Sunday, June 17, 2007
Luke 14:15-24
When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” (ESV)
by Leota Stevens
I can really identify with the master of this feast. Putting on a fabulous dinner for a crowd of people is expensive, time-consuming, and a great deal of very hard work. You struggle through a myriad of details to plan the perfect menu, arrange the furniture just right, provide for the comfort and entertainment of your guests, and then you get to clean it all up when the party is over. If you’re going to pay attention to all the details and extend your hospitality to those you invite, you surely don’t want an empty banquet hall when the dinner is ready. Personally, I agree with this host that RSVP(respond if you please) should be replaced with YBCOYMYCF (you better come or you miss your chance forever). God is the host of this feast and he bids us come and dine at his table. We need to lose the excuses and accept the invitation.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
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