Parable: That Most Glorious Party or, It Is Never Enough

In my ministry, I speak mostly to younger people. Much of them have been soaking in Christian culture for most of their lives. Because of this, they often drift into daydreams when the Bible is read, claiming they've "heard it all before." One morning, when I was looking at the way Jesus taught his young disciples (they weren't older than 17) who grew up in a culture soaked in Scripture, I changed my ways. Instead of preaching with tons of texts, I read and studied much but took what I learned and put it all into stories, as Jesus did, paraphrasing certain scriptures and stories in order to illuminate biblical truth. Jesus called these short fiction stories parables. Then, at the end, he would often, but not always quote a small piece of Scripture that would tie it all together. In my attempt to do this, I've written several parables to illuminate the gospel to young people who seem bored with Scripture. Here's one of them...

There was a rich man who lived in the hills outside of the city. He had a house like an ancient castle. The large house sat gloriously within a neighborhood that was surrounded by gates.

Every year, the gated neighborhood would hold their annual party. There would be dancing, singing, and the best foods. Many people who did not live in the neighborhood knew about it, however most also knew that they themselves could not get in.

One year, a poor man was walking by the gated neighborhood and saw someone entering the neighborhood during the party. Confused, the poor man decided to work the whole year and save in order to purchase nice clothes and fine meats so he could enter in.

That whole year he worked and worked, and when the day of the yearly party came, he bought the nicest clothes he could buy. He came to the gate and presented himself clean and in his new clothing. Smiling, the poor man said, "I have worked very hard all year and am here to join your party for those who work hard." The rich man looked at the poor man dressed in his finest and said, "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed in."

The poor man went away sad, but decided that next year he would work even harder in order to get in to that most glorious party.

He worked that whole year, harder than the last. On the day of the party, he bought even nicer clothes and also bought an expensive bottle of wine. He cleaned himself and combed his hair nicely.

He walked confidently to the gates and met the rich man at the edge of the gated neighborhood. Smiling, the poor man said, "I have worked very hard all year and am here to join your party for those who work hard." But again, the rich man looked at the poor man who was dressed nicely and holding a bottle of wine and said unto him, "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed in."

The poor man went away said, again, but decided that over the next year he would work even harder in order to get in to that most glorious party.

That next year, he worked even harder than any year before. He brought in more money and became what he thought to be a rich man. Buying the best clothes and bringing now a whole meal he approached the gates of the gated neighborhood on the day of the annual party.

He walked most confidently to the gates and met the rich man at the edge of the neighborhood. Smiling, the poor man said, "I have worked very hard all year and am here to join your party for those who work hard." But once again, the rich man looked at the poor man who dressed nicely and holding a bottle of wine and said unto him, "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed in."

In anguish, the poor man could no longer take the rejection. He fell to his knees, tore his clothing and cried aloud, "What must I do to enter this party? I was born a poor beggar, with nothing but my addictions and sins. I did all I could to make as much as I could out of what I had! I worked and worked year after year in order to look and give my best just to enjoy what looks to be the greatest neighborhood one could dream of, but alas you have rejected me again! And I suppose for good reason, for I am just what I am, poor and faulted." He threw the meal he had brought to the ground and wept at the feet of the rich man, who stood still on the other side of the gate.

At this, the gates opened and the rich man helped the poor man up to his feet. The rich man took the poor man's torn clothing and threw it out and adorned him in much finer clothes, and he left the poor man's meal on the ground outside the neighborhood and gave to him the most perfect meat and a deep glass of red wine. In all his working and buying, he had never even seen what the rich man was putting on him, nor had he ever smelled anything like the food the rich man gave him.

The poor man entered the party and looked around seeing that everyone was wearing the same thing; they were all wearing the rich man's clothes.