#BeLikeJesus - Week One - Day Four

By Central Women

Day 4: “You are Welcomed to Be A Part of the Table”

Have you ever thrown a party and invited a lot of people and none of them showed up? How did it make you feel? Were you sad? Angry? We go out of our way to plan a big party or event and invite so many people and no one shows up. All of our hard work gets unnoticed and everything we did goes to waste.

We might second guess ourselves and ask what did we do wrong, how could we have been better? What if, we stopped focusing on what we did wrong and focused on who could we have invited and welcomed into our home.

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. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:15-23)

At times when we are having an important party or event we tend to pick and choose who we want to invite. Sometimes that can a hard thing. The people you choose might not show up and disappoint you.

What would happen if you went outside of our comfort zones and invited others who really do not get an invitation to anything. This changes things. You are then opening a door to welcoming those into your space, people you would least expect it.

I get it. We love to be around people who we are most comfortable with, have the same interests as us, or they make the party more fun. We cannot let us stop us from welcoming others in who probably do not receive an invitation to anywhere.

Jesus includes everyone and invited everyone to be a part of the table He was sitting at. At that table things changed. When you include everyone and welcome them in you can then see how having others there can be transforming.

• What would it look like in your life to invite others to your table to be a part of?
• Has there been a time where someone had not invited you to a party or an event? How did it make you feel? Did it make you feel not included?
• How can we make sure to include others in our daily life?

Jesus,

Help us invite those who do not normally receive an invitation to anywhere. Use us to include everyone at your table and to show them that they have a part at that table. Let us see everyone and not just the people we want to see.

Amen.