Scripture to Read: Luke 14:16–20
Jesus then told a parable in Luke 14:16–20 about a man giving a big dinner. All the people had been given the date of the dinner but not the exact time. This was normal for the day and time of Jesus. Once the dinner date arrived, people would be told the time and they would come to the dinner. The people who had been invited were initially excited and all said they would be there. But when the day of the dinner arrived and the slave was sent to tell them that it was time to come to the dinner, everyone who had been invited made excuses why they couldn’t attend the dinner. The first two excuses dealt with purchasing land and animals. Both excuses were foolish. No one would ever buy property without checking it out first. Also, no one would ever purchase oxen without first testing them to see if they were worth the money. The last excuse was that this person put their family above everything else. That sounds great, but no one in our lives should ever come before our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We must teach our spouse and children that Christ must come first in their lives above all possessions and people. Here is what God is revealing: none of the people ever really wanted to attend in the first place, so the excuses revealed their true hearts. If we’re not careful, we can allow possessions, people, or both to become distractions, robbing us of deeper intimacy and fellowship with our Lord and His Word.
Challenge & Application
How have possessions, people, or both distracted you in the past from developing a deeper intimacy with Christ and His Word?
How will you guard your heart so that nothing gets in the way of your deep daily fellowship with Christ and His Word?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!