Parable of the Great Dinner

July 29, 2018 Background Scripture: Luke 14:15 – 24 Lesson Passage: Luke 14:15 – 24 God has a way of handling indifferent people. If God does not matter to those who are indifferent, then they do not matter to His kingdom. The occasion of the parable in today’s lesson is a very unlikely one. Jesus was a guest in the home of a Pharisee on a Sabbath. Every moment was a teaching moment for Jesus. On the surface, it really seems as though Jesus was a rude unappreciative guest. But beneath the surface, he was helping the host and the other guests. He rebuked his host for not being flexible when it comes to helping strangers on the Sabbath when they would help their family or livestock, if needed. Then he criticized the other invited guests for choosing the best seats at the dining table. Finally, before giving the parable, he criticized the dinner host because of the guest list they used for the invitations. He admonished the host to not be guilty of inviting people that could return the favor rather than those who could not. It was this last criticism that seems to have prompted one of the other invited guests to comment about the blessing of being on the invitation list to dine in the kingdom of God. Jesus responded with the parable of the Great Supper. Invitations were sent ahead of time and when the meal was ready, the guests were summoned. Many of the invited guests offered various excuses for not coming even though they apparently had previously accepted the invitation. The excuses seemed to lack validity which indicates that the guests were indifferent about going to the meal. In his anger, the head of the household sent his servant to retrieve people from the streets and lanes of the city who were poor and needy. When this task was completed, the servant reported it to the householder who then sent the servant beyond the city to compel others to come to his dinner. The head of household made it clear that he wanted his house to be filled with guests by whatever means of invitation that was required to accomplish it. Furthermore, he did not want the original invitees to be a part of the dinner because of their indifference. Jesus’ parables had immediate application for that environment and specifically the people who heard them. Likewise, the parable contained kingdom principles that are relevant throughout the Church Age. Perhaps the immediate application was prompted by some empty seats at the table in the Pharisee’s house. This could have been indicative of the indifference of some of the original guests who gave excuses when they were summoned to the meal. On the other hand, Jesus knew that he encountered many hungry people on his journey who would have been glad to be at the table eating. The Pharisee’s house could have been filled with guests if he did not have such a restrictive list of invitees. For those of us living in the Church Age, the parable is instructive. In it, we see that God’s invitation goes out to “whosoever will”. God’s invitation is not for a special elite group nor is it restricted to those who are already close to Him. God’s invitation extends into the streets and lanes as well as into the highways and hedges. Whosoever will, let them come. Robert C. Hudson July 2, 2018