“And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here those who are poor, those with disabilities, those who are blind, and those who are limping.’”

How do you respond to rejection? If you threw a party and had everything prepared only for everyone to send their regrets at the last minute, you would likely feel discouraged and defeated. Most of us would cancel the whole thing, yet the master in this parable didn’t give up so easily. The banquet would continue and now be open and available to all who had originally been left out. The master sought out those that society had cast aside.

As we share our faith, we often fear rejection. We are afraid of getting shut down and shut out. Yet, this passage gives us a new framework as we navigate that rejection. The master went to great lengths to find those who would come to the banquet. God has not given up on His mission to redeem His creation and bring us back to Him, even as we have continually rejected Him. This reminder also gives us reason for boldness in sharing with others. He has already gone before us to pursue the lost, the broken, and forgotten ones so we can live in humble obedience to be used by Him to share His invitation with all people.

• How would you rate your fear of rejection? How can you seek to trust God in this?
• Who are the people on the margins in your community? What does this passage teach you about the way God views those people? How can you engage and invite them in?
• Pray and ask God to show you opportunities to interact with those on the margins of your community and to equip you to share His love with them.