April 19 – Call for a Big Dinner

…A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.' Another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' Another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.' And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 'For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'- Luke 14:16-24  

God the Father in Heaven is that man giving the big dinner. No matter what I want to be ready when He calls—Come for everything is ready. Imagine having to invite perfect strangers to a party since your intended guests couldn’t come. I think God’s plan was the more the merrier—that’s a good plan. These people had been invited well ahead of time, but they found excuses not to go to this banquet. Don’t make excuses to not attend God’s banquet! God is very generous—and His Son is like Him. That is how we want to be, too. Generous. When you give a dinner party, don’t skimp—on the guest list or the food. I image that God’s menu will be out of this world! Heavenly to be precise. What sort of food do you think we can expect to eat? I’m sure it will be more than angel food cake! 

Training Tip – Have your children accompany you to take or serve food at a homeless shelter—or even a McDonald’s meal to a hungry person holding a sign where we frequently see them on the street corner. Can you take extra food for your family, too and make it a party right there on the street? You may want to visit with the homeless person without your children present just to be sure it is a safe adventure. This will demonstrate not only generosity, but also compassion. 

Lord, help me to be generous not only with my family and friends, but also with perfect strangers—just as You demonstrated in this parable. 

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table

Banquet food fit for a King. Menu – Shrimp cocktail, Prime Rib, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, tossed salad with blueberry vinaigrette, fresh hot rolls with honey, asparagus, green beans with slivered almonds, and chocolate cake for dessert. 

Prime Rib - Easier than you think...and tasty.

Choose a rib roast that is a generous size, considering 1 pound of meat for each man and ½ pound of meat for each lady who will be dining with you. 

Allow the roast to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before roasting. Heat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius). Slice several cloves of garlic lengthwise and insert into the roast. Spread Dijon mustard over the roast and roll in rock salt. Top the roast with a sprig or two of fresh rosemary. Place the roast in the oven for ten minutes and then turn the temperature down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius) and roast uncovered for about 12-15 minutes per pound or until the meat thermometer registers at 160 degree Fahrenheit (72 degrees Celsius) for medium rare meat. If you want your meat more rare, roast until 150 degrees. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Slice and enjoy with horseradish sauce.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.