The Great Banquet

The Great Banquet

Luke 14:15-24

Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

Luke 14:15 Now when one of those who were reclining at the table with Him

heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom

of God!”

16 But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17

and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come,

because everything is ready now.’ 18 “And yet they all alike began to make excuses.

The first one said to him, ‘I purchased a field and I need to go out to look at it;

please consider me excused.’ 19 “And another one said, ‘I bought five yoke of

oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ 20 “And

another one said, ‘I took a woman as my wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’

21 “And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of

the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets

and lanes of the city and bring in here those who are poor, those with disabilities,

those who are blind, and those who are limping.’ 22 “And later the slave said,

‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 “And

the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and the hedges and press upon

them to come in, so that my house will be filled. 24 ‘For I tell you, none of those

men who were invited shall taste my dinner.’”

The parable of the Great Banquet can be found in both Luke’s and Matthew’s Gospels.

The version in Luke is considered the closest to Jesus’ original words. Therefore, this

message is based on Luke 14:15–24.

To understand this parable, we need to explain it in terms of the culture of Jesus’ day.

If you want to truly grasp the meaning of Jesus’ parables, you must examine the cultural

context in which He spoke. The central meaning of a parable is often revealed through

its cultural “twist.” This parable contains several such twists; however, one essential

twist stands out above the rest. So, let’s explore it.

The expression “eat bread” is a Semitic idiom that means “to be well received.” Verse

fifteen is saying that it is an honor to be included in the Kingdom of God. In Yeshua’s

era it was a high honor to be received by a king or prince and invited to a meal.

Bread is a metaphor for “truth.” When Yeshua said “I am the bread of life” he is saying

that “He is telling us the truth.”

God’s kingdom represents peace, eternal joy, harmony and an inner understanding of

a spiritual filled life.

The components of the parable of the great supper.

In the Near East during Yeshua’s time, hosting a banquet required not only sufficient

food for one’s family but an abundance to accommodate numerous guests. Such

banquets served as public displays of wealth and social status. The man in this parable

must have been affluent, given his ability to provide for so many. Invitations were

typically extended through personal interaction, often by servants who verbally invited

guests.

However, those invited began offering excuses. The first claimed he had purchased a

field and needed to inspect it. In Yeshua’s day, land purchases involved a deposit and a

mutually agreed-upon time for inspection. Failure to inspect within that timeframe

could result in forfeiture of the deposit or full payment without recourse. The second

excuse involved the purchase of five yokes of oxen. Livestock transactions were

generally conducted on a trial basis, allowing the buyer to return animals if they proved

unsuitable or defective. Inspections were usually witnessed to ensure fairness. The third

man cited marriage as his reason for declining. While Deuteronomy 24:5 exempts a

newly married man from military service, this rationale hardly justifies rejecting a

banquet invitation, suggesting the excuse was contrived.

The parable implies these excuses were disingenuous, as the invitations preceded the

purchases and marriage. Their refusal was a deliberate slight against the host. In

response, the host instructed his servants to bring in the marginalized—the poor, the

disabled, and the outcasts—filling the banquet hall with those society often overlooked.

Still unsatisfied, he sent his servants again, urging others to attend. In Near Eastern

culture, an invitation was customarily repeated multiple times—up to seven—before

being abandoned.

This narrative highlights the cultural significance of hospitality in Yeshua’s era.

Banquets were prestigious events, and attendance enhanced the host’s reputation.

Typically, guests would eagerly await entry, forming long lines outside the home. The

reversal in this parable—where the wealthy man’s house is filled with the poor and