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
The little circus tent appeared to be fairly full as we approached, hoping to be in time for the next performance. Two of the workers came toward us and urged us to hurry. There was still room, they said, and the performance would not start until the tent was full. But the performance was going to be late unless they could convince more people to come and fill the seats. We hurried, and were barely in our seats when the entrance to the tent was closed and the master of ceremonies appeared to introduce the first act. It reminded me somewhat of our text today, as the servant is urged to compel people to fill the supper hall.
The supper hall is God’s salvation with all of the temporal and eternal blessings that come with it. The great Gospel call has been sounding for some two thousand years. Many have been invited, and many have rejected, neglected, and ignored the invitation. But the supper hall has been almost filled with the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind, poor sinners who have found forgiveness of sins and have entered into eternal life. The supper hall is almost, but not altogether, filled with guests, otherwise we would not still be here. Just as in our parable, our Lord will make sure that His house is filled for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Just as in the parable, there is a stage where the filling of the house requires the servant to compel people to come in. I believe we have reached that stage today.
It takes far more effort to get people out to Gospel meetings than in used to in past years. It takes much more time and commitment to successfully reach out to people and witness to them of Christ. Compelling lost sinners is an apt expression for what it takes these days to effectively work and witness in the Gospel. There is so much opposition these days. Far more people are involved in immoral lifestyles and so are not interested in even hearing about judgment for their sin. Far fewer people than ever before have no knowledge or or interest in spiritual things. The great cloak of apathy has spread itself over a large part of the population. Bitter opponents of the Gospel are becoming stronger and more savage in their opposition. The work of compelling sinners is not an easy one in our day. But the fact that compelling is necessary is the proof that the Gospel invitation is drawing to a close.
If there is not much longer to preach the Gospel, and to support those who preach it, we had best be about it. Our Lord tells us to compel them to come in. And His house will shortly be filled. -Jim MacIntosh