more than a simple lesson in good manners (or perhaps a rebuke for bad manners). We, too can learn to take notice of these ordinary things and peoples' behaviour and appreciate what they tell us about God's world!