7/9/16-Luke 14:15-24: Life in the Kingdom: Blessings and Priorities
As we continue our look into Jesus’ parables to see what life in the Kingdom of God is all about, we notice a pattern…Often God acts in ways opposite of how we expect Him to act.
There are a few clues we need to know that are not written at first glance. So, to truly appreciate this punch this parable packs we have to put ourselves back into the time when Jesus spoke it.
Let me set the stage for this biblical drama: The Jews were God’s chosen people throughout the Old Testament. God desired them to live holy lives of love that would show Him to the world. Yet, by the time of the New Testament, the culture’s idea (not biblical but cultural) was that everyone who was not Jewish (Gentile) were not going to be a part of God’s Kingdom.
Even further, there were social outcasts who were Jewish (“the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” (v. 21) but were still regarded as “unfit” or “unclean” to be in God’s Kingdom. To summarize, good “religious” “pureblood” Jews only would be in God’s kingdom. With that said, let’s take a look.
Upon reading this parable initially, we are tempted to think the reasons the 3 invitees gave for not attending are understandable (property, work, marriage). After all, it is not like they were defiant (“I just don’t want to go!” “The party won’t be any fun”), but we have to take two points into consideration.
First, all the guests previously had RSVP before because a first invitation would have been sent out (so the invitation in the parable would have been more of a “follow-up”), and so the master assumed they were attending.
Second, each of the reasons given were more like excuses than good reasons (one could have gone and seen the land another time, someone else could have looked at the equipment, and being married was not a good excuse for missing a banquet). Hence, these excuses would have been seen as a grave insult to the master, who prepared the feast at a great expense.
What is the Master to do? “Go out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame!” (the very people once thought to be out of God’s Kingdom are now in!)
Still more room? No problem! “Go out into the highways and along the hedges and compel them to come in so that my house may be filled!” In other words, go to the “foreigners” (Gentiles) and invite them in as well! (the other group of people once thought to be out of God’s kingdom are now in too!)
Interpretation of the Parable:
All throughout the Old Testament, God had sent the first “invitation” to Israel. He sent them Moses with the Ten Commandments and the Law. He sent prophet after prophet reminding the people that His Messiah was coming.
God desired that His people would listen, but when the second invite came (when Jesus arrived on the scene and the Kingdom of God had come), while some Jews did accept (that’s crucial to remember), Israel as a whole nation rejected Him.
They did not RSVP to the second invitation. They thought that just belonging to the “chosen nation” was enough to be saved (the response to the first invite), but what determines their salvation (and ours too) is whether we accept the second invitation: the offer to follow Jesus and submit to Him, and accept His offer to be renewed and cleansed of our sins and failings, and to have a whole new life in Him.
We can probably all picture people who say, “Well, I go to church. Is that not enough?” “My parents were active members in their church, is that not enough?” It really boils down to one question: Have you turned from your sins, accepted God’s grace, and now follow Jesus?
So, just like the parable, Jesus went to the outcasts of society, and imagine the shock when the so-called “religious” people were hearing: “the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God’s kingdom before you!” (Matt. 21:31-32). It was not that God approved of their sinful lifestyle, but they at least recognized their need to be saved and put their trust in Jesus, while the “religious” folk did not.
And then even more shocking to hear, God was opening His Kingdom to Gentiles! So now all have the invitation of grace, the invitation to be a part of God’s banquet. We must RSVP to Jesus’ offer to follow Him.
We celebrate the blessings, but we must also care to our priorities. If we seek after the things of this world like those who made the excuses, we will only waste our time for they will never satisfy our souls.
But…We must seek His kingdom in our lives first, and then trusting that He will provide all of our needs (and I mean all of our needs).
Main Points: 1) Be joyful and filled with gratitude that God gave us grace and invited us to the banquet.
2) Never think that anyone is beyond His loving mercy to invite them also, for this is who we should be seeking to invite. (As God did for us, so should we do for others, remember.)
3) Seek first the kingdom of God, and do not be like those who made excuses for not accepting the invite.