Daily Reflection – 11/1/2022
Sacred Scripture
One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”( Luke 14:15-24)
Reflection
What is your favorite Concert? Musician? Comedian? Group? Movie? Trip? Whatever it is, you can have all of them. All in one place. Now that’s a ticket worth buying!!
But there is still another one – even better than that. It’s your ticket to be joined with the Lord in eternity. Here is the best part – – it’s free. But . . .
It may not cost money but it does come with an obligation. Ooops, that word “obligation” may deter some from accepting the invitation. In today’s Gospel, we read of some who did. Now they were very polite in the way they turn that invitation down. You have probably heard those same excuses as I have.
“My career or business has to take precedence right now”. Or “I have to make a certain amount of money before I can talk about getting involved” Or “ My home and family come first at this point in my life.” And on and on.
There is lots of room for everyone but the obligation is that we must make the journey here on earth to reach it. Sadly, So many people today are so caught up in their worldly tasks that they do not bother to live a Christian life or even to care. They participate in the banquet in name only, but they do not truly accept the invitation”. “They say yes,” but they really mean” no.”
Christ has enabled each and every one of us to be able to eat at the Heavenly feast one day. But we must strive to live as Christians in a very un-Christian world. We can’t truly call ourselves Christian if we all do is remain on the guest list and don’t enter into a living relationship with Christ.
So what will you do with the invitation that you are hearing again today? Will you take it away and stick in in your back pocket and forget all about it as you get on with all those seemingly more interesting, more appealing, more pressing matters? Or will you respond eagerly today to Jesus?
The self-satisfied in Jesus’ story missed out on the feast because the Master shut the door against them when they despised him and his offers. How awful if he had to treat you the same way!
Remember the first to receive invites all failed to benefit because they didn’t do anything with their invite – they didn’t come to the feast. God invites you and you must respond by coming!
Don’t be shut out – come to Jesus Christ, live His way in all that you do and say.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord, you withhold no good thing from us and you lavish us with the treasures of heaven. Help me to seek your kingdom first and to lay aside anything that might hinder me from doing your will.”
Daily Note
Isn’t it amazing how many people profess to be willing and ready to go to heaven, who say they love God as much as anyone else and yet they continue to turn a deaf ear to the pleading of the Lord to “come and dine.” God is prepared to bless them — to have fellowship with them — to open the windows of heaven for them and yet despite what they say about loving God and wanting to go to heaven they make excuses and go on their way as if they will always have the opportunity to accept His invitation.
