Parable of the Wedding Feast
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Before we get into the parable itself it would be good to give a little bit of context.
This story is the last of 4 stories and teachings that are based around one meal and they are all pointing to this story.
So Jesus is eating a meal at a religious leaders house surrounded by a bunch of other religious leaders and during the meal he notices someone who is suffering from severe swelling so to make a point - he heals him.
Then at the same meal he notices how all of these religious leaders pick places of honor for themselves.
At banquets there were seats at the table that were places of honor that VIPs would sit.
Jesus is watching them chose the places of honor to sit down and so he calls them on it. Why are you choosing to sit in the best seats - you think awfully high of yourself thinking those are for you.
Immediately after that - he turns to the host (the really important religious leader) and says speaking of important people - why did you just invite rich and important people why didn’t you invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
So, someone at the table tries to deflect all the awkwardness and says “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God…am I right?” I added that last part.
Now he’s talking about a feast that will happen when the Messiah comes and takes over the world as if it is something that is happen in the distant future and the assumption is that the people around that table are the type of people that will be at that feast.
So Jesus responds by telling this story -
Jesus tells this story about a man who has prepared this amazing banquet.
I want to show 2 things about this story and ask a couple of questions.
1. God has planned a huge party
1. God has planned a huge party
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.’
It isn’t just some quaint family dinner - it is a huge banquet with a ton of people who have already been invited.
The imagery of a banquet is not a new thing. It was used a lot in Jewish culture to represent the Kingdom of God or what some people call heaven.
A lot of people think that heaven is going to be some boring time where some disembodied souls in flowing robes sitting on clouds somewhere playing harps for ever and ever.
That is not the kingdom of heaven, that is not what God promises us. We are promised an end to sickness, and end to pain, and end to sadness. A place where peace and contentment reigns. Where those that once felt forgotten and abandoned can feel known and a part of a family that never ends. Colors are brighter and more vivd where what you know as real is nothing but a shadow of what you will experience. Think of the best place your can be feeling the best way you can feel and understand that is only a hint of what it is like. Think about it - when the Bible talks about the Kingdom of Heaven it frequently uses a party or banquet to describe it - that should tell us something.
2. Everyone has Excuses
2. Everyone has Excuses
Jesus has picked up his story where the host has invited all of these important people many would be his friends (kind of like the party that Jesus was at). They know the party is happening they have RSVP’d everything is good to go and now he is sending out the customary second invite
In those times you would send out an initial invitation - this is happening are you going to come. “Yes?” okay this is the date, I’ll let you know when the food is ready and you can come on over.
- So here we are, we know how many people are coming, the food is ready, everything is amazing So out go his messengers to tell everyone and this is what happens.
“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.’
So you said you were good, you said you were going but now You bought a field that you didn’t look at before apparently and you “have” to go take a look at it. Now you don’t want to come.
Well, no, I just “need” to go out to the field.
No you make time for what is important and right now your field is more important than this banquet that I have invited you to. Okay
The messenger goes to the next person.
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Okay so you said you were good, you were coming - I made that salsa that you like, just for you, and now you don’t want to come.
No, I want to come. No, you make time for what is important to you and so checking out your animals is more important than coming to this party that I invited you to.
Okay
So the messenger goes on.
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
Okay, so you said you were good. You didn’t know that you were going to be married? Your wife can’t come with you. You got married and all of sudden you don’t want to come to the party.
No, I want to come.
No, you make time for what is important. Now, staying at home is more important that sharing the experience of this party with your wife… you’re going to stay home? Okay.
You see we all have excuses. There are always reasons that the world will toss up to us that will get in the way of responding to God’s invitation.
Where does God fit in the priorities in your life? Sure we all have excuses but we all need to make a decision.
Jesus says a little bit later.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Now, he isn’t saying you have to hate your family, but he is saying that you can’t love them more than you love God. And you certainly can’t make them more important than his invitation. But that is what one of our guests did. He made his marriage an excuse to not accept the invitation.
And there are other excuses Jesus mentions, we saw them last week in the Parable that Pastor Joseph talked about.
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
The other two guests had made the cares of the world and the riches that they were planning on more important than the invitation.
That was the problem of all of those rich and powerful people at the party that Jesus was attending.
They were completely missing the fact that the party wasn’t something in the far off in the distance. They were enjoying themselves and yet right in front of them was the invitation to Kingdom, to the banquet. But they were so busy living their best life and that was more important than the invitation that Jesus was giving them.
And before you get too judgy on them… we do it all the time. We say things like… God you can come back but not yet I have things I want to do, I want to get married, I want to have kids, I want to live my dream.
God I will accept you as my Savior so I don’t have to go to hell, but if I could hold off on the Lord part cause I have some plans that I have made for myself.
Jesus warns agains that when He says.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
And that is what we are doing…when we make all of those things more important than the invitation.
We think, “oh that is for after this life… “you know when I die.” But we are so wrong.
Don’t be like all of those religious powerful people. God’s invitation is right now, for a life in his kingdom right now. Not after we die, but as we live for Him on this earth.
But this is where the story flips.
All those powerful religious people, who had missed the invitation were about to be checked.
Jesus goes on
“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.’
Fine all of those self involved people, those self-righteous people that would normally be the ones fine, forget them.
I’m going to invite the people that no one invites. They are the ones who are important now.
Jesus had just finished mentioning this earlier on in this scene.
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or 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.”
There is a special place in God’s heart for these people, the people who are cast aside, who are never the VIP. In God’s Kingdom they are the important ones they are the ones that God goes out and finds, he chases them down. They are important to him.
In your journey who are the people that you walk by that God wants you to chase down. Who is your “Plus One”
We all have an idea of who is going to be at the party, we are have an idea of who is going to be at the table. But I think we might be surprised.
There are people who aren’t going to be there that we thought were a lock. I’m certain they are going to be there… look at all of the great things that they did for God. But while they were doing all of these great things they forgot that they were supposed to be doing them for God and they base their worthiness on all of those great things. But those great things don’t get you into the party. They don’t get you into the Kingdom.
To those people who think they deserve to be there Jesus says.
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
But the people that you don’t think will be there - that is who Jesus wants at the table.
God isn’t looking to keep anyone out. Jesus goes on to finish His story.
“ ‘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 make them come in, so that my house will be full.
Go out into every area and whoever you see invite them. I know they don’t deserve it, but I want my house to full.
That is God’s desire - he isn’t looking for reasons to keep people out. He wants His house to be filled. So much so, that he told the servants go out and make them come in - in the greek that word for “make them” strongly convince them with urgency. That is what he is asking us to do.
There is an urgency to it. There is an invitation. And that leads me to another truth.
3. Everyone is Invited
3. Everyone is Invited
Did you get that - and it is actually the central point of this passage. Everyone is invited.
It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you come from, what you’ve done in your life.
You’ve been invited. But not because you are rich or powerful, not because you are influential, not because you are talented, but because the Father wants his house to be full.
When Jesus said
I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
They all knew, all those rich, powerful, influential elite men who were around that table with Him.
All those guys who thought they had earned their way to the table, who thought they were the ones who deserved to be there. THEY KNEW.
As soon as He said it. Listen you were invited but you have made other things more important.
It was as if they were telling God, Hey, not now, I’m busy.
They were invited but they turned down the invitation. And Jesus said, they were invited but now, they will not participate in the party.
So I have 2 questions for us.
If you have been invited.
What is your excuse?
What is your excuse?
What are you making more important than His invitation. What are you using as an excuse to say…Not now Jesus, I’m busy?
Don’t miss out on what God has for you.
2. Who is your plus one.
2. Who is your plus one.
Every invitation to a party has that on the RSVP. Who are you bringing with you to the party.
But don’t reserve it to just the people that you think deserve to be there.
Remember Jesus said, extend the invitation to the people that are in the margins, invite the broken, the hurting, the people that wouldn’t every being invited.
Remember that is who Jesus invites to the table and he invited you. Don’t kid yourself - you don’t deserve it. You are one of those that He found in the highways, and the country lanes. You are one of the ones that was in the margins and God went out and chased you down to bring you to the party, because he wanted you here, he wanted you to fill his house.
So who are you bringing? Who has God laid on your heart? Who is your plus one?
