Luke 14:1-241And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6And they could not answer him again to these things. 7And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; 9And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 12Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. 15And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. (Luke 14:1‑24)
A certain man made a great supper and invited many; and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, ‘Come for all things are now ready.’ And they all began to make excuse.”
It seems in that land the guests were first invited, then when all was ready, word was sent for them to come; such feasts were most often an evening meal.
But the men invited to this feast all had excuses not to come: one said he had bought a piece of ground and must go to see it: another said he had bought five yoke of oxen and was going to try them; all had plans they, thought more important. This was very disrespectful to the man who had the feast prepared for them, and they had nothing to pay or to do for it, only to come.
The man was very disappointed to have no guests and he told his servant to go into the streets and lanes of the city and bring the persons he found there, the poor, the lame, and blind, to eat his supper. The servant went and those people came, yet there was room for more.
So the man sent the servant outside the city to the highways and to the hedges, where the workers of the fields and orchards would be, to call them to the feast, for the man wanted all his seats filled; he wanted to share his good things with all who would come. Jesus Was showing that God has good things He wants to share with people, called “a great supper.”
But many who knew God’s invatition thought their own ways and things were more important and would not go with Christ, God’s “Servant.” Many poor and helpless ones accepted Him, and yet there was room for many more in God’s House, and all people were invited.
We might say this story was not really finished, for you notice that it is not told of the house being full, so we know God’s “feast” is still waiting for more “guests.” The invitation to come to Christ and enjoy God’s love and all He provides, may still be accepted, even by ones poor” and unworthy, which all really are.
And notice too, that, the ones who were careless of the invitation were not forced to come; those who came felt their need of the supper, and the kiness of the invitation “compelled” them.
Sometimes boys and girls and older persons say they will “wait a while” to think of this, and that there is “plenty of time.” But the Lord Jesus did not say that in the story; the meage was, “Come; for all things are now ready.”
Jesus said of those who refused, that they should not taste of that “supper.”
ML 07/22/1945