What if no one came?

I threw a party last night. It was an Advent devotional assembly party. I invited -- oh, around 75 people to come and collate and staple. Steve and I arrived early, moved and set up tables, arranged the pages on the tables to be picked up, tried out the stapler, put up direction signs and then waited.

No one showed up.

No, I'm kidding. Of course they came. Just the right number of people arrived to get the job done in only 20 minutes. It was wonderful, and I am always very grateful that volunteers stop by and work on this project. It's always fun, and always a joy.

But as I was putting up the signs to tell people where we would be, I wondered what it would be like if no one came through the door. If Steve and I moved all the tables and put out the papers for nothing.

I was reminded of the parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22:1-14. It's the one about the king who prepares a wedding banquet for his son. Much preparation is done (the Message says that the "prime rib is ready for carving -- this is a special banquet), time is invested, but the guests refuse to attend. They even kill some of the king's messengers.

What is it like for God, who has this banquet prepared for us, when we turn our backs, and refuse to attend? What is it like for him, to stand ready, just beside us, and to be ignored? Day after day?

He must be God; anyone else would have just turned and walked away.