The Parable of the Great Feast (November 5, 2013 GOSPEL AND REFLECTION) Lk 14:15-24 15One of [those at table with Jesus] said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” 16He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. 17When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ 18But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ 19And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ 20And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ 23The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. 24For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’ ” Reflection: A man gave a great dinner. Three things come out very clearly from this parable: (1) God is preparing something great for us, symbolized by “a great dinner” in Jesus’ parable. God is so good that God prepares not a simple meal but an abundance for us. (2) God wants as many as possible to come to partake of God’s gifts: “Make people come in that my home may be filled.” (3) God leaves us free to accept or reject the invitation, but the refusal of God’s invitation has tragic consequences for those who refuse, while for those who accept God’s offer, enjoyment of God’s abundant gifts is promised. Why is it that people relish being invited to big affairs by important people, while the invitations of God are either ignored or spurned?
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:44:25 +0000
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