Come to the Party!

"A certain man was preparing 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 servant, '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.'" Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Is this story realistic? Why would a man force other people to come to a party. It seems strange behavior, even in Jesus’ day. Jesus begins by saying “A certain man.“ What kind of man? He must be someone wealthy and powerful or else he would not have servants. Powerful men travel in powerful circles. They do not just socialize—they network. Such a man does not just throw a party--he throws an event. Parties are part of the way he impresses on others his wealth and power. They not just about weddings or birthdays—they are about showing the world how strong you are, and have become. Jesus doesn’t give the circumstances of the party One thing is clear, though, this party was intended to impress. Other powerful men would be coming. This would show them that this was a man of means. All was in readiness. Gallons of wine? Check. Mountains of meats and sweets? Check. Dazzling entertainment for every taste? Check. Hired waiters and servants to stand at his beck and call? Check. Everything was in readiness, except one thing—the guests. Not all the guests, of course. The people he wanted to impress would be there. However, he was concerned about what they would see. They would see an empty banquet hall, with mounds of food and only a few people. This would be a disaster. It would send the message that he was unimportant. He had prepared a list of the most important people in town to grace his banquet hall that night. One by one they made their excuses. There was no specific reason his guests did not come. There were many. Each one of them had what they thought to be a valid excuse. “I just purchased a field and I have to go inspect it.” “I just got a team of oxen, and I have to train them.” “Don’t bother me now—I just got married!” The list of excuses was probably a lot longer than that. Each thought had a valid personal reason for not going to the party. Not one of them had something that could not be put off of for a day or two. You can always inspect new property. You can always check out the horses. When you get married, you will always have your wife. Isn’t this the same situation God is in? God’s majesty and glory demands that he be worshipped. God had prepared a list of people who were to worship Him—Israel. But God’s people did not come. One by one we make our excuses. “God, I would like to worship you, I really would. But you know how it is. There’s so much to do at work. I’ve got a business trip, that I have to take. Afterwards, we’ll get together. I promise.” “Jesus, I know you want us to spend time together, but—well, you know. We’ve got a new crew to manage on the job. This is the weekend of our training seminar. It’s only once a year, and the rest of the time I can spend with you.” “Jesus’ I’ll be back to prayer soon, but—well, we’ve just been married. You know how important family values are. I’ve got to take care of my wife, then I’ll come back to you.” One by one, we make our excuses, but we forget one thing--- The kingdom of God is a party. It’s not a duty. It’s not a solemn occasion. It’s a time nad a place where people come, have fun, and rest. It’s a time of refreshment. The whole purpose of the gathering for the guests is to enjoy themselves. The greatest missed opportunities in our lives are not the things we avoid, but simply the things we fail to appreciate. We live our lives like a man who walks through acres of diamonds, and all we see are shiny rocks. We do not know what is ours, if only we will take the chance. This man was willing to give his friends and acquaintances a party. There would be music, dancing, gifts and favors, laughter, entertainment, joy. In exchange, the man asked only one thing—to glorify his name. The whole purpose of the party was to bring glory to the man who threw it. The purpose of the party of God is to bring glory to him, and let the whole world know how wonderful and powerful he is. So what kind of message do we send about God to the world, when we find every opportunity to miss it? Ton Compolo was right when he said that the kingdom of God is a party--Not some timid after church pot luck, but an eye-popping, full-on blowout of a party. It’s a party that lasts forever. Yet here we are, wallowing in the mundane, selling real estate and breaking horses while the King of Glory beckons us towards paradise. The world is full of unforgettable wonders. The problem is that they come with a price. The price seems nothing when you have seen what there is to see, but on the unseen side of them, before you get to them, it seems like a burden and a drag. If someone says to you, “Let’s go to church,” how do you feel? For many of us, it seems like more of a prison sentence than a party. Who can blame people for thinking this way—after all, we treat church like a prison, sometimes, or a dose of castor oil. We say to our children. “Go to church, it’s what you’re supposed to do. Go to church, you need it. Go to church, I had to do it, and so do you.” Who can wonder why kids don’t see church as a party? I sympathize with people who think this way. Church really isn’t fun, sometimes. But it’s not just a worship service that we’re being invited to attend. It’s a divine party. What’s party-like about the Kingdom of God? For one thing, it’s a place where we’re welcome. The first rule of throwing a party is to treat all guests as welcome. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, God welcomes you. His presence is the one place where we are all the same. His company is the one company where we are all equal. For another thing, there are riches there beyond imagining. Nothing is withheld from us—nothing. We can enjoy the riches of the world, because the King o Glory gives them to us. For a third thing, we can’t beat the company. We get to spend all of eternity with Jesus Christ. He is the one who is really in control. Yet for all this, we make excuses. This man is in danger of being embarrassed. So he decides upon a daring course of action—kidnapping. He tells his servants. “Go out to the highways and hedges and make them come.” In other words, shanghai them! This was often done in those days. The Roman roads, for example, were built in just such a manner. If a road was built through your town, the mayor had the authority to force every citizen to work on the road crew. Slaves and patricians worked side by side, it didn’t matter who. They were legally entitled to kidnap people for any purpose. If they could force you on a road crew, they could certainly force you to a party. This story is found in all three of the first three Gospels. One difference between Luke’s version and the other is the phrase, “and hedges.” He tells his servants to search the highways and hedges. Don’t just stop with the people on the road. Is you see a guy out trimming is hedge, grab him, too. If someone tries to jump the fence, grab him and drag him back. God’s banquet hall must be full. It’s really a funny picture, servants chasing strangers to shanghai them to a party. But it makes sense. The master was embarrassed by the ones he invited. They let him down, because they would not come when he needed them. Don’t worry, God is no going to force you to come to church. He gives you freedom not to come, if you wish. But God is making sure that His banquet hall will be full. If it is not full of Presbyterians, it will be full of Baptists If it is not full with the Baptists, he might open the door and let in a few Catholics. If it is not full of church people, then he is liable to go out to the homeless shelters and the crack houses and the biker bars and pull in a few people to the kingdom that might surprise you. One way or another, He will be worshipped and glorified. But if He has do to that, you are going to miss out. He will not hold the door open to us forever. Verse 26-27 is one of the harshest things Jesus ever said "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Notice the context. He is not inviting us to die. He is inviting us to party. Eternal happiness and joy. If the cross for that is forsaking our father and mother, it will be worth it. If the cost is to be nailed to a cross, then it is worth that, too. It is worth the nailing and the pain and the suffering. You can come, too, though you may have to die to get here. But in the end, it will all be worth it. My friend Tom Marshburn, in is trek up the Pacific Crest trail, rights about crossing the high Sierras. He had a devil of a time getting to the top. He lost the trail, encountered bears, and had to chop his way through the underbrush for hours. He was discouraged and exhausted. Then suddenly, he was at the top, and saw the world stretched out at his feet. Suddenly, he did not care any more. The view was worth the trouble. God’s party is worth it, too.