Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and urge anyone you find to come, so that my house will be full.’ —Luke 14:23
One of the reasons I love Jesus’ words is that they take us beyond the day-to-day, and into the supernatural.
His words help us to not only make sense of this life, but of the life to come as well.
And it’s coming.
In the parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus taught that a wealthy man sent out invitations to everyone in town to come to this banquet.
On the day that preparations for the celebration were complete, the man’s servants called everyone to the banquet. But one by one those who were invited made excuses why they couldn’t come to the banquet.
“I have just bought some new property and need to inspect it. Please excuse me.”
“I’ve just bought new new farm equipment and need to try them out. Please excuse me.”
“I’m newly married, so obviously I can’t come.”
Jesus uses this story of the banquet to give us insight into the Great Invitation God has given to us for the Kingdom of God—Heaven itself—and the apathy that some have toward the greatest invitation in the world!
The servant reports back to the master, “I’ve called them to come, but they’re too busy.”
So He says to his servants:
“‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’” —Luke 14:21–23
Jesus tells us that God wants his house full. He wants us to be with Him.
After I read this, I wondered, why does God want his house full? I think for a couple of reasons, at least:
First, your Heavenly Father loves to party! It’s true. Jesus describes the celebrations and the food that will be part of the Kingdom of God.
But second, He knows what is coming in the future—that we will either spend eternity with him, or without him. We will either be with him in his Kingdom of light, or be cast into the outer darkness.
And what amazes me is that He gives us the dignity of choice. He has provided everything we need for this life and the life to come, and that life is on its way.
Our time here is short. It is only temporary and each of us have the opportunity to choose to say yes to the invitation, or decline because we have “something else to do.”
And still His heart’s desire is that “My house will be full.”
Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples described it this way: “…he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” —2 Peter 3:9
Are you busy? I don’t know anyone who isn’t. Most of us keep a pretty full schedule. But we all know that we make time for what is most important. And frankly, I can’t think of anything more important than eternity.
Don’t miss this: most of us are making plans for our future: your family, your finances, your healthcare, your career, even your retirement. But if that is all we plan for, we will miss the bigger picture. While they are important, they are too short-sighted for you.
You were made to live forever. Don’t just plan for the next few years or decades. Live with eternity in view. Your Heavenly Father wants you to be with Him.
In Paradise.
Forever.
Love you,
Pastor Bill
Bill Herried is a pastor at CenterPoint Church in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon—and he loves a good biryani.
Image by ktphotography from Pixabay
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