Slices
Prepare
‘Jesus, fill now with thy Spirit hearts that full surrender know…’ (Mary E Maxwell, 1900). Ask for a refilling of the Holy Spirit.
Bible passage
12 Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’
The parable of the great banquet
15 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.’
16 Jesus replied: ‘A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.”
18 ‘But 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.”
19 ‘Another said, “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.”
20 ‘Still another said, “I have just got married, so I can’t come.”
21 ‘The 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.”
23 ‘Then 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. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”’
Explore
Quid pro quo (a Latin expression) means ‘something for something’. Or you might say, a favour for a favour. That’s certainly how many guests feel about an invite to a party – expected to invite the host back (v 12). Jesus tells his host that invitations should go to those who definitely can’t invite you back.
The story prompts one guest to respond (v 15), and that elicits another story about a feast. This time, however, it concentrates on the thin excuses of those who don’t want to come (vs 18–20). The invitation was something they should have felt honoured to receive. But because they didn’t appreciate its value, they made excuses, and the invites were sent instead to misfits (v 21).
So, says Jesus, the kingdom is a heavenly feast. It’s free (v 14), with no strings attached; it’s glorious, and well-prepared (v 16); and everyone is invited (v 23), especially those not normally accepted (vs 13,21,24). But we have to choose to accept the invitation as being of prime importance, and to put other things second, or even do without them.
Respond
‘If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him’ (CT Studd, 1860–1931). Do we sometimes calculate the possible rewards of doing something for God, rather than acting because of his great sacrifice of love for us?
Deeper Bible study
‘God invites. We decline. And because of that single foolhardy decision we spend the rest of our lives “declining”.’1
After the challenge about service being more important than status, Jesus tells the host not to be exclusive about who he invites to the banquet – God’s kingdom is open to everyone. The rule is simple – if we give to gain a reward for our giving we will receive no reward, but if we give with no thought of reward then our heavenly reward is certain. One way to ensure this is to invite or give to people who will never be able to repay us.
Jesus then changes the focus and tells a story about a great feast and many guests who make excuses for not attending. This story is about the failure of the Jewish people to take the call and ministry of Jesus seriously, so that God has to reach out to Gentiles to bring his kingdom in. Perhaps today the message is also about being responsive to God’s invitations, without making excuses. We may resist or delay responding to God’s invitation – perhaps it’s our work duties, family responsibilities, financial reasons, or even bad timing.
It is significant that verses 1–24 are all about feasts and banquets. Jesus often uses meals as signs of God’s kingdom, where each person has a place at the table and enjoys the company of all the others. A meal becomes a feast when all feel welcome and each enjoys the food as an equal alongside the others. God is determined that his banqueting house will be full and he compels us in humility to invite everyone in and also to ensure that we respond to his invitation to us.
Are you making excuses to avoid responding to God’s call? God’s invitation is the most important event in your life, no matter how inconveniently it may be timed. Respond with a wholehearted ‘yes’ today!
1 Craig D Lounsbrough
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 47,48; John 17
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Sarah Davison, development worker in the north, as she works with schools who have shown interest in using the Diary of a Disciple workshop.
