One evening Jesus was invited to dinner at a Jewish official’s house. Once they were seated and reclined at the table, Jesus saw that there were still empty places at the table. He called to one of the servants and said, “Hasn’t your master invited enough guests to his feast?” The servant responded, “These are the guests who have been invited.” 

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Jesus went to Peter, James, and John and said to them, “Go out and find those missing from the feast.”  So they went out to the local synagogue and invited those there to join them, and some did. Yet when they returned, Jesus saw that there was still room for more, so he said to them a second time, “Go out again and find those missing from the feast.”  They went to the marketplace this time and asked those there to join them, and more came. But when the three went to sit down, Jesus called to them and said, “There is still room for more; go out again and find those missing from the feast.”  So they went out a third time into the streets as night was falling, and they found those who were there and invited them to the feast.

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When they returned to the house, the three stood at the threshold and sent for Jesus. He approached them and asked, “Why have you made the guests wait outside when the table is set for them?”  Peter responded, “Rabbi, how can these people join us at the official’s house? Certainly, he did not mean to invite them?” Jesus replied, “Are you greater than the master of this house? Where you instructed to decide who was and was not invited? A place has been set so that each person may feast with us. Let them come while there is still room.”

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Photo by Fabio Sangregorio on Unsplash