Parables of the Banquets

Luke 14:16–24 ESV

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.’ ”

Who is represented by each of the following groups?

-Those who had been invited-

-poor, crippled, blind, lame-

-people from the highways and hedges-

What would have been the response of the individuals hearing this parable?

Why do you think the invited individuals refused to come to the banquet? What do those refusals represent?

What ways do those excuses manifest in our lives today?

How do we guard ourselves from and overcome those attitudes?

What is the meaning behind the phrase compel people to come in?

Do we have a passion for those

What are ways we can effectively compel people to come in the Kingdom of God?

Matthew 22:2–14 ESV

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew

What are the differences between this parable and the one told in Luke?

Who or what do the servants represent?

-1st servants-

-Other servants who were killed-

-servants to the roads-

-attendants that bound the man-

What does the anger and judgments carried out by the king represent?

How do we interpret the judgement against the man at the end of the parable?

What is the modern application of this parable? (How do we apply this to our own lives?)

Personal Application

Are there things in your life or idols that are repeatedly taking priority instead of God?

Do you have a passion for the lost?

How is God calling you to change your life so you can effectively minister to the lost and compel people into the Kingdom of God?