Worship Is How We Acknowledge God’s Hand
"Then he said to him, 'Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, "Come; for everything is ready now."'" - Luke 14:16–17
In this parable, the host's initial invitation is rejected by the respectable, busy elite. In response, the host doesn't cancel the party; he radically expands the guest list. He commands his servant to "go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame." This was a shocking reversal of social norms. The kingdom of God, Jesus teaches, is like a party where the guest list is intentionally filled with the outcasts, the marginalized, and those who can't repay the host. The invitation "Come; for everything is ready" is a declaration of grace. The feast is prepared not because the guests are worthy, but because the host is generous.
The community center wanted to host a monthly dinner to build relationships. At their planning meeting, they wrestled with the guest list. One person suggested they invite community leaders and donors. Another proposed inviting the homeless population from the nearby park. A wise woman in the group finally said, "Why are we choosing? Let's invite them all." This became their guiding principle. They actively invited everyone: housed and homeless, documented and undocumented, employed and unemployed, the mayor and the man who slept on the steps of city hall. Their meals became a beautiful, messy reflection of the great banquet, where social status was left at the door and everyone was simply a welcome guest.
Christ's resurrection validates His vision of God's kingdom as a great, inclusive banquet. Our mission is to be the servants sent out to invite everyone in. This requires us to create "foretastes" of this banquet in our churches and communities. It means we must actively challenge the social, economic, and racial barriers that keep people from the table. An invitation to the banquet means ensuring everyone has access to both spiritual nourishment (the gospel) and physical nourishment (food, community, dignity).
You are the servant sent out to invite others to the feast. This week, your task is to extend an invitation. Organize or participate in a meal that intentionally brings together people from different walks of life. It could be as simple as inviting a neighbor you don't know well to dinner, or as organized as volunteering at a community meal. The goal is to create a space that reflects God's radical, inclusive hospitality, where all are welcome and honored at the table.
Every time you create an inclusive community around a table, you are tearing a small hole in the fabric of this broken world and giving people a glimpse of the great banquet that Christ's resurrection makes possible.
God, our generous Host, thank You for inviting us to Your great banquet when we were unworthy. Forgive us for our exclusivity. Help us create tables and communities that reflect Your kingdom, where the poor and the marginalized are honored guests and no one goes hungry, physically or spiritually. Amen.
In this parable, the host's initial invitation is rejected by the respectable, busy elite. In response, the host doesn't cancel the party; he radically expands the guest list. He commands his servant to "go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame." This was a shocking reversal of social norms. The kingdom of God, Jesus teaches, is like a party where the guest list is intentionally filled with the outcasts, the marginalized, and those who can't repay the host. The invitation "Come; for everything is ready" is a declaration of grace. The feast is prepared not because the guests are worthy, but because the host is generous.
The community center wanted to host a monthly dinner to build relationships. At their planning meeting, they wrestled with the guest list. One person suggested they invite community leaders and donors. Another proposed inviting the homeless population from the nearby park. A wise woman in the group finally said, "Why are we choosing? Let's invite them all." This became their guiding principle. They actively invited everyone: housed and homeless, documented and undocumented, employed and unemployed, the mayor and the man who slept on the steps of city hall. Their meals became a beautiful, messy reflection of the great banquet, where social status was left at the door and everyone was simply a welcome guest.
Christ's resurrection validates His vision of God's kingdom as a great, inclusive banquet. Our mission is to be the servants sent out to invite everyone in. This requires us to create "foretastes" of this banquet in our churches and communities. It means we must actively challenge the social, economic, and racial barriers that keep people from the table. An invitation to the banquet means ensuring everyone has access to both spiritual nourishment (the gospel) and physical nourishment (food, community, dignity).
You are the servant sent out to invite others to the feast. This week, your task is to extend an invitation. Organize or participate in a meal that intentionally brings together people from different walks of life. It could be as simple as inviting a neighbor you don't know well to dinner, or as organized as volunteering at a community meal. The goal is to create a space that reflects God's radical, inclusive hospitality, where all are welcome and honored at the table.
Every time you create an inclusive community around a table, you are tearing a small hole in the fabric of this broken world and giving people a glimpse of the great banquet that Christ's resurrection makes possible.
God, our generous Host, thank You for inviting us to Your great banquet when we were unworthy. Forgive us for our exclusivity. Help us create tables and communities that reflect Your kingdom, where the poor and the marginalized are honored guests and no one goes hungry, physically or spiritually. Amen.
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