Parable of the Banquet

Good evening Nccf Youth. It is so good to be back to a normal group setting here. To get back into the word of God. To get back to Worshiping with you.

I can tell its been a busy last couple of weeks for most of us because i hear about all the camp trips and sports events going on. Even for myself my daughter had a softball tournament. That we attended last weekend. So lots of fun for us and i hope its been a lot of fun for you guys. That’s also why we did a movie night last week just so we could de escalate.

But hey if you volunteered at V.B.S this year i would like to recognize you and thank you for reaching out to the younger generation. Lets give them a round of applause.

If you volunteered you might have no idea how you influenced the younger generation. I know though that God is faithful to work through you guys.

Here the last couple of months we have been going through the book of Luke and his Gospel message of Jesus Christ to a Gentile audience. And we have made it to Ch. 14

Really chapter 14 constantly builds on itself. We are going to focus on a parable of the banquet. Is there anyone here familiar with the parable?

I want to quickly go over the setting here. At the begging of the chapter Luke tells us that Jesus is at dinner over at one of the leaders of the Pharisees. It also happened to be a sabbath day. Who here knows what the sabbath is?

There was a man at the table who had a medical condition called dropsy. And all the lawyers and Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. Of course this is another trap because they wanted to see if Jesus would heal on the sabbath.

He rebukes them and says hey if one of your kids or even an ox of yours that was in trouble i know all of you would go help him out. And none of them could respond to that. Jesus then goes on to teach about people elevating themselves at the dinner table for a banquet. He is talking to the Pharisees who thought they were above other people. He simply reminds everyone to humble themselves.

I'm paraphrasing here. But i would encourage all of you to go back and read the beginning of chapter 14. Its a short read and I know that Jesus speaks through his word. So short reading assignment for you guys.

So with this being the backdrop for our sermon. Lets jump into todays text.

Luke 14:12–14 ESV

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Jesus is going to continue to use the analogy of the dinner banquet here. The lawyers and the Pharisees believe in a great banquet at the time of resurrection because it was proclaimed by the Profit Isaiah.

Isaiah 25:6–9 ESV

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Here I want us to realize what Jesus is doing. He is flipping the script on the Leaders in the room. We have talked about how the Jews felt they recieved the blessing of God. They believe in the health wealth and prosperity.

Jesus is certainly not telling us to no be with the body of believers. In fact Paul tells us to not make a habit of such a thing.

Jesus is saying though that the kingdom of heaven and the banquet is for everyone. Even the less fortunate. Go and invite the people who are marginalized. Your blessing isn't going to come back to you in this life. But the blessing that we will receive comes from heaven.

How many of us have served at a community food bank, a soup kitchen, maybe served the homeless. Maybe you have been to an old folks home.

As unfortunate as this seems these are the places and people who are marginalized. In my life on my experience I would say people who are cast to the side like this often come to a place of desperation or on a side of no hope.

You don't have to raise your hand for this one. I'm sure there are some of us that have felt that way before. Where you have no hope left. Maybe at some point you have felt discarded.

When people get into this place of rejection and marginalized with out hope i think we can all see that life leads tends to lead people in a disruptive path. I'm not saying this is true for everyone.

Jesus is saying invite these people into the community invite these people to the banquet. The banquet or the kingdom of heaven Isn’t just for the friends who can repay you but for the marginalized.

He is saying you have the power to invite to share community. You have that authority. How many of us have experienced the freedom and the grace of Jesus. Wouldn’t you want that for the rest of the community?

Lets keep going on in our text.

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.’ ”

Blessed is everyone who will eat in Gods kingdom. That is so true. I want to Just reflect on this. Our heavenly father wants to bless you. He wants you to enjoy the things that he has for you.

I also think that anything he prepares for us will be way better than we can imagine. Im reminded of the wedding feast. Where Jesus turns water into wine. They all drink wine and run out. Jesus is asked to make some wine for the party. In this story there is so much meaning. But right now I'm focusing on the part where the brides father stands up and says this is the best wine.

I don't know about you but i want the best that can be offered. I know without a doubt that what Jesus has for me is the best portion.

In the story Jesus wants to make it clear who will be enjoying the banquet.

There are a couple of ways we can read these parables of Jesus. One simply as the story. The story unfolds truth to us and corrects our heart.

Then there is a second way to read the story where you look at all the characters Jesus uses. These people all represent either people in heaven, the church or maybe even us as individuals.

So at the first Glance when we read this. We see a man who has prepared a meal. The guests have RSVP to the event. When it was time to have the event He sent out for them. But all the people were to busy to go to an event they had RSVP’d to.

So the master sends for people who are less fortunate to come to the party. And there is still room. Then he says go and get the people who are marginalized. He actually says Compel the marginalized people to come.

Finally he says the people who rejected my invite wont be allowed to come and taste the banquet.

as we look deeper In this though we see the Master of the house as a representation of God. He has prepared the banquet.

There is a bit of future tense to this. When he starts with the invite and then the sending. But it is future tense in the story. Because Jesus has not resurrected yet.

Jesus’s death burial and resurrection has made this banquet for you possible. I can say confidently the banquet is set for you today.

But here is the truth the servant, the disciple, is sent. To share the good news of the gospel. Remember Jesus is speaking to the Jews here. They have already RSVP to the banquet. They believe there will be a resurrection just as what was prophesied by Isiah.

But what happens when they are asked to come. I bought a field.. I bought ox… i married a wife…

So Now we see that God extends the invite to everyone and anyone who would hear.

Where do you see yourself in the story?

Do you feel like the Jewish man reclined at the table. That you are just entitled to the banquet. When he said blessed is everyone.. He ment Blessed are the Jewish people who will enjoy the banquet.

In his mind because of his heritage he will get to enjoy. Maybe that's where some of us are at. Not that we are Jewish but that no matter what because of close proximity to the church or because of the faith of our parents we will just naturally receive the banquet.

Maybe we have RSVP’d in our head.

But what happens. Then a disciple of christ comes and says the banquet has been prepared. Or really what he says is Jesus came and he died for sin. On the cross he who knew no sin became sin. And took the penalty that was yours he came and took that sin. On the cross he said the words it is finish. Your sin debt was erased. Now you can come put your faith in Jesus christ step into eternity with him by having faith.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

I want you to know that you are invited to the banquet. But to accept it. You need to accept Jesus. He loves you and wants to have relationship with you.

Maybe you have accepted Jesus christ as your lord and know you have a place at his table. This is the beginning of your faith. Your salvation your saving faith in christ is enough. You cannot work your way into this. This is a free gift.

Once you have been saved your faith will take you and move you. You will have joy where it brings the father joy. So maybe you are being called to be the servant. you are being moved to go share your faith with others.

look at what the master, God, says, 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.

This word compel literally means force people to come or to persuade heavily. Go to the marginalized go to the cities and do this. Because without knowing Jesus and accepting him the people have no hope. We long to witness the kingdom of God in all things.

SO what do you do with this.

I would say step one identify who you are and where you are. Don't let proximity to faith be enough. If Jesus is speaking to you today ask him into your life. RSVP to Jesus in your life and then attend his party for you. What he has is so much better than anything the world can offer. The field, the ox, the wife all represent the world. It might be the Business or money, the possessions of things, or the people all call to you. But what Jesus has for you will be much better. Blessed is the one who will eat of the bread of the kingdom of heaven.

Second If you have accepted christ. DO you have a relationship with him. Do you sit down to pray. Do you read your bible. If you do what's he saying to you. Is he asking you to go. Share the gospel. Invite someone to church invite someone to the banquet. When he says go are you embarrassed to she hope with the people who are marginalized? Jesus died for them to.

I'm Going to give us a couple of minutes to self reflect. Then pray over the group as we call. If you need prayer please come talk to one of us. If you have made a decision to follow Jesus today come let one of us know. But with that lets just take a second where we are, no distractions just sit and listen to what Jesus is saying.