June 17, 2026
Rejecting God - Part 3
Luke 14:21
06/17/2026
21 So the servant came and reported these things to
his master. Then the master of the house became
angry and said to his servant, ``Go out quickly to
the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in
the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'' (ESV)
Our prayer this week acknowledges the work of the Holy
Spirit as He grants us wisdom and faith to trust in God for our
redemption from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
O Lord, since You never fail to help and govern those
whom You nurture in Your steadfast fear and love, work
in us a perpetual fear and love of Your holy name.
Jesus was at a banquet when one of the guests said,
``Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.''
In response, Jesus told a parable about a man who prepared a
feast. Each of the invited guests had an excuse, a reason to
reject the invitation. The pursuit of wealth, the satisfaction
of working, the joys of family and leisure were more important
than the feast. In the parable, the ones who rejected the
invitation were the pillars of the community, the leaders, the
ones who knew the invitation was coming.
So the servant came and reported these things to his
master. Then the master of the house became angry and
said to his servant, ``Go out quickly to the streets
and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and
crippled and blind and lame.''
Who were invited instead of the rich and famous, the
paragons of virtue? The master invited those who were not
worthy, who knew they did not belong at the feast, the tax
collectors, the prostitutes, and those who needed forgiveness.
The church is not for the ones who claim to be religious, who
make a show of their piety, but for the ones who stand in the
shadows saying, ``God, be merciful to me, the sinner.'' The
church is not filled with those who deserve to be honored, but by
those who are invited by grace alone.
May our Lord grant us faith to hear His invitation even if
we are unworthy, Amen.