15 When one of the dinner guests heard Jesus’ remarks, he said to Jesus, “Happy are those who will feast in God’s kingdom.”
16 Jesus replied, “A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people. 17 When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.’ 18 One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check on them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city’s streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.’ 22 The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.’ 23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Reflection
Jesus tells a story about this massive party, the kind of celebration everyone would want to be at. The host sends out invitations ahead of time, but when the day comes, the people who were supposed to show up start making excuses. One says he just bought land and has to go check it out, another says he just got some oxen and needs to test them out, and another says he just got married and can’t make it. They’re all saying, “I’m too busy for this right now.”
So what does the host do? Instead of shutting it down, he throws the doors wide open. He invites the poor, the people who are hurting, and those who normally wouldn’t even be considered. Then he goes a step further and sends his servant out to the streets and country roads, telling him to bring anyone who’s willing to come. The message is clear: God’s heart is for His house to be full. Nobody is left out unless they choose to be.
Did you know that God’s invitation is still open today? The “banquet” Jesus is talking about isn’t just some party; it’s life with Him, both now and forever. But if we’re being real, it’s super easy to fall into the same pattern as the people in the story. We all have our own “excuses.” For some it might be school, sports, homework, jobs, relationships, social media, or just the constant busyness of life. Sometimes even the smallest distractions can slowly pull us away from God without us even noticing. We tell ourselves, “I’ll read my Bible later,” or “I’ll start praying more once things calm down,” but the truth is, later doesn’t always come.
The amazing part is that God isn’t looking for perfect people who have it all together. He’s not waiting for us to clean ourselves up before we say “yes.” He’s looking for people who are willing and who hear His call and respond, even if they’re not sure they have it all figured out yet. Saying “yes” to God is like accepting the best invitation ever. It’s stepping into a life that’s bigger, fuller, and more meaningful than anything else we could chase after.
So the real question for us is this: when God calls, will we keep making excuses, or will we say “yes” and step into the life He’s inviting us to?
by Abby Clark
For Pondering and Prayer
What gets in the way of your ability to say “yes” to God’s invitation?
Today, Lord, let me say yes to your invitation to a fuller, brighter, more abundant life with you. Amen.
