In the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:16-24), Jesus talks about a man who put together a most triumphant banquet. He pulled out all of the stops planning an awesome party and invited loads of people. But when the party was starting, nobody came. They all made excuses instead. He should have known that people just click "join" without meaning it. One guy says he just bought a field and he has to go look at it, another says he can't come because he just got married. So the host invites all of the beggars and poor people from the city and they all come and the party rocks.
On a literal level, this scripture can teach us a lot about partying. Even though this guy's friends didn't come through, his desire to party was so strong and his spirit of hospitality so intense that he invited random people in just so the show could go on. Inspirational. We should all strive to want to party this badly.
As a parable, however, it has great spiritual importance. The wedding banquet represents the party that God is throwing for all human beings. Entry is free, everything is provided, God is a gracious host, etc. It's an open bar with free hors d'oeuvres and a fleet of designated drivers ready to go. Whatever your drink, it's in stock. All you have to do is come through. But still, people do not come through. There are a million different excuses people give for not partying with God.
In the story, someone says he has to go inspect a field he just bought. I call BS. If he bought the field, he clearly already inspected it to see if he wanted to buy it. Another guy says he just got married so he can't come. Married people can have social lives. Not only does he deny himself a good time, but he shuts down his wife too. Modern people's excuses for not pursuing a relationship with God are just as flimsy. I will now refute some common excuses:
Science disproves God- Not according to world-class scientists like Albert Einstein, Francis Collins (director of human genome project), and Kenneth Miller (biology prof. at Brown). Science tells us about the world, but God is beyond the world. Therefore, we know about God in completely different ways.
Christianity is Conservative, I'm liberal- So naive! Christianity is diverse beyond belief. Some Christians believe homosexuality is a sin. Some Christians believe that same-sex marriage could save the institution of marriage. Some Christians work on Wall Street. Some live on farm communes. There is a way for everyone to know God.
How can one religion be correct?- I have a few ideas... but even if one religion isn't correct, one gets closer to God than zero.
I'm too tired to go to Church- Jesus rose from the dead, you can rise from bed.
Perhaps the most common excuse is that people are trying to seek God alone. There is a reason that I think Christianity is like a party: you can't do it alone. You need others. We might not end up with our closest friends and people from our comfort zone.We may very well have to hang out with the poor, the sick, and the outcast, as it is in the parable of the great banquet. Although the world rejects them, God invites them to his party. And they, unlike us rich people, tend to accept the invitation.
A relationship with God is an awesome party. You're invited, just show up.
This week's drink is pretty and easy to drink, making it very INVITING (I know I'm stretching it)
The Red Fashioned
Ingredients: 2 tart cherries, 1 thin slice.lemon, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 drop bitters, 1 shot brandy.
Ingredients: 2 tart cherries, 1 thin slice.lemon, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 drop bitters, 1 shot brandy.
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