Jesus Wants a Full House.

April 17, 2024

I’ve talked some about a few of the business trips I made as part of my participation on a national organization that promoted the benefits of stormwater management and helped facilitate solutions to stormwater management issues across the country. I’ll call it a perk, but there was nothing unusual about a hotel welcoming our organization when we arrived for our conferences.

I mean, it makes sense. We’d blocked a large number of rooms. We rented conference rooms and paid for amenities that allowed us to hold meetings for large and small groups. In addition, many of our conferees ate at the hotel and spent money at their gift shops.

So, many times they welcomed the Board of Directors with small measures of welcome and thank yous, realizing that the Board usually played a role in selecting meeting locations.

While I was on the Board, almost every large hotel provided a presentation similar to the one in the photo. Sometimes it contained a gift basket with items from the hotel. Other venues provided bottles of wine with cheese and chocolate. Some of my fellow board members loved when I got wine because as a non-drinker, they benefited by my re-gifting.

The hotels did this because they loved a full house. The more people we brought in, the more business they got and the more money they made.

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Jesus has a similar philosophy, but He isn’t focused on business or money. He’s focused on saved souls.

Luke records Jesus telling a parable while dining in the home of one of the Pharisees. During this visit, Jesus healed a man and taught through the telling of parables. One of the parables in particular spoke to Jesus’ desire that heaven be filled with all who would respond to His invitation.

I encourage you to read the parable, but the gist of it is that a man gave a big dinner where many were invited. As time drew near for the dinner, the man sent his servants out to tell all the invitees that dinner was about to be served. One by one, the invited guests gave lame excuses to not attend. The man grew angry and sent his servant out into the streets to invited those who would not have normally been invited during those times. He invited the poor, the disabled, the blind and the lame. When they came in and there was still room, the man told his servants to go back and beat the bushes for people to attend.

“And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23, ESV)

You see, the man, who represents God in the story, wanted everyone to attend the banquet, that represents heaven. The Jews, at that time, believed they were the only ones who should be invited, but they missed out because they opposed Jesus and ignored His invitation. While I benefitted by way of a small cheese and chocolate tray because of my role in selecting a venue, you and I are given eternal life with Jesus in heaven when we respond to his invitation by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus wants a full house.