You’re invited to a party! Will you accept the invitation?

 

By J.E. Nickerson

As we continue to enjoy the holiday season, many people plan special meals for their family and friends, as a way of celebrating the holiday season. 

But have you ever planned out the perfect meal, prepared the house to receive guests and set out the good dinnerware, only to be declined by your dinner guests?

In Luke 14, Jesus tells the story of a man who created an elaborate feast, in honor of his son’s marriage and invited all of his friends and the people he knew to the feast. 

People who have been invited to wedding dinners and events wrapped around marriages, understand how important this kind of event is and how much goes into creating it. In our modern culture, it would be easy to imagine that all the food had been perfectly catered, the house had been meticulously cleaned, decorated and guest lists with the names of the people who were invited, had been made. 

When it was time for the event to start however, each one of the guests who were invited, began to give reasons for why they could  not attend. 

One person said he had purchased a field he intended to use, and was too busy inspecting it to attend. Another person said he had purchased a group of livestock and was more interested in using them, than he was in attending the feast. 

The last person said that they had a just started a relationship and did not want to be distracted by attending the feast. 

In response to these excuses, the man who had invited them, instructed his servants to find other people who were not originally invited to the wedding and urge, encourage and persuade them to attend the wedding feast, so that the preparations and work that the man had put into the event, would not go to waste. 

Some people might overlook or downplay the importance of attending a wedding dinner in our modern culture. Being invited to attend parties is enjoyable, but most people would not consider it to be a necessity to attend a party. 

But the party being described in Jesus’ parable, was not just another party for people to enjoy or choose not to attend. The party represented God’s invitation to develop a relationship with him and Jesus Christ, God’s son. With this view of the invitation in mind, let’s take another look at the group of people who chose not to make time for the marriage celebration, they were invited to. 

Luke 14 says that the first person who declined to attend, said that they had purchased livestock to use and were unable to attend the party. Some translations of this scripture say the person had purchased oxen. When Jesus originally gave this parable, oxen were used extensively in the transportation of goods and to plow land for agricultural purposes. This person could be seen as representing people who choose to put their business plans and life goals ahead of the importance of developing a relationship with God and including him in their lives. Another way of looking at this is to say that we sometimes think that we are able to succeed in our life, without God’s help or influence. But this is not true. While there is nothing wrong with making plans for the future and investing time and energy in our work and business, we should also make provisions to include God in our plans. Asking him for advice and guidance in the creation and pursuit of our goals, is one way we can answer the call of God for us to have a relationship with him. 

The second person to decline the invitation said that they had purchased a field and wanted to inspect it, instead of attending the dinner. This person also represents individuals who choose to overlook the importance of God in their life, because something they have or want to do, is more important to them than a relationship with God. While a person can fill their lives with many activities that are enjoyable and even necessary for their wellbeing, we should always find time in our schedule to develop a relationship with God through prayer and daily devotionals. 

The last person to choose not to attend the event, asked to be excused because he had just gotten married and was too busy with his new relationship to attend the feast he was invited to. 

This final person, represents individuals who choose not to include God in the various relationships they have. God does not disapprove of us enjoying relationships in life. Genesis 2:18 NIV says the following, “The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 also says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor; For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.”

While God wants us to have relationships with other people, he also wants us to include him in our life. In the parable of Jesus, every person who rejected the invitation, did not recognize the benefits of the dinner they had been invited to. Some of the benefits of attending this dinner would have been a relationship with the man and his son and the enjoyment of the food that had been provided for them to eat. 

Instead of canceling the event, the man instructed his servants to reach out to people who were not on the guest list for the dinner. In various translations of this scripture, the man instructs his servants to go into the highways and places and invite everyone they found. Verses 21-23 say, “Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

Only when the whole house was filled with people, was the man willing to begin the supper.

The open invitation in the parable, represents God’s call to everyone who has ever struggled in life, who feels unworthy of his attention and love and those who feel abandoned and lonely. When Jesus said that the man filled his house with those who were lame, struggling and in need, it showed us how accessible God was willing to be. 

God wants everyone to enjoy and experience his abundance and have a relationship with him.

Jesus further described the importance of God’s invitation to people to have a relationship with him, when he said the following in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.” (AMPC)

This holiday season, as we set our tables and make food for our family, let’s not forget that God wants to invite us to a feast of his own. This feast is one of peace, God’s love, a relationship with his son who was born on Christmas and God’s willingness to satisfy all our needs. The message of Christmas is that God sent his son to earth to be born and walk among us. While he did touch the sick and heal their diseases while he was on earth, he also promised us that anyone who reaches out to him in faith, can also have a relationship with him. God’s invitation to us for a relationship is just as relevant now as it was when Jesus first spoke about it. 

This holiday season as we enjoy our relationships with people and host or attend parties, let’s not forget that the greatest relationship we can have is with the God who created us and the Son he sent to earth to die for our sins and show us his love.