PODCAST

All Are Invited to Worship

August 16th, 2024

Luke 14:15-24

We often hear Jesus welcoming the people on the margins of society—those who have been cast aside as unclean and unwanted. They sit along the side of the road begging. They are dependent on the mercy of others to feed and clothe them. They are excluded from the social world and are the recipients of jeers and upturned noses.

I wonder, who then are those beyond, “behind the hedges?” They are unseen. Invisible. They hide in the shadows and only come out at night. Their existence evokes fear in the people of the day. Yet notice: These are the welcome ones in the kingdom of God. Don’t miss it! There is no mistake.

While the people of the day are trying to be good and earn their way, the invisible ones of the night will be gathered into the banquet of the Lord, feasting with the Risen Christ. It is not that the landowners and producers and family folks are unwelcome; it is simply that they are pursuing other interests in lieu of the invitation to worship.

May we be among those who welcome the invitation to “come.”

Author: Lori Ward