The Good Servant and the Great Supper

Parable of the Great Supper

Luke 14:16–24 NKJV

16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

The Good Servant and the Great Supper

The Setting

Parable Series

The Setting of This Parable - Jesus visiting a Pharasee

Luke 14:1 NKJV

1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.

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Luke 14:1–16 NKJV

1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things. 7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” 15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

A. The Setting of This Parable

While there he had opportunity to heal sick, corrected those who were selfish and prideful, and instructed the host on giving and generosity

The meal provided an opportunity for teaching - And so Jesus shared this parable

The Usual Questions about the Parable

What is meant by the great supper?

We are all invited to this great Supper in the kingdom to come!

- He is stretching out His hand . . .

Who are the first, second and third groups invited?

Today’s Focus is often the neglected One in the Parable: The Servant

The Servant

The Servant Is a Messenger for His Master (v. 17)

What a privilege! - No greater calling than servant of the Lord

We are also to represent our Master

As witnesses for our risen Lord ()

Acts 1:8 NKJV

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

I witness tells what happened

We have a story to tell. Has the Lord changed you?

Have you seen the Lord’s mighty work?

Do you believe the gospel?

You are a witness - with a mission to fulfill

As ambassadors for Christ ()

2 Corinthians 5:20 NKJV

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

We are now citizens of heaven, living as those in a foreign land

We are here as representatives (servants) of the KIng

We are empowered to declare His will

We are empowered to speak for Him

As lights for the Light of the world ()

Philippians 2:15 NKJV

15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

above all, we should represent Him through our example of living

being blameless and harmless

Living as children of God, even in the midst of crooked perversness

We should shine!. Let it shine, let it shine.

The message is Urgent and Personal

An urgent message: “Come; for all things are now ready”

Now is the accepted Time

The servant was sent to individuals

every person who gets saved, does so “individually”

People are not born collectively

People are not born again collectively

Mass outreach may seem like the easy way-

But, we still reach people one by one

Sent first to those who knew

The servant first sent to those who knew about the feast

Probably represents religious people - not just Pharisees

How very sad for those who knew of the feast and didn’t go

Perhaps they thought there would be many other feasts

Vs. 24 tells us that they would never taste of His supper -

We have no promise of tomorrow - the invitation is for today

So many people who are in Church yet have not “come” to HIM

His invitation: “Come”

We are to invite people to come (; )

We don’t just go to church and eat together, we invite them to “come”

Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

come and be forgiven

come and be cleansed of sin

come and be transformed by the renewing of your mind

Come into the kingdom that was prepared for you since the beginning of the world

Isaiah 55:1 NKJV

1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.

There is no cover charge at this supper

you don’t have to bring an offering or a sacrifice

Just come to the waters!

And this is the message that we have to carry in this generation!

The Servant’s Reaction to Rejection

They all gave excuses

“I have bought a piece of ground”

“I have bought five yoke of oxen”

“I have married a wife”

Like so many people today, have excuses

too busy and distracted by our posessions

our work and occupation

and even our family and home

They all rejected the servant’s invitation

God has not demanded we be successful: just faithful

When the servant was rejected:

He did not despair

He told his lord what had happened

We can tell Jesus about our disappointments

In this life there will be some dissappointments

We should take that to the master - (and not to everyone else)

Jesus said we should rejoice even when we are rejected:

Matthew 5:8–11 NKJV

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Matthew 5:11–12 NKJV

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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When he was rejected the servant simply went back to the master, and continued

he did not quit, whine, or throw a tantrum.

He did not refuse the next instruction

And he did not foolishly accuse the Lord of being wrong to send him in the first place

C. The Servant is Obedient

In his second mission, the key word is “Go”

Go to those who think themselves unworthy to come

The poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind

And we should be doing the very same thing

If we can’t win the up-and-out let us win the down-and-out

Our Lord invites them all ()

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Still there is Room

The servant’s mission accomplished (v.22)

“Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room”

This is where we are today

so many billions of souls have accepted the invitation to “come”

So many are in heaven right now

So many living as lights in the world today, enjoying the supper with HIM

And still there is room.

There is still room for you

For your family

for our city

Still there is room, so let is go out into the city!!!

Luke 14:22 NKJV

22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’

Our mission is a lifetime responsibility

III. Conclusion

A. Mission Accomplished Means It’s Time for Another Mission (v. 23)

1. Out now to the highways and hedges

2. These people didn’t know about the supper

3. Our mission is a lifetime responsibility