Monday, October 26, 2026

Opening Scripture

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.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

“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.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

“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.’

“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 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. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:15-24

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, you are holy and exalted! May your kingdom come and your will be done in my life, home, and community just as it is in Heaven. Help me to trust you today to meet all of my needs. Help me to forgive others just as you have forgiven me. Help me to resist temptation and overcome the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Isaiah 55:1-5

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Reflection  

This week, we enter the home stretch with the prophet Isaiah. As we wrap up the month of October, we wrap up our study of this profound expression of the work of Almighty God through His Divine Servant. I hope you have been repeatedly reminded and pleasantly surprised at how many “famous” and important passages are contained in this sometimes-overlooked book.

Chapter 54 describes the future glory of Zion, the city of God, where Heaven and Earth will meet in the eternal presence of the LORD. There is much “bursting into song” and “shouting for joy” because Almighty God will restore what was destroyed to even better condition than it was before. It is as if the splendor of what existed before “the fall” was just a shadow of what God will establish next.

“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones” (Isaiah 54:11-12). This is the final resting place for God’s redeemed people. “‘This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the LORD” (Isaiah 54:17).

In Chapter 55, the LORD invites His people to a feast. The prophet described this feast earlier in Isaiah 25:6, “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.” Those who come to this feast trust in God’s Servant for salvation and pledge their loyalty and allegiance to Him.

Why would anyone spend the resources they have on things that will not fill and nurture them? Why would anyone work for that which does not satisfy? “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?”

“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” The LORD’s abundant blessing will delight and satisfy His people like nothing else can. Best of all, it is free! God’s mercy and pardon are available at no charge to those who trust in Him because the staggering cost has already been paid in full.

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

In today’s Opening Scripture, Jesus tells a parable in response to a statement by a dinner guest, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Most likely this individual assumed that he and the other guests at the table would all be present at “the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus took the opportunity to explain that unfortunately many of the people present at dinner that evening would not be with Him in God’s kingdom. Their religious rituals and performance piety would serve as “excuses” for not humbly receiving God’s offer of forgiveness and eternal life. In their place at the heavenly feast, would be “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” who gratefully received the Master’s invitation.

The idea that pious Jews and Israel’s religious leaders would be left out of God’s kingdom while outcasts and Gentiles were invited in, was more than most people could fathom. Yet, that is exactly what will happen!

“God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:21-25).

Those verses describe the disconnect in ancient Israel. Isaiah has already made the point that, although God fulfilled His promise by making Abraham’s physical descendants into a great nation, only Abraham’s spiritual descendants – the faithful remnant – would dwell with the LORD forever in the New Jerusalem.

“In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. The LORD, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land” (Isaiah 10:20-23).

Only a remnant of Israel would physically return to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon, and only a remnant of Israel will dwell forever in the kingdom of God. It is a sad reminder of the Suffering Servant’s words in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

This week’s collective prayer: Father, teach me to be sensitive to your Holy Spirit at work in me. Amen.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!