< Nancy Reposting a GMG: The_Dinner__1868-1869 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ (Luke 14:16-17, ESV) In the Jewish culture, before a big party two invitation would be sent out to the guests. First, the initial invitation would go out letting the guests know that they were invited to the festivity. Then, on the day of the party, a second invitation would be brought by a servant to let the guests know that everything was ready. In this parable, which also shows up in Matthew 22, we are told that it was a King who was putting together a wedding feast for his son. It seems that those who were invited were hard working men who had some money. They are the people one would expect to see at the feast of a King. But all these guests came up with lame excuses not to show up. Some used work as an excuse, others used their family for a reason not to come. So the King tells his servant to go out into the streets and invite everyone he can find. So he invites the average, the poor, the weak, the unappealing. He invited the “everyman.” This was a very different invitation. “If the feast had gone on as usual it would have been only one among many such things; but now this royal banquet was the only one of its kind, unique, unparalleled. To gather in the poor men off the streets, laboring men and idle men, bad men and good men, to the wedding of the Crown Prince – this was a new thing under the sun.” (Spurgeon) The Gospel Invitation The parable highlights the wide and gracious invitation extended to us all by God, in the gospel. God does not call the righteous, but the unrighteous. Jesus came for the sick, not the healthy. He came for the sinners. The Pharisees are a great example of those who, in the worlds eyes, should have had a seat at the banquet of God. They studied the word of God diligently, but they let their pride, their traditions, and their man made rules lead them away from the Christ who stood in front of their very eyes. Jesus, who was inviting them to enter his Kingdom through faith, was ignored. The didn’t just miss a party. They missed the kingdom of God. But the invitation was only not for those who considered themselves religious and righteous but also for those who are broken and in need of salvation. It will be the rich as well as the poor who will be seated at the wedding feast of the Prince. There will be redeemed murderers and saved goody two-shoes. People not only from every tongue and nation will be at this party, but also people from every walk of life and every socioeconomic level. Through the parable Jesus is saying that now is the time to respond the invitation of the King because there will come a day when the invitation will be repealed and it will be too late. The Gospel Implication If we go to the beginning of Luke 14 we see that Jesus was dining with the ruler of the Pharisees. While salvation is the main point of the parable Jesus issues a challenge regarding hospitality. “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors,lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast,invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14 Jesus calls us to befriend those who are different from us, to open our homes to those who may be a bit difficult, and to share with those who have little. Why this call to hospitality? Because God has extended his grace and love to us while we were unlovely and totally sinful. He brought us into his home, his kingdom, and made us his children even though we were rebellious and unthankful. But more than simply showing kindness to us Jesus faced death so that we could have life. Stinginess, indifference and unkindness should have no place in the lives of those who once had nothing but now have been giving Christ and immense blessings here on earth. Practicing hospitality gives us opportunities to do good, to show love and to serve well. It also gives us opportunity to issue this invitation that if you repent and look to Jesus they too will be saved. Looking to Jesus,
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:35:41 +0000
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