If You Were Invited to a Grand Banquet, Would You Go?

By Mary Vee
Luke 14

Peter

Sun setting in Israel
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. 

For the last few posts, I've written about a grand Sabbath dinner. At this meal, a pharisee invited Jesus and His disciples. There were many others who happened to attend as well.

Jesus has been teaching those who came while they waited for the meal. As it turns out he has started another story. This is what he is saying:

There was a man who prepared a great banquet. He sent out many guest invitations.

When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant out with this announcement, "Come. The banquet is ready."

Sadly, each invited guest gave an excuse for why he couldn't attend. The first said, "I can't come right now. I've bought a field and must stay here to care for it."

Another said, "I have bought five oxen. I must see if they can do the work I need."

Another said, "I am sorry, but I have just been married. I can't come at this time."

So the servant returned to his master's house with his report. "I am sorry, master, but everyone had a reason why they couldn't attend the banquet."

The owner was offended. In his anger, he said, "Go out to the streets and alleys and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and lame. Let them freely come to my banquet. Go now."

So the servant invited all the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame then said, "I have invited all the people you have requested. See, they are at the table, and there is room for more." 

The master said, "Then go out to the streets, the country roads, anywhere you find people. Invite them all. I want my house to be full. Mark my word, not one person from the original invitation list will get a bite of food from my table.

What would you have said to your invitation?

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.