“Then the master told his
servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that
my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will
get a taste of my banquet.’ ” Luke 14.23, 24
The parable Jesus narrates here
relates to the great feast in the Kingdom of God.
The initial invites go out to
select guests, who decline, one by one, with the weakest of excuses. The
invitation is then extended to the street people, the poor, the crippled, the
blind and the lame. Yet, even after these have responded, there is room.
Now the invitation is opened up
to the whole countryside. The banquet will be full, but the initial invitees
will totally miss out. The master of the banquet is quite specific on this.
We may transpose the invitee
groups into the social structure of Jesus’ times, by seeing the initial
invitees as the leaders of the Jewish religious movement. They were invited by
Jesus, but refused. Then came the ‘poorer’ classes of the Jews. Some responded,
but there was still room. This allowed the invitation to be extended to the
whole world.
Now to update to the present!
Jesus’ first invitation I see as, perhaps, being to the established church.
Sadly, many ‘play church’ but don’t know God in real relationship. These are
likely to miss out on the banquet. Second are those who come to Christ, aware
that they are sinners. They repent, and receive Him as Saviour and Lord. And
the third invitation is extended to the whole mission field. May many respond!
Lord God,
I thank You for the invitation that is always there (Rev. 3.20). I
thank You that You gave me great opportunity to respond. I rejoice in You. I
pray for those others who have come to You. I pray also for the world mission
field. Bring them in, Lord. May they know and love You.
I pray for those who have positively rejected You. May they have a
second chance? Truly, they don’t know what they’re missing. Help them, Lord, in
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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