Posts from — July 2010

Luke 14: 12-24  “When you give al luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat the feast in the kingdom of God.”  Jesus replied:   “A certain man was prepaing a great banquet and invited many guests.  At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.’  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.’  “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out.  Please excuse me.  “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’  “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.’  ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’  “Then the master told his sevant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.  I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ “

Remember:  It is by invite that we have been called and chosen and He has given us His grace and forgiveness; lest we forget and we become puffed up in our minds and hearts that it is by anythng we have done or accomplished or think that it is by anything that we know.  Now just where did I set that invite — I have a banquet to get to?

Till the next time, this is the Voice of Joyce signing off …….