Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God, the invited guest shouted.
This interjection must have seemed strange and misplaced, uttered suddenly by the man lying at table with Jesus, His Pharisee host, and the others who had shouldered their way to places of importance.
But Jesus thought the interjection important, so important He told a parable, recorded for us in Luke 14.15-24.
A certain man prepared a really lavish feast. Ahead of time, he sent servants to invite guests of his choosing. All were impressed. But, months later, when all was ready, these same invited guests didn’t want to come. The same servants went. But, the invited guests begged off. One had purchased land, another some oxen, a third had just married. Basically, they had other things to do.
The master of the house grew angry. Refusing to postpone or cancel his feast, he sent those same servants to collect others who couldn’t even pretend to match him in wealth and grandeur—the crippled, blind, and lame.
When the new guests had arrived, there was a new problem. There was still room in the host’s house! His glory exceeded the number of guests! So, he told his servants, “Go get some more.” So, these same servants left the city and went to the highways leading away from the city and to the hedges where foreigners lounged.
At first, this final group of guests couldn’t believe they were invited! But, the host had instructed his servants to “compel” (:23) them to come. And so, finally, the banquet hall was filled, but not by those who had been originally invited.
Jesus ends his instruction with the telling words, For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet (:24).
Jesus’ purpose in speaking this parable in the midst of His enemies isn’t hard to recognize. The Nation of Israel, represented by its teachers, was in the act of rejecting Him as Messiah. Though they’d been called to God for ages, they would find other things to do, rather than trust Messiah. Meanwhile, others (Gentiles, pictured by the guests who came to fill the hall) would accept Jesus, and enter into Kingdom celebration with their Lord.
Taken in the midst of Jesus’ teaching in this section of Luke, this passage isn’t hard to figure out. But, there’s more than we realize here. One of the fascinating things about parables is that, unlike teaching in the epistles, for example, they can teach multiple points. Like a diamond that reflects light through multiple facets, parables reflect truth through their different characters. So, consider the following:
- The Master of the Feast. This figure clearly stands in for God, the Father (or, perhaps, Jesus Himself). Important is that He doesn’t NEED any of the guests. He doesn’t need His first invitees, who blew Him off; and, He clearly doesn’t have to have the crippled, blind and lame who come to fill His hall. But, He WANTS to include them. He WANTS to display His glory and grandeur and generosity. In fact, it’s fitting and proper that He do so.
- The Original Guests. These guys miss out, because they THINK they have the right to blow off the host, and because they WON’T make the host a priority. So, they just miss out. The host doesn’t postpone for them. He goes on without them. Fully invited, they exclude themselves.
- The Servants. These figures, representing the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles (and us!) after the cross of Jesus, have the responsibility of bringing the message. (It’s Interesting that their work spans the whole program of redemption.) And, in the second and third invitations, they go to those who have to be FOUND. Did you get that? Those foreigners lounging under hedges and alongside the road leading away from the city probably couldn’t even imagine that they would ever be invited to share in the glory of the master host. How like our work today, in telling others about Jesus? How like our task in “compelling” and convincing those who don’t know Jesus that our great, glorious God wishes to include them in His banquet.
- Finally, there’s the New Guests. These are those who, doubtless, felt unworthy to share in the glory of the master. They didn’t know how to dress, how to act, or what they were supposed to do in the master’s presence. But, He wanted them, so that He could fill His house. Why? Because that’s the kind of kind, generous, glorious master that He is!
It’s hard to put a main idea to this parable, at least without going on at length. It teaches us so much about God, about ourselves, and about our task in following and serving Jesus. Here’s my attempt at this teaching’s main idea:
Those who come to celebrate with Jesus are those who put Jesus first and accept His invitation.
Or, better yet:
Drop everything … Come to JESUS!
What do you think? Do you agree?
What facet of God’s plan of redemption do you see in this teaching that you’ve never seen before?
And have a great week, in the LORD.