The Great Supper (Based on Luke 14)

When Jesus was dining one day in a Pharisee’s house, He told the people this parable:

A certain man made a great feast and invited many people to come. At suppertime, he sent his servant to say to those who were invited, “Come, for all things are now ready.”

Were the invited guests happy to come to the dinner? No; they were very unwilling, and they all began to make excuses. One said, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I pray thee, have me excused.”

Another said, “I have bought some oxen, and I am going to try them. I pray thee, have me excused.”

And another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”

So the servant went back and told all these things to his lord. Then the master was angry. He said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets of the city, and bring in the poor, and the lame, and the halt, and the blind.”

The servant did as he was told, but still there was room. Then the master said, “Go farther off, into the highways and hedges, and make them come in, that my house may be filled; for I say unto you, that none of those men who were first invited shall taste of my supper.”

God is the Master in this parable. The good things which He has promised to those who love Him are often called in the Bible “a feast,” or “the marriage supper of the Lamb” in heaven. God calls people to come to this feast. He calls them in His Word and by His ministers. At first He invited the Jews; the gospel was preached to them. When they would not listen to it, He sent the message to others far off from Jerusalem, to Gentiles living in distant lands, including our countries.

Do we all pay attention to His message? No; many people make excuses, like the men in the parable. Some say they are too busy to pay attention to holy things; they have no time for them. Others say they are too young; they are so pleased with the things of this world that they do not want to attend to heavenly things. How sad it is to think of the end of these people if they will not listen to God’s invitation now. He will not continue to invite them forever. He will not invite them at the Day of Judgment. He will say then, “None of those men who were invited and would not come shall taste of My supper.”

However, some are willing to attend. Those in whom God’s Holy Spirit works become humble and poor in spirit. They are made truly sorry for their sin, and they learn and feel that nothing in this world can make them really happy. They are very willing and very thankful to hear God’s message to them—“He that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1b).

The Lord Jesus has made a way for sinners to come to God. Therefore “all things are now ready.” We are still in the land of the living and the day of grace; “there is room.”

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