Today’s Gospel describes the social intricacies of who gets invited to the best parties and where certain people have a seat at the table. It all seem so contrived. Everyone is out to move up “higher.” It reminds me of the title of an old book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
The point of book is helping people learn how to get ahead. You have to make the “right” friends so that they can the influence the people you really want to influence. Then you make “better,” more influential friends. And on and on it goes as you climb higher in higher. All this works pretty well as for as the corporate world goes. But in a world desperately in need of real friendships, this is an empty chase after wind.
St. John Paul II taught that the opposite of love is not hate, but use. We can never use another person as means to an end. If I’m only being friends with you because of what you can do for me, then I’m not really your friend. I’m using you. In the gospel, Jesus therefore urges us to be genuine friends. Don’t hold a party just to get invited to a better party. In fact, find people who are not influential to be friends with… the poor, the blind, the lame, all considered outcasts at the time of Jesus.
If you’ve got a friend who sticks by you no matter what and isn’t just there in the good times, then you’ve got a real friend. Friends like that are special. Be a friend like that, and you’ll have influence in the world like you never imagined.