“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”-Luke 14:23
I am told that there is a big college football game coming up this Monday. I say that with a hint of sarcasm because living here in South Georgia, it is hard to ignore. The buzz around town that Georgia is playing for the National Championship is ridiculous. Many UGA fans will have their hopes and dreams shattered or fulfilled come Monday; and some will count themselves extremely fortunate that they are there to see it in person. Oddly enough, this reminded me of a parable of Christ.
Jesus put forth the parable that a certain man gave a great feast and invited many. One by one, they declined. So he went to the poor, lame and needy, when the room was not full, he said to his servants: “go into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in.” Go into the highways, the main roads; go into the hedges, the back roads. Go, seek, and search that the house might be full. Why? Because it was too good to waste. Imagine if one of these diehard Georgia fans came by a set of tickets to this National Championship game. An invitation to attend. Do you think they would change their plans and go on Monday? Or would they decline? Would they say I must work; I must go to school; I have other plans. Say, for instance, they already had tickets, and had already made plans; do you think they would simply throw away the extra tickets they received? Can you really imagine a UGA football loving person casually discarding such a precious possession? No. They would call their loved ones and invite them. If they declined, they would press them: “please, please, it’s the chance of a lifetime.” If they still resisted, then they would call a friend, then a neighbor, and on and on. Their evangelism motivated by the love for Georgia, for football, and the value of the ticket. Simply too valuable to ignore and go unredeemed. Friends, Jesus Christ has purchased you a ticket of infinitely greater value, and of incalculable significance. You have been invited to the eternal halls of heaven to sup with the reigning King Jesus. A blood bought reservation; it’s yours. Will you accept? Or are you simply too busy with busying your own life, in your own way? For those of us who know Jesus; what excuse do we have to not “compel them to come?” We all have family, friends, neighbors, who continue to reject, and refuse the invitation; should we simply give up on them? We say (I have said), they are too far, they are not interested, they know it already. Shame! No! Never give up. God help. The value of the gift is too great, it would be a shame, you might even say a sin, to ignore them and not reach out. How much more the poor stranger who knows nothing, and no-one called Christ. We must give our best effort, exhaust every available means of grace to bring them to see the tremendous value that Christ has purchased for them. The penalty for missing a ball game is opportunity lost. The penalty for missing heaven is opportunity lost, and eternal torment. What do we have to do today that is more important than praying, preaching, going, and compelling?
Compel means to drive with urge or force. What force, what urge, is it that we should use to drive the lost to the Cross? I confess, I wish I knew more to say to this searching question. I can say certainly not manic energy, or “bait and switch” theology. I can say that Christ has given clear instructions. He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” He promised when we lift Him up, he will “draw all men”. When we lift-up a Christ, and a gospel that can save, that can deliver from sin, and into a life of holiness. A gospel that says you must repent and be filled with the Holy Ghost. That says at any moment, any day, it could all end, and waiting just beyond life’s last breath is judgment. Compel, warn, plead, love, call, embrace, ask, pray; pray, pray, pray. My brother, my sister, love Christ, live Christlike and preach His gospel. Go into all the world and compel them to come, because it’s simply too good to miss.
