Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper (Luke 14:16–24, KJV).
It’s All About the Party
Jesus told many different parables in Scripture; however, in this particular instance, He taught about a feast. And, to this parable, there was a purpose—to teach the believers there was a side of God we don’t normally think about. God has a portion of His Kingdom that’s all about rejoicing and celebrating. It’s all about a party.
God wants to bring His people to a place of rejoicing and celebration. God doesn’t care if we are lame, broken, or poor—He wants everyone at His party and wants His children to celebrate. If there is space, He will seek additional people to celebrate and rejoice in His house.
Plan to Party
In Scripture, God taught the Nation of Israel to plan times on the calendar to celebrate. They celebrated the time when God brought His people out of bondage in Egypt. They celebrated God’s harvest at Pentecost. And, they learned to celebrate in the bad times too. They knew there was always a reason to celebrate because God was the source of their joy. It’s not the circumstances that dictate our praise, but the Lord of Creation.
We don’t have to wait on someone else to celebrate. God has given us His Spirit—the Holy Ghost—to help us celebrate and rejoice everywhere we go. We will always have a reason to praise and worship Him (Zephaniah 3:17). We should always rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4), and choose to worship Him.
How to Start Your Party
Some people don’t know where to start their celebration. Scripture tells us to enter into His gates with thanksgiving (Psalms 100:4). In order to get to the party, we have to walk through the front door. And, when we come in, we need to come in with praise. Our soul needs to cry out to Him!
There’s No Excuse to Party
We can’t give excuse as to why we can’t come to the party. In the parable, people said they were too busy working in their fields, trying out their oxen, and focused on their marriage (Luke 14:18–20). This was a lesson to us that there will be 3 things to get in our way to celebrate and praise the Lord: our home, possession, and relationships.
Jesus is painting a picture for His followers that a time will come when we need to choose what is important for us. Will we come into the presence of God and join the party? Let’s get ready to celebrate!
