Invite the Uninvited.......

From a newsletter article I wrote back in Fall 2009.

     As I scanned the local newspaper yesterday, there were several articles that jumped out. One was an article on elder abuse, another on the problem of prostitution, another about the angst of finding a new school superintendent to come in and solve all the problems of public school education in our city. There were also the other typical articles we see often …crime, taxes, legislation. These problems could become overwhelming to those of us who are believers and it would be easy to skim the article and not think very much about it. The social problems here tend to make us feel helpless, like a turtle wanting to retreat into its shell and wait for Jesus to come back. Like it or not, for now, Jesus is keeping us here. I believe He is doing that for a purpose. All through the Bible, we hear about reaching the poor, healing the brokenhearted and feeding the hungry. I could write a list of scripture that would be a mile long. We read it, we know what the Bible says we are to do…..so are we?

    I was at my former church in New York City this past Sunday celebrating the end of 20+ years of fundraising to pay for a building that has become the center of activity for the neighborhood. There are adult literacy classes, job training, children’s tutoring clubs and many other things that have made an impact on the neighborhood and the city. They have gone on to help start new churches in the city and will continue on until the Lord’s return. The one underlying theme for everything that they do is this…. “Invite the Uninvited,” based on Luke 14:13-14 where Jesus talked about inviting those who you would not normally invite to your table….those who can’t repay you for your service to them.

    I sat in this celebration service and wondered about we Christians...here..in our city. Do we, as believers in Jesus, invite the uninvited? Could that mean our churches too? Do we pursue the “uninvited,” the “unclean” to be with us at our table? We can take that both literally and figuratively because in all that we do, according to scripture, we are to reach out to those who are not necessarily the best dressed, the best athlete, the best academic or the cleanest. Jesus said basically that it is really easy to invite your friends, colleagues and neighbors who are pleasant and can give back. It is very hard to sit with someone who has no table manners, who may smell funny or not know about the latest plummet in the stock market. Someone who can’t give back what you gave them.

Jesus says ….do the hard thing…invite the uninvited to your table. You will be repaid far more than pleasantries. You will see that reward on the day of his return! A beautiful blessing is in store for you. Try it…you may just be pleasantly surprised at what happens...to you!!