“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and the country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’”
(verse 23)
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Here we have the generous, expansive, embracing heart of God. He’s planned a party, and he wants the place to be full.
It strikes me that this heart is at the very centre of all salvation history. Our Lord could never be content to write-off humanity when we rebelled. Instead, at great cost of patience and sacrifice, he continued to throw the door wide, yearning for us to turn, then return and enter in.
The continual call in the Old Testament to “repent” is God’s gracious invitation. “Don’t stay in the highways and the byways of sin and rebellion – instead, turn back, come to the banquet” – the invitation itself motivated by the Lord’s yearning to embrace.
That central theme of the New Testament (“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son”) is a costly confirmation of the Father’s heart to throw his arms wide, to envelope the world in his expansive love. These are the arms and heart that embrace prodigal after prodigal, welcoming us home, throwing the party, killing the fattened calf, lavishing love and acceptance and joy in the return. This is the heart that patiently waits, that holds off judgement yet another day, sights set on the full banqueting hall.
And we, his servants, are urged to join in the call, to go into the corners and out-of-the-way alleys of life, making the invitation known. No wonder Paul said, “The love of Christ compels me.”
The feast has been made ready. The celebration is keening to start. All is bursting at the seams because of a Father who so loves. So, join the mission.
“Go out to the roads and the country lanes and make them come in.”
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Dear Lord – Father, Son, Holy Spirit – I offer you my heart today to be embraced in your heart for those around me. Use me to issue the invitation clearly, with winsome joy, gladly compelling entrance into your banquet. Lord, may it be.
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Reflect:
How can you extend the invitation of the Kingdom today? Pray for an opportunity. Watch for it to unfold.
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Photo by Cody Chan on Unsplash
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