THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

94EXCUSES NOT TO ACCEPT GOD’S INVITATIONThe First ExcuseIn Jesus’ Parable of the Great Banquet we get a taste of the great Messianic feast to come.When one of the men who ate with Jesus made a remark to Jesus about such a feast, He used it asthe occasion for a parable warning that not everyone would enter the kingdom:“ When one of those at the table with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed isthe man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.’Jesus replied: ‘A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited manyguests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had beeninvited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just boughta field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'” (Lk 14:15-18).Association of the future kingdom with a feast was common (13:29; Isa 25:6; Mt 8:11;25:1-20; 26:29; Rev 19:9).In Palestine, when someone was holding a feast it was common to announce it longbeforehand with the invitations being sent out and accepted. To accept the invitation beforehandand then to refuse it when the day came was considered a grievous insult.The point Jesus is making is that although the Jews had long yearned for the Messianicvisitation, when it did come, they tragically refused God’s invitation. When the Jews refusedGod’s invitation and left the table empty, the invitation went out to the Gentiles who welcomedJesus. And there was plenty room at the banquet table of God’s feast.The initial invitation must have been accepted, but when the final invitation came (byJewish custom the announcement that came when the feast was ready), other interests tookpriority. The reason given here is obviously not genuine. People did not buy a field withoutfirst seeing it.Furthermore, we see here that this man was more concerned about business than hewas about spiritual matters. Worldly engagement easily usurps the claims of God upon ourlives.