This coming Sunday is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. The gospel is from Luke 14:25-33. Here is the sequence of Sunday gospels in these Sundays of Ordinary Time. After having critiqued host and guests alike at the human banquet of the Pharisee, the Sunday choices for gospels passes over the description and invitation to the heavenly banquet

Luke’s Sunday Year C Reading

14:1-14 Honor and Humility at Table 22^nd Sunday
14:15-24 Invitation to the Great Banquet passed over
14:25-33 The Cost of Discipleship 23^rd Sunday
15:1-32 Parables of the Lost and Found 24^th Sunday

In the gospel passage containing the invitation to the heavenly banquet, Jesus tells a parable about those who take a banquet invitation too lightly and because of their casual attitude lose their own right to a place at the table and are replaced by others. This echoes Jesus’ previous lament over Jerusalem (13:31-35). 

There is an important connection between those verses and our reading. Jesus’ story of the great banquet (vv.15-24) introduces the possibility that ties to one’s possessions and family might bar, hinder or exclude one from enjoying the feast. Jesus lists those allegiances to family and possessions as impediments to authentic discipleship. Contra this cultural practice of familial allegiances, Jesus speaks of the necessity of a life transformed. These new practices must flow out of a transformed disposition reflecting new commitments, attitudes and new allegiances. That is, the conversion that characterizes genuine discipleship is itself generative, giving rise to new forms of being in the world.

Stoffregen notes that there are also strong linguistic connections. Notice in vv.26, 27, and 33 there is the expression “cannot be my disciple.” The word for “can” (or able; dynamai) used in the negative (cannot) generally carries with it the meaning of “not being able” to do something. That is, it refers to something that is impossible for one to do; e.g., Zechariah is unable to speak (Luke 1:20,22). He may want to speak, but he can’t. However, Luke also uses this phrase to refer to something the person is able to do but chooses not to do: the man who cannot get up and give his neighbor some bread (11:7) and the man who has just gotten married and cannot come to the great dinner to which he had been invited (14:20). In both cases it was possible for them to do the task, but they just didn’t want to do it.

How should the phrase be understood in our verses? On one hand, with the invited guest being able to come, but choosing not to just a few verses before our text (14:20), ou dynamai in our verses could refer to something that is within the abilities of the crowd, but they can choose to do it or not. That is, it is within their abilities to hate their family members and carry their crosses and to give up all their possessions. They can choose to do this or choose not to do it.

On the other hand, ou dynamai can refer to something that is impossible for the crowd to do. That is, it is impossible for humans to meet the demands of discipleship even if they wanted to choose it. A related word, dynatos is used in v.31b to refer to the ability of the king’s army to defeat the more numerous enemy. If the king believes that it is possible to defeat them, he chooses to go to battle. If he believes that it is impossible to defeat them in battle, he chooses a diplomatic way to peace — which would be dependent upon the more powerful king’s willingness not to destroy the inferior forces.

In addition, Luke has told us near the beginning of this gospel that “nothing will be impossible (adynateo) with God.” Later, in Luke, after Jesus makes impossible demands on a wealthy ruler, he is asked, “Who can (dynamai) be saved.” Jesus answers, “What is impossible (adynatos) for man is possible (dynatos) for God” [18:26-27].

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