Come to the Banquet
Luke 14:15-23
Introduction- Good morning church!
Some of the best things happen when you hear God’s Word and respond.
Wither you are in a church or you are listening by internet, know that God’s Word can change your life forever. To have deep faith is to trust the truth of God and respond and apply that truth.
Each time you do that your faith grows.
It goes deeper into your spirit and becomes a part of you.
Leap of faith usually happens when you have no other option, but biblical faith is having faith in Jesus even when circumstances don’t show it because you know that Jesus would never break a promise.
In a minute we are going to pray that the Lord would take us out of our comfort zone and we would learn a valuable lesson. The lesson is to accept the greatest invitation of life that anyone could ever offer you. SALVATION BY FAITH IN JESUS
To decline would be eternity without Christ and to accept would be eternity with Christ with all the benefits.
The reason most do not come to Christ is because of pride. They don’t feel that they need a savior. They are good people. They do not do bad things.
Our passage shows us humility and being humble. The two things that will keep us from being prideful.
Let’s Pray-
Father, we come in the matchless name of Jesus and we come to see that everything you did once you came to this earth was to provide a way of salvation that we could not provide for ourselves. May your word come alive and fill us with hope and encouragement as we live out our lives for you. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Let me give you some background-
Jesus shared a meal at a prominent Pharisees house. He was carefully watched! The Pharisee wanted Jesus to mess up, to heal on the Sabbath. There in front of him was a man with dropsy- (Fluid build-up)
Jesus asks the experts- Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? They all remained quiet. Jesus took hold of the man and healed him on the spot.
If you had a son or an ox that fell into a well on the Sabbath, would you not immediately pull him out? Again, they said nothing!
Jesus in scripture noticed how the guest picked the places of honor, he tells them a parable- a parable is a teaching moment by example.
A visual if you will of what Jesus was trying to show them.
They did not always do well with parables.
You know how well it worked on places of honor because they fought to see who would be on Jesus right and Jesus left.
He provides a teachable moment using the very things the crowd could understand.
Jesus shows us that we need to be humble.
If you will not learn the lesson of being humble, Jesus is more than willing to show you but it comes with some hard knocks.
Jesus says-
“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, give this man your seat. Then humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, friend, move up to a better place. Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guest. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
You need to know this before you understand the text-
Luke 14:15-23 Read from Bible
Is the story of the Great Banquet ignored!
It is the critique of the abuse of wealth!
Matthew and Luke record the parable, but only Luke acknowledges that it is simply a banquet of the rich for the rich.
Frustration comes as the rich put out that invitation and the rich snubbed him and didn’t show up.
The host ticked off puts the word out to fill his banquet from the streets and alleys and in the Greek means to compel them to come in so the banquet hall would be full!
Some versions say the highways and the byways- streets and alleys and not only ask them to come but compel them to come so that the banquet hall will be full!
One dinner guest proclaims- “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Some commentaries believe this is the messianic invitation to the Jews which they rejected.
Most believe that Jesus has now opened up the banquet so that all can recline at the table with Jesus if they accept the invitation. Amen.
Banquets at that time were social events. They were important people inviting important people so that they can each take care of each other.
It was people of influence inviting people of influence and if you were a nobody that could not move someone else up and help them you were not invited.
The Pharisee that hosted this banquet only invited those who could reciprocate his hospitality.
Land owner (money)
Oxen (Work)
Married (people of means)
These people snubbed the host and it ticked him off!
They were consumed with business and pleasure and work and could not bother to attend.
There was no such thing as having something for someone to just be nice or to meet a need and not expect something in return.
They would never just feed people for no reason!
Jesus exposed them! He exposed the policy of reciprocation in social relationships. The rich invited the rich to dine, but the hospitality was unappreciated and rejected.
Total opposite of what the true wedding banquet of the lamb will be! These meals lack love and respect. They lack that a need was present and someone would help.
Illustration
I cannot understand why so many average people are hooked on the Awards shows on TV?
A night of people who are in a world of their own trying to impress each other and the viewers that would watch.
Wearing the best of the best and the ones invited are the ones who can help each other and not one average person would ever be invited.
There are no poor people dinning at any of those tables!
They walk around on a red carpet and flaunt dresses and suits that average the yearly salary of the average and brag that the average person will never be where they are.
The average person watches excited to be able to just get a glimpse of them living the life that most wish they had.
They act like they don’t need anyone, they are above average, but the truth is the average is what make them great- the average bought their clothes, watched their movies, bought their music, and yet will never be asked to sit down at their table.
Jesus was clear- “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
You want to humble yourself before the Lord or do you want the Lord to humble you? One way you will be humbled!
The story of the banquet ignored!
Jesus banquet is not about impressing and showing off what you have.
It will be about what you have done with Jesus!
So…did you dig out point #1 Be humble or get humbled!
Humbled in the Bible 81 times- You think He wants us to know that?
James 4:6-
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
2 Chronicles 7:14-
“If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
John 3:30- “He must increase and I must decrease”
Mark 10:45- “For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and serve his life as a ransom for many,” (humbled)
Matt 11:29- “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…”
Being humble
The Banquet is open for all to come to the table
Just as the messianic banquet was limited… but now included Gentiles because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
Jesus turns the social banquet of the rich to include the poor, lame, the blind. the crippled.
In todays language, the nobody's are not only invited but have a place at the table of Jesus.
The second swept of highways and byways leaves no person excluded to the banquet. Only ones not at the table are by their choice.
Jesus blows the boundaries wide open. The inclusion of all leaves the only exclusion to be those that won’t accept the invitation.
Social decline- those that think they have a better offer.
Work decline- it interferes with what I am doing.
Pleasure decline- Not right now, I am having too good a time.
(23) “Then the master told his servant, go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.”
A quick reading of this would imply that Jesus is forcefully bringing people in.
This is so not the gospel teachings of Jesus giving us a choice.
This is called a hyperbole- figurative language stressing the urgency of including all to enter the new community.
All are welcome! You get to choose if you will come.
I believe the stress of urgency is put on the ones at the table that we would invite others to the table before it is too late.
Listen to the very verse of the text here,
“I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” Jesus gives a summary statement-
Wesleyan commentary- “The radical inclusion of the masses is counterbalanced by the radical exclusion of the elite. Inclusion creates an exclusion of those who don’t want to accept the invitation.”
There will not be one person at the table who does not want to be there-you don’t want to be there… you won’t be there! Jesus did not create robots, we have a choice.
Paul says Acts 18:6- “your blood will be on your heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles”
My friend Peter Clarke says that you can’t fake genuine!
Yeah…God sees and He knows! Apostle Paul says imitate me as I follow Christ
What makes Jesus worth following? You better be able to answer that question for yourself.
Not everybody followed Jesus.
Jesus had enemies. He had people that said He had to go. They were not happy that He did things against the grain. He did things on the Sabbath and who dies He think He is…God!
Closing
Why is it so important to share Jesus?
Because Jesus said the Banquet is ready!
He did not ask us each to bring potluck or our favorite dessert- he said it was ready and the door was open to come to the table for all who accept the invitation.
What about you? Do you accept the invitation?
What makes Him worth following- giving up things that you know does not please Him?
What makes Him worth telling others about? Do you care that the person next to you may not be at the table?
(21) “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lamb. Sir, the servant said, what you ordered has been done, BUT THERE IS STILL ROOM. Then the master told his servant, go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house is full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”
I told you, this is the urgency of which He speaks to us about the souls of people around us!
I want my house full! And there is still room!
Not one of them will make it if they are not told of their invitation- and not one of them who does not want to spend eternity with the lord will be forced to be at the table-
You who say you want nothing to do with the Lord- you will not be forced to be with Him.
BUT IT DOES NOT STOP PUR RESPONSIBILITY AS BELIEVERS FROM ASKING YOU TO THE TABLE. YOU MAKE THE CHOICE. WE JUST OFFER IT!
I want all to have the opportunity to know my Jesus. I want all to be at the table. Amen.
Prayer-
