S - "Once again Jesus used stories to teach the people: The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a king gave a wedding banquet for his son. The king sent some servants to tell the invited guests to come to the banquet, but the guests refused. … Then he said to the servants, 'It is time for the wedding banquet, and the invited guests don’t deserve to come.'" According to Matthew 22:1-3, 8 TJB
O - Jesus is sent by God to clarify his person and his purposes. According to Jesus (who is the expert), the dynamics of this story are what God’s kingdom is like. The guests don’t get excluded from the wedding banquet because they missed their opportunity. There’s no misunderstanding, accidental lapse or unintended miscue. They decide to refuse the invitation and exclude themselves.
A - Religion inspires people to live in the fear of missing God’s person and purpose; that somehow, we’ll miss by mere distraction or by a misunderstood dynamic with unintended consequences. Numerous religious teachings encourage this thinking and the tragic paranoias it produces. Again and again Jesus lives, demonstrates and teaches that God and his kingdom are not like that. We can in fact be excluded but not by mistake or misunderstanding. If I’m excluded it will never be by an unintended miss but only by an intentional choice. Jesus’ invitation remains in force day by day: "follow me". Since I’m with him, choosing to follow him each day, I can’t miss and won’t be excluded.
P - God Almighty,
Thank you for sending Jesus to the world (now 7.7 billion people). Thank you for inviting us to meet and follow a person not join a religion, commit to a principle or work a plan. Thank you for the great dignity of choice … am very glad to be choosing day by day.
Intentionally following Jesus,
