July 27, 2025
Luke 14:15–24 ESV
When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 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. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 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. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”
What are the lessons of this parable to those hearing it at the first advent and for Christians throughout the Gospel Age?
Discussion Summary:
The exclamation by the Pharisee in verse 1 seems to be a sarcastic response to Jesus’ comment in Luke 14:13,14 to invite the blind and lame. Jesus gives this parable to show that the invitation to become God’s children, part of Christ’s body was being spurned by the religious leaders and by the people (John 1:11,12). The other part of the population who were spiritually blind and lame would have been happier to be invited but they were being hindered by the religious leaders themselves (Matthew 23:13). So the invitation would have to go those who were not interested, those who needed to be compelled. An example of this group can be found in Acts 17:16-34 when the Apostle Paul preached to the pagans of Athens on Mars Hill. They were not looking for salvation or interested in Jehovah God, but listened out of curiosity. Even so, some believed.
We also noted the odd excuses made to decline the invitation. The feast was in the evening and yet one needed to look at oxen, another needed to look at this field. The last excuse was not even said politely. These all indicated the excuses were not true and valid.
For Christians we understand the invitation to be a time-limited offer. Are we indifferent and preoccupied with other things instead of with our relationship to Christ? We should enquire of ourselves, are these things that I am occupying myself with really more pressing than my Christian life?
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