Luke 14-16: Inviting Sinners to My House

I want to be more like Jesus in the way I look at people. When I walk through the grocery store, sometimes I find myself subconsciously identifying who would be a good candidate for teaching the gospel and who wouldn't. Often I gravitate more towards those who look and act most like me. There's the young man with a couple of little kids. I can talk to him. He's like me. There's a young lady with a nice smile. She would fit right into my neighborhood, so I can easily talk with her. There's an older couple who are holding hands. Surely they wouldn't have to do much to get into the kingdom of heaven - they are good prospects.

But then there's the lady in a sharp suit, a no-nonsense look about her. Looks like it would be hard to break through that shell; no use trying to approach her. There are a couple of sullen teenagers bickering over some frozen pizza. They obviously don't have a clue or good attitudes. Who wants to talk to them? There's the unshaven bum sitting on the curb outside the store. I doubt I have anything in common with him, so I'll just keep walking.

How unfortunate that I don't have the mind of Christ when looking at the people around me! So often the ones who NEED the gospel message (okay, so everyone needs it, but these KNOW they need it) are the very ones I categorize as "too hard" or "not my type." And often the ones I THINK are my type and easier to talk to are the ones who are already satisfied their lives are going well and are convinced they DON'T need any spiritual help right now. What I have really done is judged their hearts. I have decided who is a good prospect and who isn't.

Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom is open to EVERYONE. In fact, many who had the first chance (specifically the Jews, in this context) rejected the kingdom, and God rejected them from His table. Look at these quotes from our Master:

Luke 14:13-14 - "When you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay."

Luke 14:21, 23 - "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame...Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled."

God is interested in those who are destitute, who are at rock-bottom, and who KNOW IT. These are the ones with whom Jesus spent His time. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He thanked and praised His Father because He had "hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and [had] revealed them to infants" (Luke 10:21).

We are to broadcast the seed of the word. Let it fall on all types of ground, on all hearers. Let us not presume who will listen and who will not. We should be using megaphones, but instead we sometimes use telephones. We single people out and work on them for years thinking, "I just know these friends will come around one day." I'm not saying we should quit trying with someone. I'm saying we should try with EVERYONE! Tell your reprobate boss that you have been praying for him or her. Ask your trash man if he would like to read the Bible with you. Ask your crotchety old neighbor if he will come eat with you.

These are all things I need to do.

God bless,
Nathan

Tomorrow's Reading: Luke 17-18