We Are Invited 1

Luke 14:22-23

A struggle my family has had with my mother over the years has been her desire to be entertained. She loves to have a party and would enjoy the company of visitors every night of the week, it would seem. She has always loved to be occupied, to be engaged in card games and board games and light conversation. Growing up, we were busy every weekend, Friday night and Saturday night, visiting friends or relatives or having others over to our house as guests.

That same attitude of enjoying togetherness seems to be seen in our God. While eating at the house of a Pharisee Jesus told a parable about a wealthy man who planned a banquet and invited guests. The guests, however, refused to come, and so the man had his servant invite poor and crippled people in to his home.

What does the servant tell the master? What does the master command? Why?

Just as my mother liked to be in the company of others, so our God enjoys a relationship with us. The parable Jesus used to teach his lessons is a story that represents deeper meanings.

In the parable the man holding the banquet is God. The servant sent out to invite others in is Jesus. The banquet can represent heaven, or it can be the great and wonderful abundance of goodness and blessings that God gives us in our lives.

Now we must look at those who are invited to the banquet. The first group of people invited refused to come. One by one they made up excuses as to why they could not attend.

Are we like that? Do we refuse to accept the invitation from God to be part of His goodness and abundance?

Since those who were invited would not come, the man ordered that strangers, needy, poor, lame, struggling people should all be brought in to the banquet. Why? Because he wanted his house to be filled.

God desires that His house be filled. God desires that we be part of this wonderful relationship that He offers to us, that we be the people who fill His house. God invites us to come and be part of His blessings because He wants His house filled with joy and love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain to accept God’s invitation?