In the Gospel today, Jesus isn’t taking casual shots at friendly dinner invitations. Rather, the issue that the Lord rightly raises is the problematic nature of transactional relationships. Even within families and friend circles, there can be a dynamic of transactional love if and when we do things for others because we hope for something in return. There are several reasons that Jesus prescribes entering into relationships with the poor, the sick, and the lowly, but chief among these is the fact that there is no possible ulterior motive for personal or material gain. In such cases, the goodness shared with the other is performed purely because it is worth. Love is shared for the sake of love alone.
There’s an invitation in this passage to take a moment to examine the intentions of our daily activities. Perhaps take a look at your schedule. How do we spend our time? Who do we spend our time with? Why do we keep the company that we do? Do the people we surround ourselves with encourage us to live lives of faith and virtue? How much time do we spend with the very old, the very young, the helpless, the sick, the abandoned, or the outcast? Do we perform acts of goodness and love simply for their own sake? Or do we always expect something in return?