He chooses the weak...

Although my favorite books of the bible are usually Psalms and Hebrews, I've been reading the gospels lately. I want to read the words Jesus said, you know, the red letters. :) This morning I was reading Luke 14.

Verse 12-13 says that when you throw a party, don't invite those that can repay you, like your friends and family, but invite those that can't, like the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. In the following verses He tells a story about a dinner party. The master gets everything ready, and when the invited guests are told it's time to come to the party, they all have excuses. So the (angry) master sends out for all those who weren't originally invited, again, the poor, crippled, blind and lame. And He states "none of those men who were invited will taste of my dinner." Instead, the ones that filled the banquet hall were the least, the uninvited, the poor.

It made me think of the friends I've made in Knoxville that are homeless. I understood that Jesus has more love and tenderness and want in His heart for them then He does those that play dress up for church every Sunday. The ones that think they are self-sufficient on their own merit, that give Him excuses, or ignore His call completely; they will not taste of His dinner. He wants the ones the world disregards. The ones everyone else gives up on, looks down upon. Have you ever felt hopeless? He wants you at His party, in His company. 

In Oswald's book today, it talked about relying on yourself. What quality in yourself are you depending on? God can do more with the weak than the strong. Will you believe that God can use you in your weakness for great things? Will you give up your self-reliance to lean completely on Him? 

I love that we serve a God who chooses to dine with sinners, who embraces the weak, who lifts up the poor in spirit. There is none like Him.