It was Shabbat... and Jesus was a dinner guest at an important banquet, and as he was waiting, he noticed that arriving guests were elbowing their way to the front of the line and grabbing seats as close to the front as they possibly could. He noticed that they were consumed with themselves and with appearing to be important... and so he told three parables (Luke 14:7ff)... Speaking to the guests, he said, When you're invited a banquet, don't take the best seat because those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Then he turned to the host and told him to set pretenses aside as well. Instead of inviting your family and rich neighbors, he said, invite the poor, the lame, and the blind and you will be blessed/" Finally, he told a parable about the importance of ACCEPTING the host's invitation. There was a certain man held a great banquet, (he said) and in due time, his servant called the invited guests to take their seats when everything was ready. BUT, ONE BY ONE, THE GUESTS MADE EXCUSES. The first said, "I just bought a field and I must go and see it." Another said, "I just bought five yoke of oxen and I am on my way to try them out." And yet another said, "I just got married, so I can't come." Then, the master invited the poor and disadvantaged, and when he learned that there were still seats available, he ordered his servant "to go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in... so that my house will be full."
They made excuses. They had higher priorities. They all put themselves first- one had a field, one at a team of oxen, and one had a wife. They all declined the host's generous invitation (which was unheard of in the ancient world)... and in doing so, they forfeited even a taste of the Master's Great Banquet! It is a powerful story about hubris and it is yet another warning against falling in love with our own possessions. In my view, Jesus made the following points in this passage: 1) As invited guests, we are NOT the center of things. The Master's banquet is NOT about us; 2) It is the Master who makes the seating assignments and we cannot usurp his prerogatives; 3) Wise guests enter the banquet with a sense of humility; 4) If you ever have the privilege of hosting a banquet yourself, make sure it is a meal of grace and inclusion; 5) you are blessed with an invitation to a banquet, be there! Give it the greatest priority because grace demands a response; 6) Don't let your own agenda blind you to God's plan because you may not get invited again; 7) In many ways, our destiny is in our hands! It is God who extends the invitation and it is God who paid the price, but we alone can say "yes" or "no." We can gratefully respond, "Thank you! I can't believe you gave me this honor... or we can reply instead: "I've got an important meeting... or a ticket to the big game... or a family reunion to attend."
Will I put the Master first... or myself? You are the only one who will ever answer that question, but one thing is clear: the kingdom of God is not for the weak-willed or the double-minded!
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