The Invitation

Scripture: Luke 14:15-24

15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” 16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’ ” (Luke 14:15-24 NLT)

“What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” It’s easy to talk about the “someday” aspect of God’s Kingdom, but Jesus uses this parable to pivot from religious sentiment about a future hope to the personal now. Notice the excuses given by the original guests. They weren’t choosing blatant evil; they were choosing distractions: The Field: Financial investment and ambition; The Oxen: Work and new “toys”; The Marriage: Human relationships and family comfort.

Good things became excuses for missing the best thing. We can miss God’s invitation not because we are doing evil, but because we are busy managing our lives. God’s gifts become the reason we ignore the Giver. When the respectable guests declined, the Master sent his servants to the alleys and the hedges—to the people who knew they were hungry, broken, and unworthy. The Kingdom of God is filled with people who answered the call because they knew they had nothing else. The only thing that disqualifies someone from the banquet is the belief that they have something more important to do.

What is my “field” or “oxen”? Is there a project, a possession, or a relationship that I am prioritizing over God’s invitation? Am I too “full” to be hungry? Who is in my “hedges” that I can invite to the banquet at God’s table today?

Prayer:

Father, Please forgive me for the times I have offered excuses instead of my presence. Help me to see that nothing I possess is more valuable than a seat at Your table. Help me to live with the urgency of a guest who knows the banquet is ready. Amen.