PARABLE OF A GREAT BANQUET

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After Jesus urged His Pharisee host to invite people to his table who cannot repay him, one of the guests replied to Jesus: When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed are those who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

Jesus answers this statement by sharing another parable. Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

"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.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

NOTE that many were invited to the banquet. This is not to be a small group experience. Of those who were invited to the great banquet Jesus notes 3 excuses. The first one was in the real estate business. The second was in the cattle business. And the third was recently married. He lists only 3 of the excuses, but apparently there were many who rejected the invitation. It says, "But they all alike began to make excuses."

"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.'

Not to come to a banquet where one had previously indicated acceptance was a serious breach of social etiquette. It was an insult to the host. To make an excuse after having initially accepted was an insult. The story Jesus tells seems to indicate that several made excuses for not coming. Some believe that in this situation there was a major conspiracy to shame the host. As "they all began to make excuses" it seems to be a unanimous rejection.

Each of the excuse makers offered lame excuses. The man who was in real estate bought land without even seeing it. The cattle rancher bought oxen without ever testing them out. And, the third was just married. The host of the banquet was very angry about this rejection and ordered that the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame be invited to come to the banquet. NOTE that these are the same people Jesus listed in the paragraph before this. They were truly those who couldn't repay the host.

NOTE what the servant's response was: "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "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. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"

The original guest list was made up of the prominent people of the town. The second was to comb the entire town and pull everyone in to come to dinner. The third invitation was to invite those out in the rural areas, even the vagabonds and the strangers.

These people would have to be compelled to come, because it will push them outside their comfort levels. They were poor and they were being invited to come and join the rich man for dinner. The host did everything he could do to fill up his house for dinner. The primary meaning and application of this parable is that the host is God the Father, inviting the people of Israel to the banquet of the kingdom of God. Those who rejected the invitation were the Pharisees and other religious leaders. Those who were ultimately invited were the "unclean" and the non-religious.

There are five observations that readily appear in this story to me: 1. God offers the great feast of the kingdom to everyone. 2. The great feast is free to all who accept the invitation. 3. When the pompous, super-religious turn Him down, the banquet dinner is not cancelled, but advanced. The host (God the Father) will do everything possible to fill up His house. 4. The only thing that prevents anyone from eating this grand feast in the kingdom of God is the excuse they make. 5. Every excuse is a shell of a truth, stuffed with a lie. Each one was telling a truth, but each one was also a lie. The lie in this case is filled with the spirit of rejection. And this spirit of rejection was basically the act of living one's life separated from the gracious host who was offering this grand feast.

So, what are your excuses? What is it in your lifestyle that carries a spirit of rejection of what God may want from you? What is it in your life that keeps separating you from God? Whatever He is offering, you can count on it to be free and abundant.

JESUS AT A PHARISEE'S HOUSE

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Jesus always brought excitement to a dinner party! He was always an interesting guest, because He was very proactive in reaching out to the untouchables of society. He seems to wait for just the right situation, like healing someone on the Sabbath or interacting with a woman who was a sinner.

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. NOTE Jesus was being watched very carefully. He was always under scrutiny. The wording here could be taken to mean they were lying in wait to trip Him up or to catch Him in some inaccuracy. Instead of putting Jesus on the examination table, the tables were turned on the Pharisees. They were the ones being examined.

There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

One of those attending the meal in the Pharisee's home is a man who is suffering from an abnormal accumulation of fluid in his body and therefore was swelling up. This was symptomatic of something more serious than a mere swelling problem. The Mosaic Law itself doesn't prohibit healing on the Sabbath, but the rabbinical traditions do.

It's interesting to note the wording here. Once Jesus had taken hold of the man, He healed him and "sent him on his way." This is the same wording as when Jesus healed the woman who was crippled and also on the Sabbath. It says there that He released her. That, I believe, is what is happening here. Jesus wasn't sending this man away, but providing for him a powerful release from his bondage.

Again, Jesus uses common sense to respond to their shock of His Sabbath healing: Then he asked them, "If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?" And they had nothing to say.

Then Jesus offers another parable. This time it has to do with how the Pharisaic community was striving for seats of honor. NOTE what Jesus says: When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

Jesus summarizes what He is saying here: For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Jesus now turns the attention toward another social issue that is affected by kingdom principles: 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 neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Here's what He is saying. If you do something for a person, expecting something good in return, then you will not be blessed. However, if you invite people to a dinner where no one invited could possibly return this good gesture back to you, for that invitation you will be blessed. Jesus says that we ought to extend ourselves toward those who cannot possibly repay. This is the way of the kingdom. And, you will be blessed. Your repayment will come through at a future date, when Jesus comes back to resurrect us all.

The bottom-line? Jesus moves to the beat of a different drummer and expects those who follow Him to do the same. I recently was given a hint on how to walk, talk, think and love like Jesus. Here it is: Once you've decided to do something in a certain way, do the opposite from what you would naturally do and you'll most likely be walking with Jesus. Jesus is walking to a different drummer than the world. It's the beat of the kingdom. And He wants you and me to walk alongside Him, moving to that same beat.

THE PARABLE OF THE NARROW DOOR

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Jesus is still making His way toward Jerusalem. Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

Instead of a direct answer to the question, Jesus challenges them to do whatever they have to do to get through that narrow door: He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'

"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' "But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'

"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

Whatever else is going on here I think Jesus is making a major point. Those who should more naturally expect to be at the kingdom feast will not be there. However, the "outsiders", the gentiles will be in attendance. The prophets warned the Jewish people to remain faithful or they would lose the blessed relationship they have enjoyed. Also, the prophets make it clear that the Messiah will offer the kingdom to those who are outside the Jewish people and they will accept. In fact, Jesus tells them that people will come from the east and west and north and south-from all over the world-into His kingdom feast. Jesus and His kingdom are not just for Christians or Jews, but for everyone!

Now NOTE what happens: At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you."

Did you hear that? This is a group of the Pharisees warning Jesus about Herod's intention to kill Him. You know that all Pharisees are not against Jesus and many secretly were hoping that He was God's promised Messiah.

He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day-for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

Then Jesus shows His compassion for the Jewish people: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Jesus expresses His deep sadness here. He is sad that those who have the most light are rejecting Him and His message. He is sad that they will not come to Him. He is lamenting over a city-the Holy City of Jerusalem-that has a history of poor treatment of God's prophets, yet God loves Jerusalem deeply. He says, "How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you were not willing.

This brings us back to the narrow door. The door was open to them, but they were not willing to go in. They were just not interested. Here's the saddest thing of all. God has visited man through the God-Man, Jesus, and those who taught and thought of Him most didn't recognize Him.

Jesus warns them that they will not see Him again until they say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." This is attributed to the Messiah when prophesied centuries earlier. I think this is referring to what is known as the 2nd Coming of the Messiah. One of the keys to understanding this section of Luke is the phrase, "Make every effort" to enter through the narrow door. Literally this means to strive after entering that door. It's like Jesus is saying to them: "Stop and do whatever you have to do to enter through that narrow door that leads to the kingdom of God while you can. You see, there will come a time when it may be too late to respond.

Here's the deal: There is a door of opportunity right now that is open to you. You have been introduced to Jesus and His kingdom and He is inviting all those who are interested to enter into that narrow door. Every time a person is introduced to Jesus that narrow door is open. Why is it so narrow? I think it's because it requires a decision on your part. You can't just play spectator and slide into the kingdom. You must choose! There is an old saying that seems to fit here. It was a sign at the beginning of a very muddy, dirt road: "Choose your rut well. You may be in it for a very long time."

THE MUSTARD SEED & THE YEAST

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Here in Luke 13:18 Jesus turns their attention back to His most favorite subject-the kingdom. NOTE the two illustrations Jesus uses to describe the kingdom.

Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches."

The mustard seed is the smallest seed to be sown in the garden, yet when it grows it grows to the size of a tree. The tree is big enough and strong enough that birds are able to perch in its branches. So, the kingdom is like a mustard seed and once it is planted in the hearts of people, it has incredible growth. Incredible!

Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."

The second image Jesus uses is the yeast or leaven that is kneaded into the dough. When yeast is introduced into the dough, it permeates the entire lump of dough. You cannot extract the yeast back out again. In other words, this process is irreversible. And so, the kingdom of God, once introduced will continue to spread in such a way that it can't be stopped. It's irreversible!

This has a lot of implication to what we are doing. We are doing all we can do to walk with Jesus-to be stubborn followers of Jesus and His kingdom. Now, as we introduce people along our spiritual journey to Jesus and His kingdom principles, we participate in the planting and watering of the seed into the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

These two illustrations of the kingdom-the mustard seed and the yeast-give me great encouragement as we walk along in two ways:

FIRST-No matter how small the message of Jesus and His kingdom seem to be as we measure it through the responses from those who are listening, it will grow incredibly. So, be encouraged.

SECOND-No matter how little the beginning response is, the kingdom will spread in an irreversible way. So, you can count on it.

You know what both of these images say to me? The growth of the kingdom is inevitable, but it will take more time that I would like. It's just like fruitfulness. There is no such thing as instant fruit. In God's time the kingdom will blossom in such a way so that it cannot be stopped!

Not only does it take time, but this timing process serves another purpose. This timing gives me the time to focus on my own growth process. Over the years I've spent too much of my time and energy focusing on reaching out to others. What I'm realizing is that I must focus on reaching myself. Unless the Lord has my heart, I have nothing significant or life-giving to offer others.

Learn from my experience. Before heading out into your OUTREACH programs and strategies with your family and friends, make sure you are fully into INREACH-allowing Jesus to do His work in your life in His time.

JESUS AGAIN HEALS ON THE SABBATH

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At this point we come to a very common scene-Jesus attending and speaking at a local synagogue. He was viewed as a visiting rabbi and therefore invited to speak. After awhile, people began to anticipate that He would be teaching.

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

While speaking, Jesus noticed a woman who was badly crippled sitting in the congregation. "When He saw her" gives a hint that He saw her with His heart of compassion. And when He saw her, He called her forward in order to "set her free" from her infirmity. He touched her and "immediately" she was healed and was thankful to God for her healing.

Now the synagogue leader seems to be embarrassed, because Jesus healed this woman on the Sabbath. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."

His response made it clear that the keeping of the law of the Sabbath was more important than a woman being healed. Think of it. This poor lady had been crippled for 18 years, bound in her knotted body. Can you imagine, not being able to straighten up for 18 years? And then, all at once she finds a miraculous relief of her personal pain. She was free! It didn't matter to her how this happened, who caused it to happen or that it happened on the Sabbath. She was free!

The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"

Jesus' response is to appeal to them that the law of the Sabbath doesn't bind you from doing something compassionate for your animals. It's the natural thing to do. How much more ought we to show compassion on a woman who has been bound for 18 years.

NOTE what happens: When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

All of those who were threatened by Jesus' non-traditional ways were deeply humiliated by what He just did. Jesus acted out boldly on the Sabbath with a constant question in His heart, "What can I do to help?" He was leading out in the ways the synagogue leaders wish they could be able to do. Then, note that the people were delighted with the wonderful things He was doing.

This response is typical for today as well. It's not the people who are threatened; it's the leadership. Jesus' work doesn't embarrass the common, ordinary people. He doesn't embarrass the humble. Jesus doesn't even embarrass the various sinners. Jesus gets under the skin of the leadership who by their very positions and attitudes over promising and under delivering. They promise freedom and deliver bondage-binding people up into a "club membership" that must keep feeding the massive, religious machine.

This religious machine tends to become everything Jesus is not-impersonal, distant, judgmental and condemning, exclusive. And in the process of making the machine larger, more and more people are repulsed by it and turned off from the only one who can bring them hope and peace-JESUS.

The religious machine has been highly successful in turning Jesus into "another" Jesus-a Jesus who is not irresistible, but easy to resist. So, most people have not rejected Jesus, but a poor caricature of Him.

Rather than end on a downer, I want to share with you a quote from a past president of Harvard University in the '70's. He said: "The mark of an educated person is that he has the ability to discuss Jesus of Nazareth without adolescent embarrassment." When the true Jesus is lifted up, all men and women are drawn to Him from every nation and tribe. That's the Jesus I am doing my best to follow. There is no religious machine ever built that can produce this Jesus.

Check Him out! He can be found in the pages of your local Bible-in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts. He is there day and night, waiting to meet you.