Luke 14 (4)

Pray Psalm 80.8-11.
You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.

Sing Psalm 80.8-11.
(St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
You set us free from sin, Lord, and planted us in grace.
We rooted in Your strong Word have spread from place to place.
Our shadow covered mountains, our branches reached the sea;
Your grace flowed like a fountain of life, abundantly.

Read Luke 14.1-24; meditate on verses 15-24.

Preparation
1. What happened to those who made excuses?

2. Whom did the master receive to his banquet?

Meditation
God knows the plans He has for us, plans for good, and not for evil, that we might have a future and a hope (Jer. 29.11). His plans involve bringing us into His pleasure and enveloping us in His strength and love. He intends to feed us on His Word, fill us with His Spirit, overflow us with His grace, empower us as His witnesses, commune with us in meditation and prayer, use us to encourage His people, deploy us in serving others, involve us in building His Church, and – most amazing of all – fill us with delight to glorify and honor Him in everything we do.

He is setting the table for you today. Are you looking forward to the feast, or are you already lining up excuses as to why you can’t be bothered to enter God’s good and perfect plan?

Jim Kennedy used to say that an excuse is “the skin of a reason, stuffed with a lie.” Remember that the next time you think to excuse yourself from something God has called you to do.

Why do we make excuses for not joyfully embracing God’s plan for us? Because we think our time, our puny enterprises, our avocations and diversions, and our convenience are more valuable than God’s plan.

That’s called hubris, and it will suck the life out of you.

We need a mindset that says we’re all poor, maimed, lame, and blind – helpless apart from the grace of the Lord. That way we’ll lay hold on every invitation to feast on His Word and discover more of His plan, so that we leap to obey Him in working our Personal Mission Field.

God is inviting you today. Are you planning to join Him?

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Wisdom said, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding” (Prov. 9.5, 6).

“Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take eat, this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26.26-28).

We are invited to this same dinner party. Why would we ever “make excuses for not joyfully embracing God’s plan for us?” This is extreme hospitality that we ought not refuse. It is not an offhanded summons to grab a burger with a friend. This invitation has life-or-death implications.

On a human note: Can you imagine planning this big party for your child? You sent out beautifully inscribed notes with date and time; you rented a lovely venue; and you hired the best chefs to cater a nutritious and delicious dinner. But most of all, your child is looking forward to a special time with chosen friends and family. And then, the anticipated time arrives…and no one shows up. And worse yet, when questioned, the invitees all had pathetic excuses as to why they did not attend.

How would you feel? What would you do? How would you remedy the situation?

Now, I know that God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Is. 55.8, 9); but surely we can get a tiny glimpse of how a refusal to attend His love-inspired dinner party might strike Him.

The psalmist wrote, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little” (Ps. 2.12).

Let us receive our invitation with joy: to a party where God will prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies, when He will anoint our heads with oil, and our cups will run over (Ps. 23.5) with thankfulness, praise, and love in celebration of Jesus.

Then RSVP: YES.

For reflection
1. To what “feast” does the Lord invite you daily? What does He have for you there?

2. Why is the Lord’s Supper so important to our walk with the Lord? How should you prepare for taking the Supper?

3. How can you tell when your own convenience is threatening to keep you from the Lord’s plan for your life? What should you do?

By senselessly giving themselves up to these earthly matters, they cannot see things spiritual. Conquered by the love of the flesh, they are far from holiness. They are covetous and greedy after wealth. They seek things that are below but make no account in the slightest degree of the hopes that are stored up with God. Cyril of Alexandria (375-444), Commentary on Luke, Homily 104

Pray Psalm 80.12-19.
Pray that God will rid you of any excuses you might offer for not seeking His Kingdom and righteousness as the defining priority of your life. Listen in prayer as He searches you (Ps. 139.23, 24). Confess and repent as needed. Then feast on His Word and go forth into your day ready to serve.

Sing Psalm 80.12-19.
(St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
Now You in wrath have spoken and bruised Your chosen vine.
We languish, Lord, are broken by wrath, deserved, divine.
Once more, Lord, hear our pleading: return and heal this vine!
Look down on us, so needy, and show Your love divine!

Though we be burned and perish because of Your command,
Revive us, Lord, and cherish this son of Your right hand.
Then let us not return to our sinful, selfish ways,
but call on You and learn to surround You with our praise.

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.