Not too long ago, I reached Luke 14 in my devotional reading of the Bible. The big parable in the middle of the chapter got my attention, but before that, let’s cover some background.
The bulk of this chapter is set in the house of a Pharisee who’d invited Jesus to a meal on the Sabbath. (The Pharisees were the Jewish religious leaders who taught the people the Scriptures.)
In Luke’s gospel, this is the third such meal Jesus ate with a Pharisee.
“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.” – Luke 7:36
“When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.” – Luke 11:37
“One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.” – Luke 14:1
Tension marked each occasion. The hosts sought to dispute Christ’s teachings, and He had to stay alert and respond when challenged.
But sometimes Jesus wouldn’t wait. A man with dropsy (excessive water retention resulting in swelling under the skin) got into the house. I assume he did so because he had heard of Christ’s healings and wanted to be next! Jesus obliged him, but not before using this to teach the dinner guests a lesson about God’s kingdom. People matter more than the Sabbath. It’s okay to heal on the Sabbath, even though it’s a day of rest, because God cares about human suffering. (See vss. 1-6).
But Jesus dropped the subject when He noticed everyone scrambling to seat themselves in the best spots. Theirs was a struggle for status, and Jesus wanted no part of it. So He warned them not to play that game because it could cost them their dignity. (See vss. 7-11).
Then Jesus turned to His host and revisited the kingdom principle of helping the needy. The man whom Jesus healed couldn’t reimburse Him, but He healed him anyway. Christ’s advice–do the same with dinner. Invite those who can’t return the favor. Others may not bless you, but you can be sure God will! (See vss. 12-14).
One of the guests caught on to Christ emphasizing the kingdom.
“When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.’” – Luke 14:15
He was right. He saw the futility of scrambling for the prime seats at a meal which will soon fade from memory. How much greater it is to show up in God’s house and feast at His table!
Yes, Jesus would have agreed, but there was a problem.
“Jesus replied: ‘A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.” 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, “I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.” 19Another said, “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.” 20Still another said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.” 21The 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 lame.” 22“Sir,” the servant said, “what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.” 23Then 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. 24I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”’” – Luke 14:16-24
Again, the guest was right. It’s a blessing to eat in the kingdom of God. The problem is, people aren’t interested.
That sounds crazy! The best meal on earth can’t compare to a heavenly feast. Who wouldn’t want to attend? Why wouldn’t they?
Excuses.
On the surface, the reasons they cited sounded plausible. The party conflicted with recent acquisitions and this forced those invited to choose. They weighed the two options and decided the feast wasn’t worth it. Too much time and effort to get ready. So they declined.
It’s obvious that the “great banquet” (vs. 16) is “the feast in the kingdom of God” (vs. 15). It’s a blessing to eat there, but one’s attendance hinges on getting and accepting an invitation. It also depends on agreeing to go and showing up!
Through this parable, Jesus warned this crowd they were in danger of missing the meal of eternity. Don’t get so caught up in the affairs of this life that you neglect the invitation to God’s kingdom. Through His ministry, Jesus had been inviting people to join Him. While many responded, many did not.
In the parable, those who received invitations didn’t earn or deserve them. All they had to do was show up. But their hearts lay elsewhere and they felt they couldn’t squeeze it in.
The lesson? Respond to God’s call! Through the gospel, Jesus invites us to nourishment and community in His kingdom. There’s nothing else like it!
But Jesus wasn’t finished. Because the original guests declined, the table had openings. So the host had his servants bring in the needy of the neighborhood. Like Jesus had been telling the people, the kingdom of God operates by loving the down and out.
Yet even with these acts of mercy, there was still room. So the master sent the servants back out to usher in anyone they could find. He wanted a full house!
Why was there so much space? I can think of two reasons. One, the poor didn’t believe it. The invitation was too good to be true. But that’s a mistake.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” – Luke 4:18-19
People can get accustomed to bad news to the point that they’re not open to good news. Blessings are for others, not for me! If that’s your attitude, acknowledge it and dare to contradict it. If you don’t qualify for the kingdom of God, congratulations! No one does! But you can receive the invitation Jesus offers you. It’s yours if you want it.
The second reason could be that the master’s house was a mansion. Bigger than anyone can imagine!
God’s kingdom has space! It can accommodate all who answer the gospel invitation.
The kingdom of God is a disruptive force in our lives. It challenges our values and demands our time and attention. But what we receive in Christ is so much greater than the price we pay. We get honor, fulfillment, joy, and company. Something to celebrate!
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