Clay Carson's Blog
The Glorious Invitation / 05.14.09, 01:08 PM
“16 A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.” -Luke 14:16-23I have been questioning what role I would play in this story. Would I be the servant, inviting all to the man’s banquet. Would I be the one making excuses? What part would I be in this story? I’m not sure, but I know what part I believe we are called to be. I believe God is calling us to go out, out to the highways and byways, to the streets and alleys, and invite all who we see to come and share in the goodness of the Lord. God is calling us, the church, the body of Christ, to go out to the poor, the homeless, the handicapped, and all of the least of these. He wants us to be messengers of His love and acceptance of these.
And I wonder, what will our response be? What is our response now? Are we quick to make excuses (regardless if they’re good excuses or not, for the excuses in this passage seemed valid) or will we take up the call of the Lord to reach out, to be His hands and feet, and demonstrate His love to the least of these.
I know what my response is, as Isaiah said, “Here I am Lord, send me.”
The question remains, what will the church’s response be? What will your response be?
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