Thank you for coming this morning. You responded to an invitation to come and be with us enjoying each others company with food, fellowship and faithful worship. There are a lot of other things you could have been doing on such a nice day. Trips, the beach or a quite read are all enticing. Not everyone invited was able to come, and as such we enjoy several special guests. You came, hopeful to enjoy and celebrate this time together with one another and with God.
The story in Luke 14, common for feasts, like a wedding for example, which could last a full week, Guests were preinvited and given a general idea of the time. When all the many preparations were finally ready, the preinvited guests were notified that the event would commence. The preinvited guests refer to the people of Israel, who by the OT had been told to be ready for the arrival of the Messiah (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Lk 14:17). Nashville: Word Pub.).
Who you chose to invite or bring here today, makes a difference in who celebrates with us. Who you chose to share the gospel with and compel repent and believe, can make a difference for eternity. Ours is not to speculate upon who might respond, but in our faithful obedience. We must ask ourselves if we have failed to call someone we know to God. Those to whom God uses our faithful words to change their hearts most likely will surprise us.
The General call and those whom God brings to His feast of Life is seen in Luke 14:16-24. With `The Parable of the Great Banquet`` in, we see: 1) The Incident (Luke 14:16-17), 2) The Invited (Luke 14:18–20), 3) The Invitation (Luke 14:21–24)
1) The Incident (Luke 14:16-17),
Luke 14:16-17 [16]But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. [17]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.’ (ESV)
Earlier, a question had been put to Jesus: “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” (13:23). In his answer, Jesus did not enter into the numbers game. Rather, he urged all his listeners to strive to enter the banquet hall by the narrow door. He also told his audience that there will be some surprises among those seated at the feast of salvation. The parable of the great banquet is prompted by a remark made by one of Jesus’ table companions: “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” This beatitude reminds one of a number of earlier such pronouncements by Jesus and others (6:20–22; 11:27, 28). It is very similar to the words of Revelation 19:9:
Revelation 19:9 [9]And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." (ESV)
• “The “great banquet” is a lavish, sumptuous image of the kingdom of Heaven that will be exceeded by its reality—joyous satisfaction! And, of course, the ultimate convener and host will be Christ himself. (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (116). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.)
Yet it becomes obvious from the parable which Jesus tells that not everyone really regards God’s salvation banquet as something so wonderful.
The occasion for the representation of the kingdom of Heaven under this image, was given the Saviour spontaneously by the remark of His fellow-guest, and by the feast of the Pharisee. Jesus is in the home of a ruler among Pharisees, gathered at the table with other socially elite Pharisees and scribes. They would easily see themselves in the mirror Jesus constructs, with references to the great dinner and the many invited serving to underscore the relative prestige of the host. At the same time, the size of the prepared feast necessitates the subsequent extraordinary attempts to “fill” the house (v 23b). This is a clear allusion to the Jewish hope for the time when the Messiah would come and share a great feast with Israel’s devout (Isa 25:6; 65:13–14; Ps 81:16; 2 Esdr 2:38; Enoch 62:14; 1QSa 2:11–13; cf. also Luke 13:28–29; 22:15–20, 30; 1 Cor 11:23–26; Rev 19:9.) (Stein, R. H. (2001). Vol. 24: Luke (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (393). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Jesus’ story assumes the extension of double invitations, a practice rooted in pragmatic needs of more than one sort. First, preparation for the feast required a count of the number of invitations accepted. With the number of anticipated guests determined, the host is able to determine what animal(s) is to be killed and cooked. The host would then decide on the killing/butchering of a chicken or two (for 2–4 guests), or a duck (for 5–8), or a goat (10–15 acceptances), or a sheep (if there are 15–35 people), or a calf (35–75).” (Braun, Feasting and Social Rhetoric, 102).
Guests also needed time to prepare themselves. Potential guests would need to ascertain who else was coming in order that they might determine the social propriety of their sharing a meal with others on the list. Again, the importance of meals for publicizing and/or securing one’s status in the community comes to the fore. From the standpoint of Jesus’ story, it is important to realize that the feast-event is unfolding according to appropriate norms, all is proceeding as expected, and the final summons to the prepared meal is grounded in the assumption that all will come. (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (558). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
When the servant was sent in Luke 14:17, by no means collectively for all the servants (Heubner), but has reference very definitely to one servant, the vocator, who, according to Oriental usage, repeats the invitation so soon as the feast is prepared, not in order to inquire again whether the guests will come, but in order to make known to them when they should appear. The here-indicated time coincides with the fullness of time, Gal. 4:4,
Galatians 4:4 [4]But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, (ESV)
The servant can be no other than the Messiah, the עָבֶד יְהוָֹה of Isaiah. He makes known to Israel that the blessings of the kingdom of Heaven, from this instant on, are attainable for them, and that in such wise, that they have nothing else to do than to come, to take, and to eat.
2) The Invited (Luke 14:18–20)
Luke 14:18-20 [18]But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ’I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ [19]And another said, ’I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ [20]And another said, ’I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (ESV)
Related to the invitation are a series of three excuses. These excuses identify the would-be guests as persons whose lives are wrongly embedded in their possessions and family relationships. Although “many” were invited and “they all” made excuses (vv 16, 18), Jesus documents only three that must be deemed as representative. The first two clearly portray persons of wealth and property (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (559–560). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
a) First excuse (Luke 14:18)
Luke 14:18 [18]But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ’I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ (ESV)
The motives which they have are indeed different; but in this they all agree, that they take back again the word that they have given. Those invited acknowledge themselves the necessity of an excuse (deprecari) in some manner plausible. The perfect tense indicates that the invitee has no intention of changing his mind! (Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Lk 14:15–24). Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.)
b) Second excuse (Luke 14:19)
Luke 14:19 [19]And another said, ’I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ (ESV)
For the invited guest with five yoke of oxen, as to the first, earthly possession stands in the way of becoming a participant of the saving benefits of the kingdom of Heaven. If there yet exists a distinction between the first and second, it is probably this, that the man with the field is yet seeking to acquire the earthly good, while the man with the oxen is thinking of still increasing that which is already gained. The first is the man of business, whose only concern is to bring what he has just bought into good order; the other is the independent man, who will see himself hindered by nobody; He is already going (I go) and has only just time to add: “Please have me excused,” as an afterthought.
• It can be compared to our prayer life at times. Through our own wisdom and resources we make a decision and then ask God to bless it.
c) Third excuse (Luke 14:20)
Luke 14:20 [20]And another said, ’I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (ESV)
The third excuse, I have married a wife, appears to be the most legitimate, on which account, therefore, it is delivered in the tone of self-confidence which does not even account an excuse as necessary. According to the Mosaic Law, Deut. 24:5, the newly-married man was free for a year from military service, and it therefore appeared that it could not be demanded from this man that he should leave his young wife.
At all events the invitation to the feast had been already accepted before the celebration of the marriage, and so the marriage set him free, it is true, from the burden of military service, but not from the enjoyment of social interaction. In case of need he might have brought his young wife also with him; and if she did not wish this, then here, also, the saying, Matt. 10:37, held good
Matthew 10:37 [37]Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (ESV)
Three excuses, given as specimens of the rest, answer to “the care of this world” (Lu 14:18), “the deceitfulness of riches” (Lu 14:19), and “the pleasures of this life” (Lu 14:20), which “choke the word” (Mt 13:22 and Lu 8:14). Each differs from the other, and each has its own plausibility, but all come to the same result: “We have other things to attend to, more pressing just now.” (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Lk 14:18). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
All the excuses smack of insincerity. One does not purchase property without seeing it first. And since the purchase was already complete, there was no urgency. The land would still be there after the banquet. Likewise (v. 19), one does not purchase oxen without first testing them. The man who had recently married (v. 20) was excused from business travel, or serving in the military (Deut. 24:5), but there was no legitimate reason for newlyweds to avoid such a social engagement (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Lk 14:18). Nashville: Word Pub.).
In today’s terms, if they were offered front-row seats at the NBA Championships, or a box seat to hear “The Three Tenors” (Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras), or a week’s fly fishing on the Madison, or a week’s shopping in Paris, they would have found someone to tend the field, the oxen, and, yes, even the home. Make no mistake, the real reason people turn away from the eternal feast is that they do not want to be there. No one who was invited said, “I will not come to the dinner.” They were simply making excuses to cover up the fact that they did not want to come (McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed.) (Lk 14:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
It is easy to make general applications, but this text is talking about us and our preferences. We need to ask ourselves whether we like our car more than we like God. If Christ’s banquet and a large worldly estate were spread before us as options, would we rather have the estate? (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (118). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.)
Business and relationships are certainly vital to people’s lives. But they must never substitute for God’s invitation and never become an excuse to put off joining God’s kingdom. All pursuits, no matter how valid they seem, can rob people of the great celebration with Jesus. Let nothing stand in the way of following Christ (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke. Life application Bible commentary (360). Wheaton, Ill Tyndale House Publishers.)..:
Illustration: People give a lot of excuses. One person who heard it all his life was Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, outfielder for the Atlanta Braves and cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons. He is the only athlete to have hit a Major League home run and scored an NFL touchdown in the same week.
Sanders grew up on the streets of Fort Myers, Fla., where exposure to some would-be athletes spurred him to (never settle for excuses). He explains: “I call them Idas. ‘If I’da done this, I’d be making three million today .If I’da practiced a little harder, I’d be a superstar.’ They were as fast as me when they were kids, but instead of working for their dreams they chose drugs and a life of street corners.
When I was young, I had practice; my friends who didn’t went straight to the streets and never left. We don’t need any more Idas. (Mike Lupica in Esquire as recorded in Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.)
3) The Invitation—second guest list (Luke 14:21–24)
a) The new guests (Luke 14:21–23)
Luke 14:21-23 [21]So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ’Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ [22]And the servant said, ’Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ [23]And the master said to the servant, ’Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. (ESV)
The host was angry. We rarely think of God expressing judicial anger against those who reject His gracious invitations, but verses like Isaiah 55:6 and Proverbs 1:24–33 give a solemn warning that we not treat His calls lightly (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Lk 14:15). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.).
The second class of the invited must still be sought out within the city. From this appears, that we have here to understand Jews. The Saviour has the tax collectors and the masses in His mind (Luke 7:29; Matt. 21:32), the poorest part of the nation, the same whom the Pharisee, vss. 12–14, should have invited to his festal board. the poor and crippled and blind and lame were people the Pharisees tended to regard as unclean or unworthy. The religious leaders condemned Jesus for His associations with prostitutes and tax collectors (cf. 5:29, 30; 15:1; Matt. 9:10, 11; 11:19; 21:31, 32; Mark 2:15, 16) (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Lk 14:21). Nashville: Word Pub.).
Historically, from the time of the giving of the Law, the physically blemished were barred from full participation in worship (cf. Leviticus 21:17–23) (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (118–119). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.).
The first invited, vs. 17, who begin to excuse themselves, the representatives of the Theocracy, the Pharisees and scribes, to whom the invitation had been officially given, and who for their very office’ sake were under obligation to take due notice thereof.
Those who were now invited in their place, no excuses, as from the first, were to be feared; the blind had no field to view, the lame could not go along behind his oxen, the maimed had no wife who would have hindered him from coming; only the feeling of poverty could have held them back; but this feeling also vanishes, since they must be in a friendly way brought or led in by the servant.`
Israel should have seen their first calling quite like this:
Isaiah 55:1 [55:1]"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (ESV)
It is important to realize that the master/host, in extending hospitality to such persons, has not thereby become their benefactor. That is, there is no hint that his practices are based on the calculus of reciprocity and onerous obligation. Instead, by extending hospitality to such persons, he has stepped completely outside the patronal ethics of the Mediterranean world; in Jesus’ earlier words, he has invited those who cannot repay him, from whom he has nothing to gain by way of enhanced prestige or monetary enhancement (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (562). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
• You cannot buy your way in to this feast. You cannot elbow your way in. It is however based on who you know.
• You come to this dinner by the grace of God (McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed.) (Lk 14:17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
According to Luke 14:23, the servant of God says the task was done, as Christ Himself was a faithful servant of the Father. So great was the feast that, although many had excused themselves, and not a few had been brought in, there was still abundant room for others. At this time, the grace extended to the Jews was limited to Christ`s life, therefore the servant was instructed to “Go out quickly,” while on the other hand the bring to the feast of the Gentiles was to extend itself over many centuries.
Please turn to Romans 7
The picture in Luke 14:23 is of reaching out to people in all directions, Diaspora Jews and Gentiles alike. Jews and Gentiles are both in view. The tone is much like Rom. 15:7–16 (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke Volume 2: 9:51-24:53. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (1277). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.).
Romans 15:7-16 [7]Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. [8]For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, [9]and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name."[10]And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." [11]And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." [12]And again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope."[13]May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. [14]I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. [15]But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God [16]to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (ESV)
• As we extend the invitation to others we do not know how much longer the feast shall occur, therefore our directive is like the original servant to extend the invitation quickly.
To Compel them to come in is certainly not with physical force. This invitation cannot be achieved through armies or threat. The Gk. word translated “compel” in older versions and “make them” in the NIV is anankazo. It does involve compulsion, but not necessarily external, physical force. The greatest compulsion of all comes from inside (as done through the Holy Spirit) as a positive response to a morally powerful command (Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible readers companion (electronic ed.) (665). Wheaton: Victor Books.).
There is little doubt that we should see a reference to the mission of the church. God’s invitation had gone out to the people through the prophets. Now in Jesus the second invitation was given. When the religious élite refused it, the church was to bring in both those within the city (the Jews) and those outside (the Gentiles) (Morris, L. (1988). Vol. 3: Luke: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (252). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
• Our mission is to not take no for an answer. (Just like the poor and rejected in the parable who) were not used to being wanted at such an occasion, (we need to help people understand God`s invitation, who by nature reject it).
• Knowing that some will forever reject the invitation, we need to continue to go out and summon others to the table.
b) The old guests (Luke 14:24)
Luke 14:24 [24]For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’" (ESV)
Here Jesus summarizes the parable for his audience. Jesus commonly ends his parables and teaching with a personal note (Luke 11:8; 15:7, 10; 16:9; 18:8, 14; 19:26).The point is simply that the leadership missed an opportunity to sit at the table of God’s blessing, even though it appeared that they were at the head of the line. ...No one can enter the Kingdom without the invitation of God...People cannot save themselves; but can damn themselves. And it is this latter fact that makes the preaching of Jesus so urgent.” In rejecting Jesus, the leaders reject God’s greatest gift: the opportunity to sit at the table of eternal fellowship with God. They also missed the chance to share in the blessings he gives. But the kingdom’s bounty is not lost because of their rejection, for many others will be invited and will attend. The opportunity for rich blessing and fellowship from God’s hand remains available to others. In fact, many who attend will be among those who were least expected to attend... Disciples should seek such people. In warning the Pharisees, Jesus also instructs his own. God’s people must be sought and found in surprising places. (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke Volume 2: 9:51-24:53. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (1277–1278). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.).
Luke 14:16-24 questions the confidence of those who take it for granted that they will be present at the great eschatological banquet. With the ministry of Jesus, the walls between the present and the future of the banquet of the kingdom of God dissolve; and as he calls upon people to come into the kingdom of God, it is the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind who are making their way into the banquet while many of the more obvious people on the invitation list are preoccupied with other concerns (Nolland, J. (2002). Vol. 35B: Word Biblical Commentary : Luke 9:21-18:34. Word Biblical Commentary (758). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
Summer is a great time to be with family and friends, enjoy the outdoors and recreation. Yet, if we fail to return to our jobs once holiday’s are over, there won’t be work for us. If our recreation takes us away from the calling of God, we may find ourselves as actually being deceived and not part of His banquet. Let us hear and respond to God’s call of repentance, faith and obedience.
Jesus offers the kingdom, a perpetual feast of peace, a feast of help, guidance, friendship, rest, victory over self, control of passions, supremacy over circumstances—a feast of joy, tranquility, deathlessness, Heaven opened, immeasurable hope—salvation (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (117). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.).
(Format Note: Some base commentary from Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., van Oosterzee, J. J., & Starbuck, C. C. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures : Luke (227–229). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc..)
