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Gospel Reading for November 5, 2024 – Luke 14: 15-24
AUTOMATIC
One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
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Jesus was speaking about the Jews who were chosen to receive the Messiah, but they failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah because of their preconceived idea of the Messiah as a warrior who would overthrow the Roman government. They did their best to find fault in him and nailed him to the cross instead of accepting his invite to follow him and carry their crosses. Hence, Christianity was preached to the GENTILES who have long been able to dine in God’s Kingdom unlike those who until now, are waiting for the Messiah.
There are many of us who come from Christian families and who even had our education at Christian schools, but yet, God’s invite to partake in his Kingdom remains an invite unless we act upon it. Salvation is not AUTOMATIC just because we are baptized Christians. We need to do our part – to accept the invite and take part in the building of God’s Kingdom on earth.
Thank you, Lord, for your gift of salvation!
