Brown's Daily Word 5-10-11

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. I had to report for the Jury duty yesterday. I drove round the city and some of the towns in beautiful Broome County. There were flowering trees, such as tulip trees and crab apple trees, and all other trees blazing with brilliant colors. I took a walk in one of the local parks watching and listening as birds sang and made melodious sounds to Jesus, the maker of all creatures large and small.
This Saturday at noon there will be a special dinner for women. Linda Ayer will be speaking. All are welcome. The main course will be lasagna.
In every church I have served we have been accused of having too many banquets and dinners. We love to serve and share meals. They are not only venues for food, but for fellowship and fun.
Jesus told a story of a great banquet that was turned down. (Luke 14). Large dinners were important social networking events of the day, and it was an honor to be invited. Like the enthusiastic guest of verse 15, we can hardly imagine anyone refusing to attend, yet some did. The invitations went out, and the host anticipated positive responses.
In the parable the host represents God and the invitation is for the glories of Heaven. It was customary in Bible times to send out two invitations: an initial request, then a final summons when everything was made ready and it was time to gather. The guests had plenty of notice and ample time to make arrangements.
Yet, the invitees offered feeble excuses to defend their abrupt change of plans. They had initially agreed and were expected to come, but then they backed down.
There is nothing wrong with fields, oxen, or getting married, but there are no grounds for missing God’s banquet. For instance, one invitee had purchased a field, which was a long and complicated process. The man would've had several opportunities to examine the property. No one would buy property without first carefully inspecting it. He doesn't need to “see” it; he’s already has. His field wasn't going anywhere, so this is a lame excuse.
Buying livestock was also far from an urgent matter. People bought animals all the time, and no one would ever purchase a team of oxen without first “testing” them carefully to be sure they pulled together.
As for the man who was recently wed, getting married did not exempt people of the day from social obligations. He did not even ask to be excused. He rudely told the host not to expect him. Some invitations nowadays read “regrets only”, but this guy didn't even have the courtesy to “regretfully” decline.
There are many excuses for rejecting what our Generous Lord has to offer, and He sees through them all. People are too occupied with their lives to have the Lord, be part of their plans. They don't see their need; they're not willing to commit to faith; they find the invitation inconvenient; maybe they think the party won't be fun. Yet, no excuse is valid when the Lord calls us.
There’s more to this parable than rejecting hospitality. It is also about the honor of God. We dishonor Him by choosing to refuse His mercy. God offers Heaven itself and people refuse it; for them Heaven would be Hell. They make a free decision to remain alienated from God. C.S. Lewis describes the doors of Hell as being locked on the inside. We make Hell for ourselves when we refuse Heaven, God, and joy (Peter Kreeft).
The host was outraged over the rejections of his chosen guests, but he turned his anger to grace. He could not let the food go to waste, so he chose an unexpected option. Instead, he told his servant to invite the outcasts -- not the “beautiful people” but the so-called “unwashed masses” who offered no excuses (the kind of people Jesus was known to eat with). Matters such as real estate and livestock didn't impede them, and many couldn't afford to be married. They were told, “come on in; the food’s on the table!” They were welcome to the Host’s hospitality. This meal isn't for the full but the hungry. If we're full of the world we'll have no appetite for Heaven. Our Lord’s point is that all are welcome at His table.
The outcasts regarded themselves as unworthy; they had to be reassured that they were welcome to attend the banquet. The host said, “Compel them to come in” (23/NASB). In the same way, we share the Gospel message with a great sense of urgency, eager to have people come join the party! We are servants of the Host and our mandate is to go and invite people to come to His table, to let them know they're most welcome. “The greatest favor we can do for any human being is to introduce them to Jesus Christ” (Paul Little).
So what became of the original guest list? Those who snubbed the host would not get even a taste of the meal. The door was shut and the invitation withdrawn for those who refused to come. One commentator gets to the point of the host’s withdrawal, saying, “They don't know what they're missing but it serves them right that they're missing it!” None were excluded except those who excluded themselves. Who missed out? Those who rejected the invitation. We should let nothing stand in the way of accepting Christ’s invitation.
Jesus suggested to his fellow dinner-guest that, “We're enjoying this fine meal because we accepted our gracious host’s invitation. We need to accept God’s all-inclusive invitation to His table.” Scripture warns, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”. There is peril in rejecting God. If we think we can live without God, we're indeed on our own, but we're also without excuse. The offer’s been given…dinner is served.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/W4CapSBM8UA


Saturday evening worship service.
Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church, 128, Maple Drive, Endicott

Saturday, May 14, 2011
6 PM Coffee Fellowship

6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Aric Phinney and the worship team
Speaker: Craig Sabin.