Daily Devotion • February 14
Today's Scripture
Luke 14: 15–24
One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’” (NRSV)
Reflection
Jesus told the story of the Great Banquet at a sabbath dinner party. His host was a respected leader in the religious community, a Pharisee. Other guests were “watching him closely.” They wanted to challenge him, argue with him, because of the ways in which he persisted in ignoring the rules and customs of their religion. Before he entered the home he had healed a man, breaking the sabbath law. And so they started to pick at him.
He lost his patience. I love that about him. He turned to them, criticized the way they were jockeying for the best seats at the table, ingratiating themselves with their host. He told the host that a better guest list would have included those who were poor, crippled, and marginalized. And then he told the story.
It’s about putting first things first in your life, focusing on what’s really important and “not sweating the small stuff.” And it’s about the way religion itself can sometimes interfere with our experience of God’s welcoming grace.
Every time I read this familiar story it reminds me of something someone said recently about the mission of the church: We’re not in charge of the guest list — God is. Our responsibility is to practice good table manners.
Every time I read the story of those well-meaning people who offered excuses for not attending the banquet, I am reminded of all the ways all of us get caught up in that dynamic, missing important occasions for reasons that seem important but really aren’t. It’s a reminder, in the middle of our busy, overscheduled lives, not to miss the important occasions, opportunities to be with dear ones, ones who need us, and in whose presence we commune with the One who created us, loves us and invites us to the banquet table.
Prayer
Dear God, daily you invite me to the table, and my life is full of obligations, responsibilities, duties, and appointments. So daily I send my regrets. Help me to sort out all of the demands placed on me and those I place on myself. Help me not to miss precious opportunities to be with those I love, precious opportunities to be with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Written by John M. Buchanan, Pastor Emeritus
July 20, 2005
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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