This time of year joy rings in the midst of God’s people as the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord is celebrated. Church dinners with special music, children dressed up for the nativity singing for the Christmas programs, and sanctuaries festooned with decorations.
The parable in Luke 14:16-24 speaks of an even greater celebration-the great banquet that awaits God’s people in heaven.
The man prepared a great feast and the invitations had been sent out. The servant was sent out to gather in the guests to no avail. He collected nothing but excuses. The master was enraged, this time he sent the servant with a different task. Gather in the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. “All right master,” said the servant, “I’ve done that –but there’s still room.” (Luke 14:23). The servant’s last task was to leave no stone unturned looking for guests that the master’s house would be filled.
What a great picture of our shepherd sending us out to follow his example-not just looking in the obvious places, but holding our lamps high, looking under the bushes and in the corners!
Today I spent most of my time tied up in Harrisburg. As I sat on the sidelines watching people at the mall, I saw small crowds and almost no joy. Tired, distracted, lifeless people I saw by the score. Years ago, as I stood outside of a church in our community, I was talking to a young boy on a bicycle. In mid-conversation, he turned and looked at the building.” What do they do in there?” he asked. Will the lost come looking for us? Will they find our hidden love feasts? Or will we go out looking….
Carol
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3 comments:
Will they find our hidden love feasts? Wow, what a statement! Are we doing too good of a job of separating ourselves that they cannot find us?
Dave
"the great banquet that awaits God’s people in heaven", the king requests the honor of my presence, what a precious thought that He has invited me, I have accepted and a banquet awaits me in heaven. Thank you, Father for your great invitation!
I convicted myself as I wrote this--how often have I invited someone to a special event. I heard an evangelist say a number of years ago that only the believers are coming out to meetings.
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