So Luke 14:15-24, what a story!!! People have been thoughtfull and intnetionally invited to a party, and they, with personal reasons, make excuse why they will not be attending. New purchase of property, attending to the cattle, relationship with spouse, these are all pretty valuable reasons for us to not accept a dinner invitation. As I read, I just kept imaginging, the further away from the invitation they walked, the more of themselves and their faith the dumped on the street. Piece by piece, leaving behind what was possible for their own ideas of prospertity.

Did they simply just miss the message – that this was not about food? Did they not here that this is an invitation to relationship? Are we so like them that we confuse cultivating relationship for satisfing a culinary excursion and fall back on, “Oh, that is just not good for me today? Who want beans instead of what Jesus is offering?”

Cutting straight to the chase, these invited guests, in many ways, dumped their faith. Yes, I said it. Exchanging possiblities of what could be from this nurtuting relationship, for a sure thing of their own making and desgin. Can’t you hear it? Well as long as I have property and land I can build my house and I will never be homeless. As long as I have food to eat, plenty of cattle, I will never know hunger. As long as I have a spouse, I will never know loniness. Yes, we tell ourselves the lie. If I can keep all my worldly goods I will always be protected and safe. But is this true? Bad things do happen to very good hard working people. Does that mean God does not care? Of course not. It just means we have the story wrong. We put the emphasises on the wrong priority.

So what’s the right priority? Show up to the relationship just as you are. It is God’s invitation not mans. It is God setting the table. It is God hosting the meal. It is God serving the supper. It is God filling you up. It is God for you.

Let us Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for the rich invitation to dwell with you. Often time we do dump our faith, and let the priorities of our own mind steer us to be what we want. Help us to not do this. Keep us focused on you, the great host for all. In Jesus name. Amen.