One Step at a Time

You have all heard the story. You have seen the picture. A strong, lean man dressed in an ordinary tunic is carrying a sheep on his shoulders. The flock is still some distance away. There may be some suggestion of danger lurking in the background; but, overall, you feel glad that disaster has been avoided and reunion is imminent.

Have you ever wondered how one sheep could wander off from the other ninety-nine? There have been quite a few times when I have become separated from my family at the mall or a theme park. Just a few of them. Lots of other people moving between us. Unfamiliar territory. But how do you get separated from such a big crowd in open country?

If you have asked that question, you probably got this answer: “One bite at a time.” That is the way it happens with sheep. They are pretty focused on first one clump of grass and then the next. The shepherd may lead them to the pasture; but once they are there, each sheep becomes intent on satisfying his or her appetite. When you are guided by your appetite, it is not unusual to lose your way. 

Your Invitation

Banquets present so many options they can feel more like work than a party. At the same time, it is not that unusual to feel trapped in an uncomfortable situation when you accept an invitation. You are never sure who else will be there, what will be on the menu, how long you will be expected to stay, or whether you are going to be asked to do something that you really don’t want to do.

Then there is often the dilemma of figuring out where to sit. Do you sit near the front where you see what is happening on the stage? Do you sit near the buffet line so you can slip back for seconds if you’re still hungry? Do you sit near the door so you can slip out if things get boring? Do you sit with the folks you know (but don’t really like) or do you take a chance and sit with strangers hoping to make some profitable contacts?

Other times you may not have much choice about where you sit. Your host has assigned the seating before you arrived. Then you are faced with the task of finding your place. There may be a chart you can check; otherwise, you find yourself with the awkward chore of wandering through the tables until you locate your designated seat for the evening.

With so many potentially uncomfortable situations it is not that difficult to understand why receiving an invitation to a banquet is marked with ambivalence. Is this going to be a great party or another wasted evening? Am I going to remember this event fondly for years or regret it for a lifetime?

I can’t tell you how to respond to every invitation, but there is one you can be certain will bless you every time. That is the invitation to join the Lord at his table. You may not feel like you have been blessed every time; but when you come to the Lord’s table, when you eat the bread and drink the wine; Christ gives you himself, the Holy Spirit gives you power, God gives you purpose and a mission.

“Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him.”

Come!