luke 14:16-24

God has been rocking my socks off lately, giving me new insight to His word. here's the passage:

16But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' 22And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"

here's what He taught me:
after church on Easter, my fam had a heated discussion about the sermon and the fact that the messages always seem to be for the drug addicts, porn addicts, divorced people, suicidals, alcoholics, etc. and why can't it just be a nice message for the "good people." (besides the fact that not ONE is good) but a week later, God graciously showed me in His word WHY.

• the invitation is there. we're all invited to the banquet. we hear it at church. we read it on billboards. we see it in nature. we're without excuse (especially in america). God wants us all there - in heaven, to fellowship at the table with Him at the banquet.
• but we come up with excuses. 3 potential reasons for saying "no" to God and a relationship with Him: 1. a field - recreation 2. oxen - work 3. wife - relationships
• so the invitation is extended to "the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame." in Jesus' time, these people were easy enough to find...they were usually in the streets, begging. God wants them there at the banquet too. they might not consider themselves worthy of the invitation, but they are loved and they are desired.
• and there's still room! He wants His house to be filled up. Again, He wants everyone to come (none to perish)
• so the servant is sent to "the highways and the hedges" to "compel people to come in." these people are a little more difficult. they might be the theives, or the lepers, the outcasts, by choice or not. and God wants them there too. they may not initially want to come. they have to be convinced.