The Great Invitation
Luke 14:16–24
But [Jesus] said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’
“And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
“And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
“So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
“And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
“And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” (ESV)
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, you have prepared for us the great feast of heaven through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us hunger and thirst for your Gospel, that we may be eager guests at your supper now and throughout eternity. In Jesus name. Amen.
Dear Fellow Redeemed,
When Martin Luther preached on this Gospel lesson, he began by saying, “This Gospel is very deep and contains simply too much for the average young person to absorb all at once. We can’t possibly in one hour discuss all the implications” (Luther’s House Postil, Vol. 2, p. 241). I agree. While outwardly simple, this parable is truly rich with teaching. Although, while Luther preached for an hour, I’m not quite sure you would appreciate if I did.
Notice how simply Christ tells the story about a man who invites many people to his banquet only to have those invited refuse to come. Those invited guests were occupied with something else dearer to them, so that the host finally sends his servant into the streets to invite needy strangers to come in. Even they do not come willingly, but the host continues to urge them to come. He wants his house filled! Yet, Jesus closes the parable with the frightful judgement of the host upon those guests who were first invited but refused to attend: “none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.”
Jesus had been invited by a Pharisee for a Sabbath-day dinner, but this wasn’t a cordial invite. The Pharisee arranged a test hoping to expose Jesus as a false teacher in front of his Pharisee friends. He brought a sick man to his home to see if Jesus would dare heal him on the Sabbath. Of course, Jesus did, but knowing their thoughts rebuked them. Jesus saw how they competed to seat themselves in a place of honor, and so he talked about humility, and suggested that instead of inviting a poor, sick man, simply as a prop, they should think about showing real, sincere charity to the poor and the sick. Instead of just inviting those who were rich and honorable, they should invite those who couldn’t repay them. Then they’d be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous. To this, one of the Pharisees, perhaps wanting to change the subject responded, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” And to this sentiment, Jesus replied with the parable of the Great Supper. As much as saying, “Yes, it is a great blessing to feast in the kingdom of God, but be careful you are not excluded.”
The man giving the supper is God. Out of God’s pure kindness and mercy, he was moved to give his own dear Son as our Savior. The supper is the word of God, specifically, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the Gospel, God brings the treasures of the cross to human hearts and works saving faith in us. Eating and drinking is taking this Gospel in and believing it. God promised this great feast of salvation to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These were God’s chosen people. But here Jesus tells of the greatest tragedy in history that when God fulfilled his promise of sending a Savior, his own people, did not receive him. This parable was an indictment and warning to the Jews of Jesus’ day. They ignored him. They didn’t need him. So, God sent his Gospel out to the poor and needy, sinners and tax-collectors. But still there was room! He sent his servant into streets and lanes, highways and hedges of the city, referring to the Gentiles. They were unbelievers, spiritually poor, maimed, lame, and blind. But God invites them to his supper. He urges them to come!
God’s loving heart and the power of his Gospel to save sinners never changes. But the attitude of our hearts towards God’s great invitation can. It can be ignored, dismissed, and rejected. But why? Why do people not go to church? Why do they not take seriously their need for the Gospel, which alone can save them? They ignore the Gospel and make no time for it because they do not see themselves for what they truly are: poor, maimed, lame, and blind.
The Pharisees were confident of their place in the kingdom of God. They lived good lives. They listened to the Word of God and were knowledgeable about it. Yet, it’s these outwardly decent and good people, who forfeited heaven. There are many tricks that the devil uses to snatch us away from Christ. Of course, he can use lust, anger, and jealousy to lead us to break God’s commandments and make us want to avoid God’s Word and Supper. However, one of the devil’s greatest tools is pride. Pride leads people to trust in themselves instead of the grace of God, and to despise God’s preaching and gracious Supper, as well as despise other people and so abandon Christian love. Just as the Pharisees were blessed with God’s Word but didn’t believe they needed it, so God’s gracious invitation to salvation is frittered away today.
The men in the parable weren’t trying to offend the host; they just wanted to do something else. Their excuses even seem reasonable. “Just purchased land; have to go see it.” “Bought some new oxen; have to try them out in the field.” What’s more reasonable than attending to marriage and family needs? Excuses for neglecting God’s kingdom, true faith and love seem so reasonable, and Christ’s insistence on the One Thing Needful seems so unreasonable, and unnecessary. We all have so many things which demand our time. Why can’t I just focus on this now, and then go to the feast tomorrow? I will be just fine until then. Excuses always seem reasonable to those who are making them.
When dinner is ready, it’s time to eat. When God calls us, we are to listen and believe. Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). You hunger and thirst for what you want, what you need, and what you regard as vital for your life. When it is provided, you eat and drink.
Our gracious Lord has made a feast of salvation for all people. This is a feast which will satisfy our hunger and thirst. He who eats it will never hunger again, he who drinks will never be thirsty again. This joyous feast will take away all sorrow and gloom. As Isaiah foretold, “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”
This was God’s plan from all eternity. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means house of bread. Jesus is the bread of life. Just as the manna from heaven sustained the Israelites in the wilderness, Jesus is all that we need in our journey here on earth. We need him because he alone could live the life that God demands. From conception until Calvary, Jesus lived a perfect and holy life. He did it all for you so that his holy life could be counted as yours.
You have hurt your spouse, your brother, your neighbor. You have gossiped and damaged another’s reputation. You have gotten angry. You have not spoken the truth. You have lusted after someone who is not your spouse. You have said things that you wish you could take back. You have sinned against God, and you are guilty. But our Lord Jesus has taken your place, your blame, and your punishment. Every single one of your sins was laid on Jesus. Jesus took them upon himself, so that they would no longer be on you. They are gone. You are forgiven.
There is nothing you have to do. The feast has been prepared and the table is set. The Lord has provided the Lamb, who has taken away your sins and mine. The Host now simply calls you to come and eat. Believe it. Receive it. Whoever eats and drinks his flesh and blood, that is, everyone who trusts in Jesus’ suffering and death for the forgiveness of their sins, will never leave hungry or thirsty, but will be forever satisfied in body and soul.
Our gracious God has prepared this feast for all people. There are no occupancy limits to the kingdom of God. The only ones who will not eat of it are those who have excused themselves from the table. But Jesus wants us to pull up a seat. He wants us to eat. He is a gracious host.
Now, if you realize what a treasure this feast is—what do you do about it? Do you wait to go when it’s a rainy day? Do you keep it to yourself because you don’t want others to join you? Do you live your life as if you have nothing to rejoice about? No, no, and no!
When Church is offered, you come to hear the Good News about what your Savior has done for you. You come to lay your burdens before God in prayer and your sins on his back. You come to receive absolution. You come to eat and drink the body and blood of your Lord and Savior whenever it’s offered, because you hunger for the forgiveness of all your sins. Rain or shine, we come and eat, no matter what other responsibilities or pleasures are pulling us away.
There is nothing better than this feast and so we seek to share it with others. First, with those who are closest with us. We tell our family, compel them to join us for church, because this is the only meal that can truly satisfy our needs. This is the only meal that brings us eternal life. We don’t need to apologize for the Gospel. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There will be nothing more compelling to your loved ones, friends, and neighbors, than seeing you treat church, God’s Word and Sacrament, as what they truly are—the medicine for immortality. We leave church refreshed, knowing our salvation is assured. Jesus gave his life for me. Jesus lives and so shall I. I can live and die in peace, because whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s. This is the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
If you trust in your own goodness or consider your work, possessions, and family to be dearer to you than the Gospel, then this feast is not for you. However, if you see from this parable that you have not always treated the Gospel as you should and not always lived a God-pleasing life, if you see yourself as a sinner in need of God’s grace, then realize it is our Father’s love that brought this parable to you. Our dear Lord Jesus wants us to hear his Gospel and be in his kingdom. This is why he has given us his Word. The feast is ready, the Savior invites us to come: “take eat,” “drink of it all of you,” “Given and shed for you, for the remission of sins.” The church that feasts here on earth is at one with the saints who feast above. Lord, come quickly. Amen.