Everyone Is Invited

Consider

For thousands of years, God’s people believed that His love, His blessings, and His Kingdom were exclusively for them. As the children of God’s friend, Abraham, they assumed there were only so many seats at the table, and those seats belonged to them. But Jesus was clear that at this wedding feast, everyone is invited.

For generations, God’s chosen people had been defined by the Law and their separation from the outside world. While everyone around them was living one way, the people of God were doing their very best to live as holy. But it wasn’t their obedience that made them special. It wasn’t their righteousness, superior moral compass, or years living as outsiders in a reckless world. It was God. He chose them to be His people, not because there was anything particularly worthy about them, but because through them, He would be glorified.

As Jesus became a stumbling block for the Jews, He also became an open door for the rest of the world. Because of Jesus, all of God’s creation can be reconciled to Him. But someone had to tell them.

Peter’s vision was confusing to him. It seemed to contradict the truths he’d been taught about what it looked like to follow God. And then Peter met Cornelius, an outsider who had pursued God. Soon, Peter realized with surprising clarity that the Gospel was not just for God’s chosen people. The Gospel is Good News for everyone who would hear, listen, and obey!

This moment changed everything for the disciples, the Jews, and the rest of the world. Because of Jesus, nothing is the same. No longer was anyone saved by their heritage or adherence to the Law but through the grace and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is sufficient for everyone who hears and believes.

Obey

Have you been tempted to believe that your good works or family’s faith gave you leverage in God’s Kingdom? Have you excluded others because of their lack of those things? Confess with one another and address those lies together.

Do you know non-believers who practice the traits of God—like kindness, generosity, joy, and wisdom? Pray about opportunities to encourage that person and point them toward the God of all good gifts!

What additional stories or Scriptures does this story bring to your mind? Study the Bible this week and look for more stories that reveal when someone thought they knew something about God’s Kingdom and then later learned more about God’s heart.