Scripture Union Daily Discovery 31st October 2020 Devotional Today Message
TODAY’S TOPIC: QUID PRO QUO?
Opening Prayer: Fill more of me with more of You, Spirit of God.
Read Luke 14:12–24
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Today Scripture Union Daily Discovery 31st October 2020 Devotional
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect: Scripture Union Daily Discovery 31st October 2020
Have you ever given a gift and been disappointed because you didn’t receive anything in return?
Quid pro quo (a Latin expression) means “something for something.” Or you might say, a favor for a favor. That’s certainly how many guests feel about an invite to a party – expected to invite the host back (12). Jesus tells his host that invitations should go to those who definitely can’t invite you back.
The story prompts one guest to respond (15), and that elicits another story about a feast. This time, however, it concentrates on the thin excuses of those who don’t want to come (18–20). The invitation was something they should have felt honored to receive. But because they didn’t appreciate its value, they made excuses, and the invites were sent instead to misfits (21).
So, says Jesus, the kingdom is a heavenly feast. It’s free (14), with no strings attached; it’s glorious, and well-prepared (16); and everyone is invited (23), especially those not normally accepted (13, 21, 24). But we have to choose to accept the invitation as being of prime importance, and to put other things second, or even do without them.
Apply: Do we sometimes calculate the possible rewards of doing something for God, rather than acting because of His great sacrifice of love for us? What is your motivation for serving God?
Closing Prayer: God, be all in all to me. I don’t seek what You can give me, I seek YOU today.
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Ezekiel 1; John 20
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