El Gran Banquete
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Many of us have the experience or organizing a party/celebration/Thanksgiving dinner.
We invite X number of people.
Those same people confirm they will attend.
We prepare enough food for X number of people.
The celebration was to start at 4:00PM. 4:00PM comes around and no one has arrived.
Pretty soon we start receiving text messages or phone calls from those that we invited; only to hear:
I am sick.
My baby is sick.
My dog is sick.
I had to work.
We start hearing reason after reason for why people are unable to attend.
In the end, we have our dinner with just a fraction of the people that we had planned for.
This morning we are gathered here to celebrate a time of fellowship/to share a meal/to worship God - to gather around a table and share a meal as the people of God. We thank God for each of you that accepted the invitation and showed up!
We could have had only one person come.
I could have celebrated this meal by myself with my family.
Nevertheless, you took action, you got out of bed and acted upon the invitation.
In our Bible reading for today we will consider a future meal/celebration that we have all been invited to. Today, we will consider:
An invitation to a great banquet
God’s invitation
The people’s excuses
God’s new invitation
I. An invitation to a great banquet
I. An invitation to a great banquet
Jesus has been invited to someone’s home. They are celebrating a meal. During the meal someone speaks about a wonderful future event.
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Al oír esto, uno de los que estaban sentados a la mesa con Jesús le dijo:
—¡Dichoso el que coma en el banquete del reino de Dios!
Luke 14.
This person is not imagining some crazy/imaginary event.
This person knows the Scriptures and speaks about a future feast that will be celebrated in God’s kingdom.
We tend to think that heaven will be a place where people will turn into angels, sit on a cloud for all eternity, and play a harp all day - oh what boring existence!
The Bible does not speak about such a thing. The eternal state will be much greater, much grander, much more exciting that anything we could ever imagine.
There will be no pain, no fear, no hate, no illness, no death, no sadness, no corruption, no sin!
We will enjoy God’s presence for all eternity and continue to learn about him and what Jesus did on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.
This future time is described as a “feast in the kingdom of God”. It will be an eternal celebration where we will be enjoying living in God’s presence forever and ever.
Although the man has expressed a great truth, the Lord Jesus tells his hearers a parable (a kind of story to illustrate a point/lesson) about a great man who also organized a great feast.
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.’
Jesús le contestó:
—Cierto hombre preparó un gran banquete e invitó a muchas personas. A la hora del banquete mandó a su siervo a decirles a los invitados: “Vengan, porque ya todo está listo.”
Luke 14.
Many in the town were invited to this great banquet. Many guests were expected to attend.
It was customary in the ancient world to give two invitations:
Invitation 1: the initial invitation. Once the invitation was made the host would start making preparations.
Invitation 2: once the banquet was ready, a messenger was sent to all those invited to let them know everything was ready and they were to come at once.
We do not know the reason for the celebration. However, do you really need to know what’s being celebrated when you are being invited to a “great banquet”.
After all, you will eat very well. You will enjoy yourself. You will be lavished with delicious food and drink.
It was no ordinary banquet that they were being invited to. It was a “great banquet” where surely no expense has been spared.
The great banquet is now ready. The people are now called to come at once.
II. The people’s excuses
II. The people’s excuses
Notice the people’s responses:
“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.’
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
III. The people’s excuses
III. The people’s excuses
Pero todos, sin excepción, comenzaron a disculparse. El primero le dijo: “Acabo de comprar un terreno y tengo que ir a verlo. Te ruego que me disculpes.” Otro adujo: “Acabo de comprar cinco yuntas de bueyes, y voy a probarlas. Te ruego que me disculpes.” Otro alegó: “Acabo de casarme y por eso no puedo ir.”
Luke 14.18
We are given a sampling of the people’s responses.
We are told about what three guests told the master’s servant.
Each of them, without exception, give a reason why they are unable to attend.
One has bought a field. He cannot go because he needs to go and see it. This makes no sense. Why would someone buy a field without first seeing it?
One has bough five yoke of oxen and needs to try them out. Once again, this makes no sense. Why would someone buy oxen without first seeing if they were in good physical condition?
The last man’s excuse is even confusing. He says he cannot go because he just got married and is unable to go. Well, wouldn’t he want to take his new bride to a grand celebration? Wouldn’t it be a great opportunity for him to introduce his wife to the town’s people?
When you see each of their reasons for not attending; one thing is clear - they did not want to go.
It is not true that they had to see their field, or try out the oxen, or to be with their new bride - the fact of the matter is that they simply did not want to attend,
They despised the invitation. They didn’t see going to the great banquet as something that was worth their time.
They felt it would be a total waste of time.
The master’s servant is concerned that no one will attend and the preparations will go to waste.
“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.’
El siervo regresó y le informó de esto a su señor. Entonces el dueño de la casa se enojó y le mandó a su siervo: “Sal de prisa por las plazas y los callejones del pueblo, y trae acá a los pobres, a los inválidos, a los cojos y a los ciegos.”
Luke 14.
III. God’s new invitation
III. God’s new invitation
The master’s servant is concerned that no one will attend and the preparations will go to waste.
“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.’
El siervo regresó y le informó de esto a su señor. Entonces el dueño de la casa se enojó y le mandó a su siervo: “Sal de prisa por las plazas y los callejones del pueblo, y trae acá a los pobres, a los inválidos, a los cojos y a los ciegos.”
The servant is called to go out of the town, everywhere and anywhere there’s people.
He summons his servant to bring anyone that is willing to come.
He calls his servant to bring the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.
It is possible that the previous bunch that was invited where well off people.
They probably had invitations to various banquets.
They probably had previously enjoyed these great feasts.
They may have grown accustomed to the privilege of being invited.
These poor, crippled, blind, and lame people surely had never been invited to such a feast.
Just imagine their reaction of being invited to such a feast!
The servant did as he was told and yet there was still room in the banquet hall to hold many more people.
“ ‘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 compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
Luke 14.22
“Señor—le dijo luego el siervo—, ya hice lo que usted me mandó, pero todavía hay lugar.” Entonces el señor le respondió: “Ve por los caminos y las veredas, y oblígalos a entrar para que se llene mi casa.
The servant was to go out farther away from town and bring in many more.
Those that previously had not received the invitation are now being persuaded to come and enjoy the great banquet.
The master’s house will be full - by any means possible but the great banquet will go on!
In the end, we can see a great banquet hall full of people of humble lifestyles, poor, sick, elderly, blind.
Physically speaking they were not something great to behold.
Nevertheless, we could’ve seen on their faces how much the enjoyed being in the great master’s house enjoying eating at his table.
We could’ve heard their laughter and enjoyment as we would’ve approached the banquet hall.
It is possible that many of the ones that previously
Amidst the great joy, the master of the home gives a solemn warning regarding those that despised his invitation.
I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
Les digo que ninguno de aquellos invitados disfrutará de mi banquete.”
No one that despised his invitation will in no way enjoy the banquet.
They have absolutely shut themselves out of the celebration.
They will not enjoy the company, the celebration, the joy, of this great banquet - not because they were not invited but because they refused to attend. They valued someone trivial over this great celebration.
Conclusion
Conclusion
How does this apply to us?
Do not loose sight of the fact that life is short.
Do not loose sight of the fact that one day we will all die.
However, God has prepared a heavenly home for all those that would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has promised eternity to all those that recognize they are sinners and believe in what Jesus Christ did on the cross on on behalf of sinners like you and me.
Just think of all the ways God has made this invitation to all of humanity:
Every Christmas we hear about the baby that was born in Bethlehem to save humanity from their sins.
Every Easter we hear about him who was crucified, who died, who was buried, but rose again on the third day demonstrating that he had conquered death.
Even today, as we celebrate this service in Settler’s Park you have heard about Jesus Christ who died to save sinners, who commands all people to believe in him for salvation.
…and yet…how do people react to this invitation?
I have no time for God.
I have no time for church.
I have no time for the Bible.
I have no time for religion.
Why?
I am busy with my career.
I have things to do.
Sundays are the busiest day of my week.
I have no need of God.
Unfortunately, if you continually refuse God’s invitation to come to Jesus Christ you will be forever shut out of God’s kingdom.
You will in no way enjoy God’s presence for all eternity.
You will not enjoy heaven.
You will not go to a better place when you die.
You will be lost forever for you will not enjoy God’s great banquet.
However, should you humble yourself and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you are promised a new life in Jesus Christ. You are promised eternal life. You are promised the enjoyment of God’s presence and God’s transforming power that will be with you to the end of the age.
If you believe today, you will never again be alone.
You will never again walk a lonely person upon this earth - for the God that is will be your God, your savior, your counselor, your ever loving friend.