Parables of Jesus Christ The Wedding Feast Scripture: Luke 14:15-24 (Matthew 22:1-14)

15 When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; 17 and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, `Come; for all is now ready.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, `I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' 19 And another said, `I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' 20 And another said, `I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, `Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' 22 And the servant said, `Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23 And the master said to the servant, `Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"

Meditation: What can a state dinner or royal banquet tell us about God's kingdom?  One of the most beautiful images of heaven in the scriptures is the royal banquet and wedding celebration given by the King.  We, in fact, have been invited to the most important banquet of all! The last book in the bible ends with an invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb and his Bride, the church: The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! (Rev. 22:17). Jesus' parable takes an unexpected twist when the invited guests make excuses. Why is this the case.  A king or great lord normally sent out invitations well in advance to his subjects, so they would have plenty of time to prepare for coming to the banquet.  How insulting for the invited guests to then refuse when the time for celebrating came! They made light of the King's request because they put their own interests above his.

Jesus probes the reasons why people make excuses to God's great invitation.  The first excuse allows the claims of one's business to take precedence over God's claim. Do you allow your work to totally absorb you and to keep you from the thought of God?  The second excuse allows other goods or possessions to come before God.  Does television or other diversions crowd out time for God in prayer and worship?  The third excuse puts home and family ahead of God.  God never meant for our home and relationships to be used selfishly.  We serve God best when we invite him into our work and homes and when we share our possessions with others.

The second part of the story focuses on those who had no claim on the king and who would never have considered getting such an invitation.  The "poor, maimed, blind, and lame" represent the outcasts of society -- those who can make no claim on the King. There is even ample room at the feast of God for outsiders from the highways and hedges -- the gentiles. This is certainly an invitation of grace -- undeserved, unmerited favor and kindness!  But this invitation also contains a warning for those who refuse it or who approach the wedding feast unworthily.  Grace is a free gift, but it is also an awesome responsibility.  Dieterich Bonhoeffer contrasts "cheap grace" and "costly grace".  "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves ..the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance ..grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. ..Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.  Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.  It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."  God invites each of us to his banquet that we may share in his joy.  Are you ready to feast at the Lord's banquet table?

"Lord, you withhold no good thing from us and you lavish us with the treasures of heaven. Help me to seek your kingdom first and to lay aside anything that might hinder me from doing your will."