Jesus Friend of Sinners
God's love is extravagant. He desires everyone to be
welcome in His presence. To illustrate that truth, Jesus taught a parable about
a master who had prepared a banquet and invited guests to come. Read Luke
14:12-23
12 Then Jesus said to his host,
“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers
or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite
you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will
be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous.”
15
When
one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is
the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16
Jesus
replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17
At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been
invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses.
The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please
excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke
of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so
I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to
his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor,
the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered
has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out
to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house
will be full…”
I find the song Jesus Friend of Sinners by Casting Crowns inspiring and compelling.
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