Compel them to come in
Sunday, January 10, 2010 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. (Luk 14:23 NAS)
The meaning of Jesus in this passage of the parable is clear. He is the master and we are the slaves, his servants, made so by the redemption price of his own blood, which he willing paid to release us from our bondage.
Our return to him is a service like his own. We are called by him to “go out” in search of others as he went out from heaven for all of us. That means we are to leave the comfort of our homes and churches to search along the highways and the hedges of life for lost souls. Did we have need for salvation? Have we known the feelings, the anguish of being alienated from God and man? Then we should have little trouble finding the motivation of love and grace that we need to “compel” lost souls to meet the Lord who has saved us.
God expressly says he desires his house to be filled. This is not merely the filling of pews in a building, though that is so desperately needed. It means filling the kingdom of God with the children for which it was made.
Who have we compelled to come to the banquet feast of God’s grace? Have we recently experienced the satisfactions of service for the King we so often claim to worship?
Our lives themselves are meant to be a “compelling” witness to the forgiveness and power found in the cross of Christ. If they do not, we might ask if we are not the ones stuck along the highway, hidden among the hedges.
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