#1169. The invited are inviters (18/10/24)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series. Today, from Luke 14:16-24, following on from yesterday, we reflect on how we can become better at inviting people to eternal life in Christ.

Luke 14:16–24

To watch this devotional, select the link below:

https://youtu.be/SQVKOy9FA-I

‘Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘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. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:16-24)

Luke 14:16–24

Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave, dedicated her life to leading others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. She made countless invitations to enslaved individuals to join her on perilous journeys to liberation. However, many turned her down due to fear, skepticism, or loyalty to their masters. Despite facing numerous rejections and life-threatening dangers, Tubman persevered, ultimately rescuing around 70 enslaved people. Her unwavering commitment and resilience made her a key figure in the abolitionist movement. She said,

"I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves." (Harriet Tubman)

Jesus’ words in our text are to provoke us to be active in evangelism. God is ‘preparing a great banquet’ and He wants us to invite many to enjoy eternal life through Christ.

i. God has gifted us with the time we are in

We are to understand the time in which we live. Our world gives us a narrative about life in which we are born by chance, at this time by chance, in a universe that exists by chance and that will last until a natural disaster puts an end to this planet. However, we are to understand that we are born by God’s will, for this time, in order to help people to come to His banquet that will be ready at God’s timing. The length of our lives and the universe are in God’s hands and we are to call everyone to be ready for that time - the time of their death or the time of His return.

ii. We will experience different responses to the invitation

Our account, rather like The Parable of the Soils, shows that there will be different responses to the invitation to come to Christ and life in Him. Many will be too focussed on their business and families to listen to the gospel. This narrative, firstly, is a challenge for all of us to make a whole hearted response to the gospel and to guard against distraction to serve other things rather than Jesus. Secondly, this is an encouragement to remain available to Jesus to make His invitation through us. We will face rejection and excuses, but we are to persevere.

ii. Invite the unlikely

When those first invited - alluding to many of the Jews - refuse, the invitation is sent to ‘The streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame…’ Jesus wants us to invite the unlikely. He wants us to take the gospel to those whose lives are a mess and who, on the surface, may seem the least likely to respond. Like all of us, dead in our sin, we are the ungodly, powerless and condemned sinners who have been invited and we are to become inviters of others.

Let’s pray together

“Lord Jesus, as your ministry was full of loving service to various kinds of people. So, change my heart to love the range of people that you want me to serve. Help me to be courageous and compassionate to keep inviting people to believe the gospel even though I will suffer a range of responses. Amen.”