Compel

There is an interesting verse in the story of the lord who invited guests to his dinner. (Luke 14) After having the invited guests refuse to attend, he sent out his servants to “bring others in.” When the hall was not sufficiently filled, he commanded that they go out and “compel them to come in.” (Luke 14:23)

Does that phrase puzzle you? First, why would anyone want to compel guests to come to a celebration, and second, why would people not be there in the first place? As we put the story into its context, we will find both answers. And I think we will find an interesting meaning for “compel.”

The party to which Jesus is referring is the invitation of God to people to come to Him. And, specifically in this instance, Jesus was talking about the Jews, who had been invited to fellowship with God. They had and continued to refuse. Metaphorically, in this instance, they are invited to come to Christ who is offering, among other things the Bread of Life and the Water of Life. Ultimately, the invitation is to the wedding supper of the Lamb, and we see people ignoring that as if it were an unwanted parking ticket.

In those days, an ignored invitation was an insult, and the host did not want His attending guests to be embarrassed. So He “filled” up the hall. The Jews had refused to come and the offer was extended to the Gentiles, who accepted it.

The “odd” aspect is the “compel” addendum. Try this on for size. I woke up in the middle of the night and rolled over. I was not ready nor willing to leave the bed. But, before long, I was “compelled” to get up. You know what I mean. As we either get older or drink too much liquid, or both, we find that periodic treks to the closest bathroom become a common feature of our night time hours. So, even though I was not “forced” to go anywhere, I had an insistent urge to do so. I was under compulsion.

I can not see the sent servants grabbing people by the arm to drag them to the banquet, but instead offering a sample of the repast and describing how much more is available–at the father’s house. The Father does not force people to come to His banquet, but He does make it a very attractive destination, which has the effect of drawing us to attend. Not only is it for our good, it is good for us, both physically and spiritually. Time spent with God is never “wasted.” In fact, it becomes, over time, more joyful and rewarding.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism keeps coming to mind. “Man’s (our) chief end is to enjoy God and glorify Him forever.” The “joy” is self-perpetuating and even self-multiplying. The more time we spend with Him, the better it is and the more time we want to spend with Him. In a sense, He compels us to come because it is the most pleasant and rewarding option available. Another term we can use is, “drawn with cords of love.”

There is no nefarious motive of “forcing” people against their will to come. Instead, their wills are wooed and won by the attraction of this glorious God.

By the way, I’m going. I am compelled to go.