Here's our story for today...
Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 1But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’
“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.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 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. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:16-24
Everyone likes to think they're special. I think I'm special! Every once in awhile, I make my mom tell me so, just to reinforce the idea. So if someone comes along and suggests that we are not special, it tends to tick us off. It flies in the face of what we know is true. I suppose it is even more difficult when the person who is breaking this startling news in Jesus, cause that's what this story is all about.
God had chosen Israel to be His people. He had made Himself known to them and was working through them to accomplish His plan of salvation. It made them special, a fact that every Israelite sitting at the table with Jesus that night was fully aware of. Jesus, who was never one for pulling His verbal punches, felt His audience was having some trouble understanding what truly makes one special. So He told a little story about a special man who was having a special feast who had invited some special guests. The guests, however, decided to ditch out, so the host invited anyone who would come to fill up the dinner list and to hell with the other guys! Now some of you may be a bit offended by that last sentence. Let me assure you, the original audience was as well, because that is exactly what they heard Jesus to say.
Jesus had no tolerance with religion, even within His own culture. Religion does not connect you with God. Religion never saved anyone. Religion does not make you special. That was the point of the story: simply having the right religion won't save you in the end, only a connection with the Guy who's throwing the party.
The same story is true today. We think simply by associating ourselves with Christianity that we we are safe - spiritually in the clear. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only by responding to God's invitation to enjoy authentic relationship with Him can we be assured that we won't be on the outside looking in. The good news is that invitiation is not reserved just for the special. It's available to any who want to respond. Whether I'm special or not, I think I'll go to the party.
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