LUKE 14:1-6 NLT [1] One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely.
PARABLE OF THE GREAT FEAST
LUKE 14:15-24 NLT [15] Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, "What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!" [16] Jesus replied with this story: "A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. [17] When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, 'Come, the banquet is ready.' [18] But they all began making excuses. One said, 'I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.' [19] Another said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.' [20] Another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' [21] "The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, 'Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' [22] After the servant had done this, he reported, 'There is still room for more.' [23] So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. [24] For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.'"
There is a sense of humor in the excuses given in this parable. Who buys a field without first seeing it or oxen without examining them? The third was probably the only one that made sense. I just got married and don’t have permission to go anywhere.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE GREAT FEAST.
V. 21 represented Jews whom the Pharisees considered unworthy of the kingdom of God. Some were physically maimed, and others were tax collectors and sinners who did not keep the religious tradition of the Pharisees.
V. 23 represented those outside the city, the Gentiles to whom the message eventually would go.
LUKE 14:23 NIV “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.
In this context, “compel” refers to the urgency of persuading others.
This parable shows God’s intent from the beginning: to include all people in His invitation. No one is excluded except those who refuse to accept the invitation.
FOUR ACTION STEPS IN HELPING PEOPLE COME TO THE GREAT FEAST
ONE | SEE PEOPLE HOW THEY COULD BE
Don’t give up on people. We all need to be the people who compel others closer to Jesus.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:18 NLT And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. "
TWO | SEE GROWTH AS A PROCESS
Stages are still supernatural. It might take time to see the entire miracle, but we can be encouraged by progress along the way.
The safest place for us to be at any point in our lives is passionately pursuing God and the purposes to which He has called us.
Our church must be known for championing people into a relationship with the Father and doing life together.
THREE | SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE
Keep the door open; God is at work, even when our timeline looks different from others.
Don’t talk to them about their failure and the dark places they’ve been; talk to them about who they’re becoming and the bright hope of their future in Jesus.
FOUR | TRUST GOD AND IN HIS POWER
God’s faithfulness is full of surprises. Learning about God’s love, grace, and forgiveness means that none of us need to fully understand it to fully receive it.
Loving people the way Jesus did means being constantly misunderstood. People who are becoming love don’t care. They will do whatever it takes to compel others to Jesus.