rachel’s blog

Yesterday I was minding my own business at work when some students stopped by the office and invited my colleagues and I to go upstairs to a classroom for food and drink. We were a bit confused, so as we started asking questions, we learned that some other students in their class were doing a group project that involved a modern-day interpretation of a Biblical parable.

I asked Ryan if he had been sent out to the “highways and byways” to invite any poor soul he could find. He wasn’t exactly sure WHAT he was doing; after all, it wasn’t HIS group project. He was just following the instructions he had been given.

As we were talking, another young woman from the class called out to me as she approached. She clearly wanted me to go with her, but said that she wasn’t allowed to FORCE me to go. The students told us that we wouldn’t have to stay long, but if we chose not to go, we had to tell them why we declined the invitation.

I suppose the masterminds behind this project were focusing on the “Parable of the Great Banquet” as recorded in Luke 14. Jesus tells the story of a man who had invited a lot of guests to a banquet. When the banquet was ready, the man sent his servant out to call the guests to the banquet, but the invited guests all backed out and started making excuses. One had just bought a plot of land, another recently bought some oxen (where DO you buy those critters anyhow?), and another had just gotten married. The banquet host was angry and directed his servant to go out and invite poor, blind, lame, and otherwise downtrodden people to the banquet.

Walking upstairs to eat chips and brownies for a few minutes can’t be compared to making a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. But although the class project may not have resulted in a perfect interpretation of the parable, I was fascinated by my own response. When Ryan first extended the invitation to us, my immediate thoughts were that I was swamped with work (which was true!) and that I was ready to head to lunch in a few minutes. I didn’t really need or want a snack break.

But something changed when Lindsay approached to join in the recruitment efforts. Even while she was still far off, she called me by name. Suddenly it was a personal invitation. No longer was I just another generic person who could help them reach their recruitment goal; Lindsay wanted ME to come.

I might have gone along with them even if she hadn’t used my name, but that seemingly small detail actually made a very significant impact as I debated whether to join them.

Just as Lindsay called me by name, the Lord calls each one of US by name (Is. 43:1) and asks us to follow Him. A lifetime of obedience to Christ is obviously much more challenging and much more rewarding than taking a few minutes out of my busy schedule to eat a snack with college students before lunch. But if Jesus DID stop by my office tomorrow and issue an invitation, would I be ready and willing to go with Him? Perhaps more importantly, would I even recognize Him?