Readings

Ephesians 4.1–6 – I, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Luke 14.7–14 – When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’

Reflection

In our reading from Ephesians this morning, Paul urges the Church to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” And then he describes what such a life looks like: humility, gentleness, patience, and a willingness to bear with one another in love. These are not dramatic virtues. They don’t usually make headlines. They are the quiet, steady qualities that hold the Body of Christ together.

Paul reminds us that our unity is not something we create by our own strength. It is a gift. “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Unity is given to us in Christ; our task is simply to live in a way that does not fracture or obscure it. Holy Communion makes this especially real. When we gather at the Lord’s table, we do so as one family—different in background, temperament, and story, yet made one in Christ who draws us to himself.

The Gospel reading puts flesh on what this unity looks like. Jesus watches guests scrambling for places of honour at a banquet, and he turns the moment into a parable. Do not seek the highest place, he says. Choose instead the lowest. In God’s kingdom, honour is not seized—it is given. And greatness is measured not by status but by service.

But Jesus goes further. It’s not only about where we sit, but whom we invite. “When you give a banquet,” he says, “do not invite those who can repay you. Invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” In other words, build community not on exchange or favour, but on grace. Welcome those who cannot return the invitation. Make space for the overlooked. Mirror the generosity of God who invites us—all of us—to his table not because we can offer anything in return, but because he delights to give.

As we come shortly to Holy Communion, we come to the feast that Christ himself provides. Here, the lowest place becomes the place of blessing. Here, the guest list is widened beyond all expectation. Here, we are reminded that we belong to one another because we belong to him.

So may we leave this place committing ourselves again to the life Paul describes: a life of humility, gentleness, patience, and love. A life that honours others above ourselves. A life that reflects the unity and hospitality of the God who has welcomed us to his table.

Amen.