resident alien day 6: Jesus is a foodie

Then he turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God’s people.”

That triggered a response from one of the guests: “How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God’s kingdom!”

Jesus followed up. “Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’
“Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses....The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’
“Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’
“And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’
“The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’
“The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded—and there’s still room.’
“The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’”

 Luke 14:12-24 (The Message)

We have been issued the greatest invitation to the ultimate feast. And the guests have sent back a "will not attend" for reasons that seem good but in proportion pale miserably. 

We have been invited by the Creator of the cow, the duck, sage, salt and everything else. The penultimate foodie, Jesus, offers us a ticket to a dinner party worth more than we could ever pay and most say "not thanks". We trade a feast for garbage.

As resident aliens we are ones who have heard the invitation and have come to the banquet.  But there are still seats to fill. Fill them. Fill them with the people we have been asked to go to; the desperately marginalized of our world, the ones who are homeless, wretched and missfits.

Are our churches filled with these... or is it a...

 a banquet hall for the broken,

  or a dinner party for the content? 

Today pray, "Lord, you have filled my table with the best of things, and still better is to come.  Lord, please point me to those whom you wish to invite to the Feast. Let me get over myself and my fears so that others may get to you." Amen