Compulsion

Scripture Passage that caught my attention today: Luke 14:22-23 And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.

Observation: The Lord seems to love a full house.

Application: I’ve spoken to a fair amount of pastors who report declining worship attendance. There are any number of excuses for the absenteeism. More people traveling. More retirees with favorite get-aways. More extra-curricular activities for the kids on the weekends, more sleep needed, etc.

It’s tempting to think of such situations as “new,” and in some ways they are. But there is also historic precedent for such apathy as reflected in the verses that precede the verses above. People were making all kinds of excuses for why they couldn’t make it to the ‘banquet.’ The master (who represents the Lord in this parable) would have none of it but, rather, sent his slave out to “compel” other people to come.

It’s unclear how they compelled people to come, but perhaps that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Maybe we are supposed to be creative in our own time and place, sensitive to what might help people in our day and time feel a compulsion for worship.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for your gracious invitation. Help us to compellingly pass this invitation on. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Zechariah 10-12, Psalm 126, and Luke 14)