Invitation to a Party

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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

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!”  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.’  But 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 just got married, 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: 15-24

The old saying goes something like there’s no such thing as bad weather, only a bad choice in clothing.  That sounds a little empty when you’re talking about people in the pathway of a Category 5 hurricane.  However, the clothing in this case is the preparation choices – which, in my case, would probably involve moving as fast as I can in the opposite direction of the storm!

Jesus’ parable about the man who was giving a great banquet is all about the responses of those whom he’d invited.  They gave excuses – some which sounded quite reasonable; others that were lame.  We must remember that this story is told in response to a man’s musing over the grandeur of God’s heavenly banquet in the New Kingdom.  Jesus travels back further than the banquet…all the way to the invitations.

We could sum up the story in many ways, but what strikes me this morning is that there are always obstacles in the way of obeying and serving God; our resolve must be to never let them become excuses.  I am, for instance, an old guy now.  That is an obstacle with health issues, decreased energy reserves and strength, and a thousand other things that want to claim my attention; there could be an excuse (or twenty) for every ministry opportunity. 

We all face the same dilemma…not enough time, resources, strength or knowledge to do all life seems to demand.  But – back to Jesus’ parable – this was an invitation to a great, grand party; we’re talking priority here!  And the grandest factor is the Giver of the invitation.  As we live life in the Kingdom of God, there must be a constant focus kept of the name signed at the bottom of the invitation; how we respond determines a lot about the reception we will get at the front door on that final day.

There are many these days who reject the invitation outright, even denying God’s existence…or, if He does exist, His right to demand our attendance at His party.  That is a right God granted to every human; it’s called free-will.  It’s a sad response to a grand invitation, but each person chooses heaven or hell.

Perhaps the saddest response is the excuse of the half-hearted Christian who wants both heaven’s blessing as well as the hell of selfishness.  It’s something like getting an invitation to the party, and responding thank you, how kind of you to think of me; unfortunately, I can’t come because Friday is my poker night with friends, and your party isn’t nearly as much fun.  You can send my piece of cake and whatever else you’re going to serve to my apartment.  And could you send it Thursday?  I wouldn’t want to inconvenience my friends if the messenger showed up during our game.

For You Today

Parables can get kind of fanciful and far-flung; this one isn’t!  What Jesus said about the excuses people not getting even a morsel to taste at the Heavenly Kingdom banquet is clear…it’s not an invitation to ditch, duck, or demur; you don’t want to miss this party!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©

Open Door Policy

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Monday, September 26, 2016

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea.  This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:  “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.  I wish that you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!  You say, ‘I am rich.  I have everything I want.  I don’t need a thing!’  And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.  So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire.  Then you will be rich.  Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.  I correct and discipline everyone I love.  So be diligent and turn from your indifference.  “Look! I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.  Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.  “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”  Revelation 3:14-22^(NLT)

An open door is a metaphor that can take you in more than one direction.  An open door can be an opportunity, or it could be an invitation at work to go to the boss for frank discussion anytime. 

An open door can also be the symbol of confidence someone expresses in the possibilities of friendship and community; you are welcome here anytime!  The context here makes this kind of warm invitation a really strange one.  After all, the risen Lord Jesus is telling John to tell the Laodicean church their lukewarmness made him sick!

Lukewarm friendship; how does that work for you?

Okay, so everyone can see this invitation is preceded by a warning – I’ll spit you out of my mouth!  Cold water works, hot coffee works, but neither is good lukewarm.  My wife likes iced coffee, sugar-free, vanilla, non-fat, yada, yada, yada.  Give me hot, black, no sugar and I’m ok.  If I forget my coffee for an hour and absent-mindedly take a sip, I’m really close to my Jesus imitation; can’t stand tepid coffee; nothing more nauseating!

So there’s the caution against cooling off, or warming down – lukewarm indifference. 

And there’s an invitation of strong friendship – dinner and a movie with Jesus.

And it’s conditional – turn from that indifference; accept the correction Jesus offers and the open door thing is going to happen.  And the key to it all is in our hands, because it’s our door….the door to each of our hearts.

And that door is only opened from the inside…like any common house door lock, you must be willing to open your heart to God; He will not pick that lock like a burglar…He waits for you to accept His invitation to open the door.

He calls, but He won’t beat down the door!  He will step inside when you are ready to get white-hot for him!

For You Today

When I was very young we didn’t have a lock on the front door.  Friends and neighbors were pretty much welcome to open the door and come on in. 

Is that the kind of open door policy you have with Jesus?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image: Henry Fox Talbot [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Faith to Believe

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Monday, August 8, 2016

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.   Hebrews 11:6^(NLT)

In early childhood there is a strong desire to please our parents.  Some say it’s all downhill from there!  That squares with John Wesley’s understanding of humanity that, we are born in innocence, and learn to sin-away our relationship with God.

Following that (dimming) beam of light back to the source, we can understand WHY the author of Hebrews says it is impossible to please God without faith.  Faith is that unhindered desire to please God like a little child wants to please her parents.  As our sin increases, that desire melts like snow in Florida.

A very small child begins to exhibit signs of independence; we call it the terrible 2’s.  But even in that stage of development there are those wonderful times when your little one just wants to crawl up in your lap and be close.  Those times of comfort and closeness are precious, and must approximate, at least on some level, what God feels when we seek that reward of His closeness and friendship.

The Hebrew writer also claims that coming to God in this way must include belief that God exists.  Within the child-parent analogy it is easy to imagine this; a toddler crying-out from the crib knows his mother is just on the other side of that door.  Orphaned children, those given up for adoption, or separated from parents in some other way may spend a lifetime seeking that parent.  It is so with those who are estranged from their heavenly Father.

So, without this childlike faith, this desire to be close to our Creator/Father/God, it is impossible to please Him.  Jesus said it’s impossible to enter the kingdom of God without becoming like little children who trust[ii], but, for those who are willing, it’s a slam-dunk!  (Well…that’s kind of a modernized version of verity).

Much of Scripture is that kind of invitation; those who would draw close are welcomed by a loving God. 

Come close to God, and God will come close to you.  

James 4:8a^(NLT)

But, those who seek their independence are also granted their desire.  You can draw close to God, or you can run away.  Even though many opt for autonomous independence, away from God, God prefers you up close and in His lap; the only thing you cannot have is both.

For You Today

So, once again the love of God calls for us to choose.  Father God says He’s not going to play hide and seek with you when you seek for Him with your whole heart.^{(Jeremiah 29:13)}

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

[i] Title Image:  Pierre-Louis Delaval [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[ii] Matthew 18:3

After the Resurrection

Monday, April 21, 2014

Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” Mark 16:7 (NLT)

It’s easy to miss something important if your mind is closed or asleep.  The angel tells two amazed and frightened women to go tell the disciples where to meet Jesus, including Peter.  That last phrase is important for virtually every human being. 

Why?

Peter had been an integral part of Jesus’ entire ministry for three years.  He was there when Christ healed, preached and raised Lazarus from the dead.  He was part of the inner circle on the Mount of Transfiguration.  He had the answer when Jesus asked them all about his deity; you’re the Christ, the Son of God.

So, why did the angel say “including Peter” – as if there were some doubt that he was part of the band of disciples?  Well, perhaps there was some doubt, at least in the minds of the women and the other disciples.  Peter had denied Christ rather emphatically; he had abandoned his Master.  Some might say he had forfeited his right to be called an apostle.  Peter certainly thought so.

But Jesus made sure the angel included Peter. 

And that’s why that little phrase is so important for you and me.  We’ve blown it too!

I’ve never known someone who could say (with a straight face) that they’d never done what Peter did – denied Christ with a word or action, or failed to speak-up for Christ at a critical moment.  We are all Peter.

Yet Jesus made sure Peter was still on the invitation list to the rendezvous at the lake.

And this is the most poignant, even central part of the resurrection message – it was to sinners like Peter….and me…..and you….that Jesus came to bring forgiveness.

Today…for you

On this first day following the grand celebration of Easter’s resurrection, whether you found yourself yesterday lost in the majestic sweeps of worshipful rapture or dragging in the depths of Peter’s shame of denial and unfaithfulness – just remember, when God makes out the guest list for all the ones He is hoping to see at his banquet table, Jesus made sure the angel would always say….including   (fill in your name here)   !