The Slighted Invitation

Luke 14:15-24

GOLDEN TEXT: “Come: for all things are now ready.”—Luke 14:17

THIS lesson is a continuation of our Lord’s table talk at the home of the Pharisee. He had given suggestions along the line of humility on the part of guests, then to entertainers as to how their hospitality might wisely be dispensed. Following this came a remark from one of the guests, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God.” This was doubtless uttered in a reverent spirit, possibly by one of the apostles, with a view to turning the attention of the company to the message which the Master and His disciples were proclaiming, namely, “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Our Lord was quick to turn the remark so as\to point out a valuable lesson to all present who had the hearing ear. He gave, especially for the benefit of His disciples, but incidentally for the benefit of the others of the company who were entertaining Him, a lesson showing how those who might have been expected to appreciate God’s favors would fail to do so, because of lack of faith and because too closely wedded to the affairs and interests of this present evil world.

The great feasts were usually made about sundown. In these great feasts it was customary to send out the notifications long in advance, without specifying directly the time, which would depend upon contingent circumstances. On the day of the feast, when it was assured that there would be no miscarriage of the arrangements, servants were sent to those already notified or bidden, that they might come promptly to the feast. In the parable the Lord represents the host as getting the supper ready on a grand scale and then sending word to the previously bidden ones to come. Contrary to all precedents these guests declined, literally they “begged off,” asked to be excused, did not appreciate the honor extended to them.

Such great feasts were made by princes or very wealthy men, and it was considered a high honor to have an invitation and to attend. Our Lord purposely made the parable contrary to the custom in that the bidden guests did not appreciate the honor, and made excuses not to attend. One made the excuse that he had recently purchased property and must examine it; another had purchased five yoke of oxen and needed to inspect them, test them; another had married a wife, etc. When the servant returned and reported that the bidden guests had declined to come, the host was indignant, as he had every right to be.

As the parable refers to God’s invitation to the blessings of the Kingdom, those in the parable who originally were bidden, but who began to make excuses, were the Jews. To them God had given notice respecting the coming feast. They as a nation had declared that they would be very glad indeed to accept the high honor which He had conferred upon them in bidding them first to the special favors and privileges of the Kingdom.

The feast had been in preparation for more than eighteen centuries from its first announcement. Our Lord together with the apostles were the servants of Jehovah to inform His chosen people that all things were now ready, to come in prepared condition of heart to enter into the Kingdom, thus to enjoy its bounteous feast of rich blessings in their own hearts and lives. What a wonderful offer!

The whole people of Israel should have joyously hailed the message and cried Hosannah to God in the highest, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the Messiah. The parable represents that the entire company of those who were bidden refused, failed to hearken to the servants or to come to the feast.

Those who did receive our Lord and His message were so few, as compared with the entire Jewish nation, as to leave them numerically almost unworthy of being mentioned. Those who received Jesus in even a limited way were, in large proportion, the publicans and sinners who in their day were considered as moral and social outcasts, and not at all recognized as the ones eligible to the Kingdom which God had promised to the holy. The host of the parable properly decided that “None of those men who were bidden shall taste of my supper.”

The supper of this parable is not the only one mentioned in the Scriptures. It is not, for example, the supper mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah, which was to be a feast of fat things for all nations. (Isa. 25:6) The feast of this parable is evidently symbolic of the spiritual blessings of this Gospel Age to which, when the Jews failed to accept them, were offered to the Gentiles. Its blessings are not the general favors and mercies that are coming to the world by and by, but the special blessings and favors of God which belong to the called of God during this Gospel age.

However, the Jewish nation as a whole is not barred out from all of God’s favors simply because they rejected the higher spiritual blessings of this age. In Romans the 11th chapter, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that when the church of this age is complete, then all Israel shall be saved and their ungodliness removed. They will then participate in a feast of fat things which, through the Messianic Kingdom will be dispensed to all nations.

QUESTIONS:

What is the symbolism of the term “feast” as related to the plan of God?

In the parable of the great feast who were those originally invited as guests but excused themselves from attending?

Who are represented by those called to the feast to take the places of those who declined the invitation?

Where in the Bible is another feast promised, and for whom will it be spread?

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