"Come for the great dinner has been prepared!"
Throughout the scriptures, the Lord never forces, but invites people to respond to his call. Some of us who are free from obligations may decline the offer due to various reasons. In our own context her in Australia, we are dealing with a people who have been alienated from the Church; in their own words "organised religion" due to the various and humiliating hardships faced in the light of trust been broken and integrity robbed/stripped away from our young!
Others tend to perceive anything to do with God or even God himself or at-least how the various institutions portray Him; as the means of wars, hatred, and dictatorship that completely imprisons the right of freedom. Then there is the scandal of all scandals: THE CHURCH IS A BUSINESS AND ITS BANKERS SQUEEZE THE LAST DROP OF BLOOD FROM ITS INVESTORS (the blind followers)
When we read into this great parable written by the Apostle Luke in his fourteenth chapter (Lk 14: 15-24) we see the kings' ministers making several excuses and decline the invitation. This is a classic example of how we cover our tracks when we "the clergy" do things on the side! We are very good at exhorting canon law (church rules) when threatened, but tend not to worry too much about the very fact that GOD SEES ALL AND THE RECORDS ARE KEPT!
Then the tables are turned so to speak/write when the king says in the twenty first verse: "Go out at once into the lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." Unfortunately, history repeats itself: those who's hearts are in the right place, are more than willing to commit their lives to God, and have been touched by the hand of God - fruitful in faith and works, are blocked!
These true servants of the Lord as even the Lord himself at that time; disrupted the flow of the temple and its abundance. How many times have I heard the story of such remarkable individuals who have been rejected because they either don't fit, are not bright enough, or even confront the inner identity of those who are supposedly recruiting vocations!
Although we the Church who keep the elder tradition are still in Advent, we are sensitive to the majority of the world that now celebrate Christmas.......indeed it is a time of rejoicing with family and trying to be nice or nicer to others.......But, when we strip away all the tinsel, the colorful lights, the numerous presents under the tree, perhaps digest all the delicious meals over tow or three consecutive days....we may want to stop and think "what has just happened?" CHRIST has been left out of Christmas again!
Yes, there may be the usual Christmas services that people may attend, the endless number of carols we may get together and sing, the break up parties we have been too......But, its not about singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, its actually Christ that comes as the host providing his own birthday cake - asking "would you like a piece"? In other words, are you prepared to get up from your comfort and go and offer a little something to someone who has nothing? The greatest gift we can give to another human being is our time - being there for those who have lost hope and have been shunned by the very institution we supposedly serve!
"For I tell you none of those who were invited will taste my dinner!"
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