In the parable of
the Great Banquet, the Lord explains how it really is with God's Kingdom. Someone said to Jesus, "Blessed is the
man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." Christ's response was chilling. He told a story about a certain man who
hosted a great feast. However most of
his invited guests did not bother coming.
Because there was still so much food and space, he ordered that his
servant go out and invite anyone he saw to the banquet but just a few
came. Not wanting all his good food to
go to waste, he told his servant to go far and wide and get all he could to
come and feast with him. Now here is the
surprising point Jesus was making. None
of those who were invited but didn't bother coming will get a taste of His
banquet. As the story progresses, the
recurring theme is that the vast majority of those invited to the great feast
never bother coming and have ridiculous excuses for not making it. Do we realize the implication? Not many people will be taken into the Lord's
great banquet because they don't want to come!
Is it possible that our view of success is much different than our
Lord's view? Do we expect that all
sorts of people, multitudes and multitudes will fall in love with Jesus and
make their home with Him and thus we will be successful in our Christian
duty? God's view is that the servant
will give out the invitation to life with Christ and the servant will do it
again and again, giving out countless invitations but all the while just a few
will join in God's Kingdom and be a part of His family. Our expectation is misplaced. God never promises that the masses will be
Christian, that there is to be an avalanche of enthusiasm for God's
Kingdom. He insists the opposite and
makes it clear this is what He means.
Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many enter into its
tumult. But narrow is the way leading to
life and very few take that route. The
Christian should be "scared to death" that those close to her will
"burn their bridge" to God and be cast outside the Gates of God's New
Jerusalem. It ought to terrorize us
that "good people" will weep great tears of horror when they find out
what their rejection of Jesus Christ has done!
We mustn't be so foolish as five of the virgins in Jesus' parable who
did not think it mattered what they did about the invitation to join Christ in
His hall of mercy and grace. The door,
when slammed shut, will make a most dreadful sound for those outside.
"'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 make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were
invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"
Luke 14: 22-23 NIV
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