Pack The Master's House

PACK THE MASTER’S HOUSE

Luke 14:15-24

By Cleavon P. Matthews Sr.

April 10, 2002

INTRODUCTION

Movie producers want to have packed theatres. Those who own professional sports teams want to have their stadiums and arenas packed. Concert promoters want to sell out every show. Restaurant owners want to have a waiting list of those desiring to dine at their tables. Hotels and Resorts want their accommodations filled to capacity. Institutions of higher learning want to have every classroom seat filled. The amusement park wants to have every ride and show packed. The Airline wants to fill every seat on every flight. And the Lord wants every seat in His House to be filled at every assembly!

Empty seats bring concern to Movie producers. Empty seats cause owners to either sale or relocate their teams. Concert promoters cancel shows with too many empty seats. Restaurants shut down when there are too many slow days and nights. Hotels and Resorts are vacated and abandon if there are too many empty rooms for too long. Institutions of higher learning cancel courses when there are not enough students. Amusement parks go out of business when ticket sales are too low. Airlines cancel flight destinations when too many seats are empty. And the Lord is angry when His house is not full!

The movie producer, professional sports owner, the concert promoter, the restaurant owner, the hotel owner, the institution of higher learning, the amusement park owner, and the owner of the airline want us to fill their seats because we make them rich. They want our money. They want to exchange goods and services. See in the context of this story Jesus tells the lawyers and Pharisees in verse 12: “When thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbor; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.” But God is different He wants us to sit at His table to make us rich! The motivation for having the guests is to bless them. Jesus also says in the text, “But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

I.THE CALL

Luke 14:15-17 “And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.”

We can only speculate concerning the motivation for this man’s speaking out and saying blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. We should be more concerned with what he said! He pronounces blessing to those who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Eating bread in the kingdom speaks of celebrating the provision of deliverance and salvation. This was an anticipated hope for Israel. They were convinced that their biological link to Abraham guaranteed them a place at the table.

Jesus tells this parable to give them a look at themselves. He had already made the future clear in chapter 13. Somebody asked Him are there few that be saved? (v23). In other words there are few who will eat bread in the kingdom of God? Jesus responded by saying strive to enter at the strait or narrow gate many will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand without saying Lord, Lord open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. The purpose of this parable is to let them know who would eat bread in the kingdom of God. Unless they repent and turn to Jesus as Lord and Messiah they will not enter in!

Whenever someone held a great supper they would invite their guests. The guests would make an agreement to come or rsvp. This was a ‘great supper’ so many were bade or invited to the supper. After the invitations had been accepted the host would then prepare the feast. If it was a wedding supper or feast it could have been an interval of up to twelve months from the time the invitations were sent out and accepted. Then when everything was prepared and the host was ready the second invitation to come would be sent out.