“The Invitation to Salvation, or Salvation’s Invitation”
16 Then said he unto them, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17. And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent begin to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it, I pray thee have me excused. 19 Another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 Another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came and showed his lord these things. 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. 22. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 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.
Luke 14: 16-23 KJV
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The scripture lesson comes to us from the lips of our Lord. Jesus is teaching the disciples (and us) about salvation, deliverance, redemption, and their blessings. He uses the teaching method of the parable or storytelling to illustrate a particular point. The point that Jesus makes in this story is that salvation is an invitation to all, but one must accept and receive it.
Consider what it means that God offers us salvation in the life of Jesus.
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A Substantive Invitation, verses 16-17
16Then said he unto them, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many 17And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. Luke 14: 16-17
This parable is a follow-up from the story in Chapter 13 about Jesus’ teaching on humility. Jesus begins the story saying, “A certain man made a great supper and bade (invited) many”. And at supper time, he sent his servant to go and tell them, those that were invited, “come” for all things are now ready.
Jesus viewed God’s kingdom as a feast of joy. God sends a precious invitation. Verse 16 is the invitation, and verse 17 points to the time when the feast is ready.
The invitation is substantive as it involves matters of practical significance for everyone covering the gamut of life experiences. Jesus invites them to come to a supper where they will be fed with the sustenance that sustains life and the presence that provides for all that is necessary to live and have life abundantly.
Consider what it means to accept the invitation to accept the Lord’s invitation.
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Wednesday, August 11, 2021 |
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A Scant RSVP, verses 18-20
18And they all with one consent begin to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it, I pray thee have me excused. 19Another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 Another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Luke 14: 18-20
- Land
- Property Investment
- Oxen
- Business Engagement
- Married
- Family Commitment
The excuses in the parable are scant at best. I mean, who buys property without first seeing it? The usual practice is to always see the property before purchasing it. The same is true for Oxen. The potential buyer usually looks them over before buying them. Also, the Mosaic Law allowed a married man one year’s exemption from military service and business, but it did not include social occasions when the invitation had already been accepted. (Deuteronomy 24: 5) The invitation was God’s invitation to Israel and they accepted it when they accepted God’s covenant. The announcement was proclaimed by Jesus (and John the Baptist) that the Kingdom of God is at hand. The excuse makers were the Pharisees who offered many reasons for rejecting Jesus.
Moreover, it seems ironically interesting that the excuses: property investment, business engagement, and family commitment are cited as distractors to disciples and discipleship. It is also interesting that the Apostle Paul reminded us that “ye are bought with a price” (I Corinthians 6:20, & 7:23).
Consider what it means to make an excuse to a one of a kind of invitation about not being available to benefit from such a great opportunity.
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Thursday, August 12, 2021 |
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A Standing Invitation, verses 21-23
21 So that servant came and showed his lord these things. 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. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. Luke 14: 21-22
Notice, Jesus names the same group in verse 21 that he named in verse 13 of Chapter 13, the poor, the maimed, the halt (lame), and the blind. These groups represent those whom the Pharisees thought unworthy of the kingdom. Therefore, Jesus was illustrating with the parable, although the Pharisees excluded them, God still invited them. God thought they were worthy and because God loves them.
Jesus said, “For ye have the poor with you always, and whosoever ye will ye may do them good…” (Mark 14:7a). The poor that Jesus spoke about are still with us today.
No, they do not own Palatial Palaces; they do not have travel access to Air Force One or Two; they do not possess Financial Portfolios; many are homeless and live on the streets, but they are still with us today. The other groups are both physically and spiritually challenged.
The Maimed are physically crippled and disabled, and spiritually unbelievers and incomprehensive. The Halt (Lame) are physically defected and spiritually distorted.
The Blind are physically without eyesight and spiritually they are without insight. Yet they are invited to come to the feast of the Kingdom gathering.
Consider what it means to have a standing invitation that is available to you.
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23 Go to the hedges and highways and compel them to come”. Those in the hedges and highways are the ones outside of the city, these are the Gentiles (non-Jews) to whom the gospel would reach. Compel, in this context, points to the urgency of persuading others to accept the invitation to salvation.
Luke 14: 23
Is there room? There is room! After Isaiah raised his prophetic question in Chapter 53 verse 1, “Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Jesus speaks in Revelation 22: 1b. “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star”.
And before Rev. Misner questioned Ms. Best regarding the education curriculum and teaching young African American community members lessons about Africa in Toni Morrison’s Paradise, the question was, is there room?
Then Luke recorded in Chapter 2 verse 7, “There was no room for Jesus at his birth.” Yet, at his death, Jesus made room for all humanity.
There is room for everyone at the cross. It is there at the cross that we come to see the light as the composer says and the burden of your heart rolls away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day.
Consider what it means that there is room for everyone at the cross to come and receive the redemption and restoration that comes in Christ.
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Saturday, August 14, 2021 |
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Conclusion / There is room for everyone.
Well, this same Jesus who spoke this parable said, “In my father’s house are many mansions…” Oh yes, there is room.
It’s the same Jesus that is also God’s son who came down through forty-two (42) generations to tell a dying world of humanity, its supper time, “come” for all things are now ready.
It is the same Jesus who acted in history. He called nations and healed the sick and raised the dead. It was five thousand plus (5,000+) souls he feed.
Ira Stamphill reminded us about Jesus’ invitation in his song, “There Is Room at the Cross for You’. When asked why did he write the song? Stamphill said, because one day I experienced the love of Jesus in my life, when he forgave of sin and invited me into fellowship with him.
Stamphill wrote: “The hand of my savior is strong and the love of my savior is long,
Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, The blood flows from Calvary to cleanse every stain.
There is room at the cross for you, there is room at the cross for you,
Tho millions have come, there’s still room for one,
Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.
Tho many have come…
Mama and Big Mama neem have come. Daddy and Big Daddy neem have come.
There’s room for W. C., Frank, Jr., Nicky and NeNe.
There’s still room for the:
Addicted and the Afflicted,
For the Broken and the Tokens,
For the Curious and the Serious,
There’s room for the Demons, the Dreamers, and the Screamers,
And there is still room for the Haters and the Fakers,
For the Homeless and the Hopeless,
For the Lonely, the Wounded, and the Whole,
And the Saints and the Sinners. There is still room at the Cross for you.
This is the invitation to salvation or salvation’s invitation is extended, all is ready, Come. Amen!
Consider what it means there is room at the cross for you, me, and everyone.
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Los Angeles, CA 90011
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