30/06/2026
METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA
DAILY REFLECTION FOR
TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2026
TEXT: LUKE 14:12-24
¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid.
¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind,
¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
¹⁵ When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"
¹⁶ But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many;
¹⁷ and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, `Come; for all is now ready.'
¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, `I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.'
¹⁹ And another said, `I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.'
²⁰ And another said, `I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'
²¹ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, `Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.'
²² And the servant said, `Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'
²³ And the master said to the servant, `Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
²⁴ For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
THEME: A TABLE OF GRACE
THE MESSAGE:
Addressing the Pharisee who had invited Him to a feast, Jesus stressed the importance of being gracious and generous to people without sentiment or any string attached. This social sentiment is one aspect of barrier to the advancement of the gospel of Christ. In a situation where we are only gracious to those who are in our societal class, our business partners, our relatives and acquaintances is not right. As Christians, there must be no stigmatisation, tribe or tongue. We are ONE in Christ.
The principle Christ is sharing here is that in our abundance and outreach, we should look outside the box of our close pals, whom we know also have the capacity to repay what we are doing for them.
Christ wants us to reach out to those who are less-privileged than us. Bless those you are not expecting any payback from. The discussion brought about the parable where a banquet was set for a group of people. The people invited gave excuses not to be able to come, but because the meal is already prepared and perhaps, to avoid wastage, those who were not invited in the first place and those who could not be qualified as guests were brought in to enjoy the banquet.
This parable is instructive in different ways, but the emphasis for us here is that there are more people out there that our lives can be blessing to. We should not discriminate in sharing the grace that we enjoy from God with others both in physical and spiritual blessings.
Brothers and Sisters, the table is set for you, and it is a table of grace. Though you may think you are not qualified, God's grace paved way for you to be a partaker of divine blessings. Join the table now!
HYMN: MHB 348 (7.7.7.7.7.7.)
1: Saviour, Prince of Israel’s race,
See me from Thy lofty throne;
Give the sweet relenting grace,
Soften this obdurate stone!
Stone to flesh, O God, convert;
Cast a look, and break my heart!
2: By Thy Spirit, Lord, reprove,
All my inmost sins reveal,
Sins against Thy light and love
Let me see, and let me feel;
Sins that crucified my God,
Spilt again Thy precious blood.
3: Jesu, seek Thy wandering sheep,
Make me restless to return;
Bid me look on Thee, and weep,
Bitterly as Peter mourn,
Till I say, by grace restored,
Now thou know’st I love Thee, Lord!
4: Might I in Thy sight appear,
As the publican distressed
Stand, not daring to draw near,
Smite on my unworthy breast,
Groan the sinner’s only plea,
God, be merciful to me!
5: O remember me for good
Passing through the mortal vale;
Show me the atoning blood,
When my strength and spirit fail;
Give my gasping soul to see
Jesus crucified for me! Amen.
MEMORY VERSE:
Then he said to me, Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. –Revelation 19:9
PRAYER:
God, teach us to be gracious to others in Your own way and may everyone yet to connect to this banquet receive grace in Jesus' Name. Amen.
READ:
DAY: 2 Kings 14
NIGHT: 2 Chron. 25
