Easily Distracted from a Wedding and A Kingdom
Luke 14:15 ¶ When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
Luke 14:16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.
Luke 14:17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
Luke 14:18 But 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.’
Luke 14:19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
Luke 14:20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
Luke 14:21 So 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.’
Luke 14:22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
Luke 14:23 And 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.
Luke 14:24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
You ever feel like Jesus is just trying to be a stinker? It’s not that He wants to rain on everyone’s parade, but He really cares about the people He is around.
Especially if they say something stupid.
Jesus just told a sort of parable about honor, pride, and feeding people that can’t pay you back. Then this guy, happy to be at the meal and feeling really religious, says “Happy are all of those that will eat in the kingdom of heaven.” Like he’s so happy that he’s so righteous.
Don’t choke on that chicken bone when you help yourself to thirds, brother.
Jesus brings the Kingdom of Heaven into reality. It sounds awesome. It’s desirable. It’s open to us. We’ve been invited.
But it takes our participation. People get distracted by new shiny things. They prefer to do something else when the moment comes to serve Christ. It feels a lot easier to give into a temptation than to resist it. And just like that, a lot of people miss out.
Just like a marriage lives by daily love and deep friendships thrive on stupid texts every so often, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those that have the Lord as their top priority. The Lord Jesus is inviting us to participate in the Kingdom with Him every single day. It’s on us to develop habits that either listen and respond or go play with our new field.
Like seriously, who would go look at their field instead of go to their friend’s wedding? That’s ridiculous. Now pardon me while I get back to doom-scrolling on Facebook.
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