Old Testament: 2 Kings 15-17
Poetry: Psalm 75
New Testament: Luke 14:15-24
And so it begins. The words of Amos fell on deaf ears. Time and again, the northern kingdom of Israel fails to commit to repentance, leaving the high places standing against the Most High God’s repeated warning. Through the course of 2 Kings 15-17, Israel unravels, becoming a nation of idolatry and insolence. The very things that the previous generations had fought to keep out became the way. The Creator’s voice was ignored.
This is the exact picture painted in the “Parable of the Great Banquet.” In the same manner, a certain man extends an invitation to friends for a great feast. Every RSVP is returned with an excuse. Work, family, and other obligations trump taking the time to attend. In a move that represents both social and fiscal wisdom, the host extends the invitation to those who will actually show up – no questions and no excuses. When the party is well under way, those initially invited become indignant when they realize they no longer can attend.
While these words are meant specifically for the audience in front of Jesus with allusion to the historical context of Kings and Amos, we can most definitely apply them to the invitation that has been extended to each one of us. We are invited into conversations through reading and prayer. We are invited to be with our church body to commune in worship and fellowship. We are invited to take on baptism, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines. Life gets understandably busy, and so we ignore the greatest invitation we could receive: to sit down at the table with God – far more incomprehensible. And so, our place within God’s plan awaits our seating. We tend to our field, try out our purchases, and busy ourselves with another accolade, leaving our food growing cold and the high places standing.
The words are a sobering reminder to prioritize God and His kingdom above everything else. Our bodies, beings, and calendars should be given to Him first. Accepting His invitation to Sunday morning worship doesn’t make you a follower, but constantly rejecting it does mean you follow someone or something else. Volunteering to give your time to a mission or ministry doesn’t make your efforts an act of service, but never doing this most certainly makes you self-serving. Likewise, neglecting baptism, Bible study, and evangelism means we have placed our efforts and urgency somewhere else, making an offering of excuses instead of accepting the gracious offer in return for our small sacrifice.
Finally, we should reflect that this invitation is not exclusive to us. There are no country club, buyer’s membership vibes, or secret handshakes. It is now open to the general public. The overlooked and marginalized have every right to participate, and frankly, might have a more open social calendar if they just received the word. God invites all to sit at His table. We are to embody the generosity of our host as conduits of His call. There will always be excuses, but if we continue to ignore our invitation or fail to invite others, we could find ourselves on the wrong side of the door after the celebration has begun.
-Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
- What excuses have you used when God has invited you to come sit at His table? What do you think God thinks of your excuses?
- Aaron wrote, “We are to embody the generosity of our host as conduits of His call.” How can you put God’s generous call into practice in your life? Who is waiting to hear about their invitation? How can you deliver the invitation to them?
- What is the difference between being invited to the party and actually attending the party? Where are you? Where will you be? Can you be a church attender who is ignoring God’s invitation? What might that look like?
- What is your greatest priority? What should be your greatest priority?
Seek Grow Love 