READING 10 - THE ORTHODOX READINGS - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Some made excuses not to come: the first had bought a piece of ground and apologized because he has to see it. A second had just bought five yoke of oxen and had to prove them. The third had just married a wife and could not come. The master of the house was angry when he heard that his guests made excuses but could not come to his supper.
In the Bible and the Gospel, a supper, a meal, a banquet is a special joyous time - sharing both the presence of the guests and God's Providence and Presence. Therefore when people eat together, they share food and beverage as well as news; they speak of God and His Word which sustains them, too. This is shown in the Pirqey Avot [Sayings of the Fathers, read by the Jewish community every Sabbath by portions] ch. 3:2:
"Rabbi Haninah ben Tradon says: "When two [men] sit together and do not speak of the Torah, they are like jesters... but if they do speak of the Torah, the Shekhinah [Divine Presence] is actively present [and liberates, "shruyah"] among them." Jesus taught His disciples and thus ourselves to do the same: "For when two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst". [Matthew 18:20]
The banquet is both human and divine, a sacred and a normal social occasion. Therefore, Jesus celebrates the Seder Pessah [Order of the Pessah, Jewish Passover] which consists in a meal in which all ingredients are related to the history of salvation and the flight from Egypt, showing how God brought the Jews from slavery to freedom ["me'avdut le'herut"]. This meal is conducted by a specific order ["seder"] and punctuated by different accounts and hymns, songs and psalms.
On the Sabbath day itself, the hassidic and Jewish orthodox communities used to share the "Seudah Shlishit" [Third Banquet or meal] conducted by the tzadik [the Head of the hassidic group] in the afternoon before the end of the shabbat. It is said that the last of the three founding "avot" [Patriarchs], namely Jacob , determined the order of this banquet, which is a time of fulfillment, a "ra'ava dra'avin", a time of "superabundant favour" and satiety in Aramaic. He used then to give a lesson and to distribute to his disciples pieces of meat or special food, which are called the "sheyrim", from the radical SH-R-R [to release, deliver/food causes delight and strength].
This is the first meaning of the word "Seudah" [meal] in Hebrew and Aramaic, from the root "Sa'aD" that intermingles two concepts: "OD" [more] and "Sa'HeR" [circulation, i.e. normal transit but also getting forces to go ahead]. It also means "to support, strengthen", first in a spiritual way implying human requirements to have food. It is therefore most important in the Middle East for all the Semetic [and other nations'] traditions to participate with decency and respect to a "supper".
Some of the guests make excuses, and it should be noted why they refuse to come. In every sngle case, the problem relates to a matter of acquisition, even as concerns the wife. Then, is it possible to apologize and not to come to the banquet through which God acquires His flock? We have always good reasons why not to comply with the fact to attend the Divine Liturgy, which is "the Last Supper" and which celebrates the Presence of the Lord, His Father and the Holy Spirit. But we might prefer to have fun, some rest, meet friends, go shopping, buy and acquire new things, rather than to adhere to the Presence of God.
In Jerusalem, the first Christians used to go to the Temple to pray, and then returning
to the house of the Head of the community they used to celebrate the "memorial supper", i.e. an evening meal in the living memory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a living one because Christ is indeed in the midst of the community and to receive the Bread and share the Wine is called in European languages "to communicate".
The master of the house was angry and asked to call all the poor, the needy people, all the maimed, the sick, the blind to share the banquet. And "yet there is room". He was so angry that he finally said "None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper". [Luke 14:24] This is quite astounding since everybody is called and thus invited but do not understand the correct meaning of such a banquet.
Some years ago, a remarkable Danish film, "Babette's Banquet" showed how people could speak to each other in a small Danish village and be rotten by hatred, slander and inner silence. Then came a French exceptional cook, a woman who spent her last money to bring the finest produces, and she prepared a delicious banquet. The people began to rejoice and to ask for forgiveness and they were full of mirth. This movie has a spiritual meaning, which is close to our weekly reading. There are times when it is neither possible nor decent to avoid meeing with others in the Name of God.
All human beings are naturally called to participate in the banquet. Either they
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