The Giving Of Feasts

Ὅταν ποιῇς ἄριστον ἢ δεῖπνον, μὴ  φώνει τοὺς φίλους σου, κ. τ. λ. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν περὶ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ παράγγελμα· καλὸν δὲ καὶ πρὸς καλοῦντας ἐπιφέρει τὸ δίδαγμα, μέγαν εἰσάγων τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δεξιώσες τὸν σκοπὸν, καὶ τὸν  τοῦ καρπὸν ἀξιοσπούδαστον, εἰ καὶ μακρὰν οὕτος καὶ οὐκ ἔχων παραχρῆμα τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν, ὅπερ οἱ μικοροψυχοι ποιοῦσι· φίλους καλοῦντες, ἀδελφοὺς, συγγενεῖς, γείτονας, ἵν' εὐθὺς ἀντικληθέντες, κομίσαιντο τοῦτο· οὖ πολλῷ κάλλιον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστερον εἰσήγαγεν ὁ Κύριος, τὸ τοὺς δεομένους καλεῖν, τὸ πρὸς τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς καὶ λελωβημένους φιλανθρωπεύσθαι, παρ' ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνταπόδοσις, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ὁ ανταποδιδοὺς τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὴν τιμὴν ἐπὶ τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς. Τοῦτο δέ φησιν, οὐχ ἵνα τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους ἀπείρξῃ τιμῆς, ἀλλ' ἵνα διδαξῃ μὴ πιπράσκειν τὰς φιλοφροσύνας τῶν ἴσωεν ἀνταποδόσεων, ἀλλ' ὠφελίμους ποιεῖσθαι ταύτας, ἐπὶ μεγάλαις ἀντιδόσεσι ταῖς παρὰ Θεοῦ. Ἐρεῖ γὰρ· Δεῦτε, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν· ἐπείνασα γὰρ, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς, Ἐφ' ὅσον γὰρ ἐποιήσατε ἐνὶ τούτων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Λούκαν Εὐάγγελιον, Κεφ. ΙΔ' Source: Migne PG 72. 787

'When you give a dinner or supper, do not invite your friends,' etc  1 This is an exhortation to humility, and well He does to bring this teaching to those who invite, offering a great dish of benefits to those who are willing to receive it, and precious fruit, even if it is for a distant reward, not one in the near future, that those with little souls act. They who invite friends, brothers, relations, neighbours, do so that they receive invitations in turn, which they give and accept with all speed, for which common custom the Lord substitutes a better and more worthy thing, that they rather invite the needy and do good to the infirm and lame, those from whom no reciprocation is expected, but from God alone who gives to men reward in the future life for charity done. And He says this, not as one who prohibits honour, but that He might teach how little we gain from our equal exchange of amity. But let us do benefits on account of the great rewards that God will give. For He says, 'Come, possess the kingdom prepared from you. For I hungered and you gave me to eat ... whatever you have done to one of these little ones you have done to me.' 2 Saint Cyril of Alexandria, from The Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapter 14 1 Lk 14.12 2 Mt 25.34