the kingdom feast

Good morning friends,
Today is the first of these readings from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance camp at Olive Tree. You can follow our trip at our blog. This morning's reading shows us another piece of dinner-time discussion with Jesus. Jesus has just told the guests that they should give dinners for the poor and crippled instead of for their friends. This morning begins with someone's response to that: the speaker says, "Blessed is anyone who eats bread in the kingdom of God." Jesus responds with a story about God's invitation to the kingdom feast. The irony is that none of the folks who were invited to the feast came to eat. Everyone had something else that was more important than the feast. We want to be with God, but how do our daily choices fit with that bigger choice? The question isn't God's invitation; it's whether we show up.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 14:15-24
15One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ 19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ 20Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’

21So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” 23Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”