Parables - Teaching 17
Marriage Feast or Great Banquet
'Jesus said to him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready now.’
“Everyone asked to be excused. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to see how well they plow. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I recently got married, and that’s why I can’t come.’
“The servant went back to report this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry. He told his servant, ‘Run to every street and alley in the city! Bring back the poor, the handicapped, the blind, and the lame.’
“The servant said, ‘Sir, what you’ve ordered has been done. But there is still room for more people.’
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full. I can guarantee that none of those invited earlier will taste any food at my banquet.’' Luke 14:15-24
We are now really running with this series on parables. But I'll be honest, I really wanted to write about something else, but I just find myself back to these stories and illustrations that Jesus first taught us.
Parable
The back drop to today's parable is (surprise) Jesus being invited to eat. Eating together seems to be His favorite way to bring people together.
The difference is that this time, He was invited to the home of a Pharisee. What remains the same is that these religious leaders are still there doing what they do best -- stalking Jesus, and trying to find fault in what He say and do and finding an opening to ask Him loaded questions.
This time Jesus was also watching them back and He asked them a question, one that He answered Himself with the story we just read above about someone who was throwing a party and who have invited a select group of people to attend.
What It Means
Well for me it is obvious that God was the One who was throwing the Marriage Feast or the Great Banquet, in heaven.
And for this, He had invited His people, Israel. But how did they respond? Well no one really wanted to come, each one had an excuse -- sounds like something we all would come up with when we want to wiggle out of something ourselves.
Everything is Done
Now having everything prepared but no one to come, God then turns around and invites us (non Jews) instead -- the blind, the deaf, the dumb and the dumber.
Now when we accept the invite, we become the bride of God's Son Jesus. We as a group of imperfect people -- the church (particularly, the Church of the Lost Sheep, spread out all over the world), are all on the invited list to this Great Banquet.
When we accept Jesus for what He said, what He's done and who He claim to be, we become new creations and a new member of the family of God.
Nothing about us makes us qualified to be invited, but we are -- in spite of our imperfections or actually because of our imperfections. Only those who are sick, handicapped, poor, blind, deaf, lame, lost and in need of help are qualified.
But we do need to accept this invite and acknowledge we do need help.
Have you?
Parables Series
Inage Credit: Laleocafe.com
'Jesus said to him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready now.’
“Everyone asked to be excused. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to see how well they plow. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I recently got married, and that’s why I can’t come.’
“The servant went back to report this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry. He told his servant, ‘Run to every street and alley in the city! Bring back the poor, the handicapped, the blind, and the lame.’
“The servant said, ‘Sir, what you’ve ordered has been done. But there is still room for more people.’
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full. I can guarantee that none of those invited earlier will taste any food at my banquet.’' Luke 14:15-24
We are now really running with this series on parables. But I'll be honest, I really wanted to write about something else, but I just find myself back to these stories and illustrations that Jesus first taught us.
Parable
The back drop to today's parable is (surprise) Jesus being invited to eat. Eating together seems to be His favorite way to bring people together.
The difference is that this time, He was invited to the home of a Pharisee. What remains the same is that these religious leaders are still there doing what they do best -- stalking Jesus, and trying to find fault in what He say and do and finding an opening to ask Him loaded questions.
This time Jesus was also watching them back and He asked them a question, one that He answered Himself with the story we just read above about someone who was throwing a party and who have invited a select group of people to attend.
What It Means
Well for me it is obvious that God was the One who was throwing the Marriage Feast or the Great Banquet, in heaven.
And for this, He had invited His people, Israel. But how did they respond? Well no one really wanted to come, each one had an excuse -- sounds like something we all would come up with when we want to wiggle out of something ourselves.
Everything is Done
Now having everything prepared but no one to come, God then turns around and invites us (non Jews) instead -- the blind, the deaf, the dumb and the dumber.
Now when we accept the invite, we become the bride of God's Son Jesus. We as a group of imperfect people -- the church (particularly, the Church of the Lost Sheep, spread out all over the world), are all on the invited list to this Great Banquet.
Nothing about us makes us qualified to be invited, but we are -- in spite of our imperfections or actually because of our imperfections. Only those who are sick, handicapped, poor, blind, deaf, lame, lost and in need of help are qualified.
But we do need to accept this invite and acknowledge we do need help.
Have you?
Parables Series
Inage Credit: Laleocafe.com
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