com·pel- /comkÉ™mˈpel/
verb. force or oblige (someone) to do
something. bring about (something) by
the use of force or pressure. drive
forcibly.
com·pel·ling -
/kəmˈpeliNG/ adjective.
evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible
way. not able to be refuted; inspiring
conviction. not able to be resisted;
overwhelming.
In Luke 14, Jesus
was invited to a dinner party at the home of a senior Pharisee. His host went all out. He had the best food, forced his servants to
work on the Sabbath, and invited all the best people to sit around Jesus, the
guest of honor. Everything about the
dinner event was meant to be impressive, to be “compelling.”
Jesus was not
impressed, but He did feel compelled to share some stories.
The moral of His stories
(Luke 14: 1-14) was basically, “If you want to put on and interesting,
admirable, irresistible---- compelling----- dinner, then next time do the exact
opposite of everything you’re doing now.”
·
Don’t hide
behind legalism to indulge your greed for personal possessions and to hide your
indifference to suffering persons. Next
time, forget your oxen and heal the sick. (Luke 14: 1-6)
·
Don’t
scheme and politic for public positions of power and prestige. Next time, deliberately seek out the position
of greatest humility. Don’t lobby for
more, but accept only what is offered to you.
(Luke 14: 7-12)
·
Instead
of choosing the rich and prestigious for your guest list, hoping that they will
reciprocate with invitations to their next fabulous parties. Next time, “you give a feast, invite the
poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be
blessed, because they cannot repay you.” (Luke 14: 13-14)
Jesus’ parables were
designed to be instructive and convicting----- to be compelling.
And, as is usually
the case, the first reply was something stupid.
All of the uppity
dinner guest should have felt convicted by Jesus’ words. They should have begged His forgiveness for their
selfishness and hypocrisy. They should
have given up their seats of honor and made plans to bring the poor into their homes. They should have felt compelled to repent and
change.
Instead, somebody just
got his “shout on” for no reason.
Now, when one of
those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him,
“Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”(Luke 14: 15)
The man’s praise
break was supposed to impressive to Jesus.
Jesus was not impressed.
He was like, “Really? You’re just gonna throw back some random church
cliché based on one word out of that whole exposition on ministering to the
poor and the sick.”
Jesus jumped all
over the guy with another story, a parable about insincere people making
excuses about a dinner party (Luke 14: 16-24)
Jesus’ parable ended
with the “Master” of the dinner feast declaring that none of the rich friends
originally invited “shall taste my supper.” (Luke 15: 24)
In their place, the
Master told His servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them (them being ‘the poor
and the maimed and the lame and the blind’) to come in,
that my house may be filled.” (Luke 15: 21-23)
“Compel them, ”the
Master said. “Force them to come to me.”
“But how?” the
servant asks, “How can I compel these to accept what others have declined? Our power can’t compel them? Our positions and posts of honor doesn’t
compel them. Our impressive list of
member and patrons isn’t impressive enough to drive them to us.”
“Bring them to Me,”
says the Master, “by the power of a COMPELLING LIFE.”
Jesus tried so hard
to teach the dinner party the same lesson He’s trying to teach the church. Go out into the highways and hedges to the
poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and show the a COMPELLING LIFE. Show the love. Show them sacrifice for others. Show them grace. Show them unity. Show them wisdom. Oh, for the love of God, show them actual
holiness!
Lives like that are
extremely COMPELLING.
If Christians go out
and show that, people will follow us
back to where we worship.
More than marketing,
or technology, or real estate development, the greatest tool for church growth
is a church full of people who live compelling lives.
Let your light shine
so, that when people see your good works, they are compelled to seek out your
Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5: 16, Anderson’s paraphrase)
---Anderson T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer and
consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T.
Graves II is pastor of
Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of
the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization
(SAYNO) and director of rural leadership
development for the National Institute for Human Development (
NIHD).
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
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Support by check or
money order may be mailed to
Hall Memorial CME
Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
