Parable of the Great Supper

15 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!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant[a] to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 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.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 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. 24 For I tell you,[b] none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’

Introduction

What is your favorite food? How do you like it prepared? What kind of surroundings do you prefer as you eat your favorite food, and who do you want with you in order to enjoy it the most? The point of this parable is that God has prepared the very best for each person. The man who prepared the supper is representative of God. The supper is the provision God has made for our salvation. We will discuss this parable under two headings.

I. The invitation.

A. In describing the invitation, Jesus uses what is sometimes called the journalistic approach. He answers six pertinent questions.

1. What? The invitation is from God to all people everywhere. He wants everyone to accept his offer of salvation and deliverance from sin.

2. Who? The gospel is for everyone. The gospel message is universal. All are invited—the Jew and the Gentile, the rich and the poor, the city dweller and the country dweller, the businessperson and the field laborer.

3. Why? People need the Lord. They are lost in sin, and they need a Savior. The only way to be saved is to accept Jesus’ invitation.

4. When? The time is now. The words “ready” (v. 17), “quickly” (v. 21), and “compel” (v. 23) each indicate now. The master of the house meant business.

5. Where? Jesus will save you wherever you are and under any circumstances.

6. How? You must accept the invitation by faith. You must believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that he rose on the third day, triumphing over sin and death.

B. In Jesus’ invitation, we can discern some great truths.

1. We are not saved by our own efforts. We are saved by simply accepting God’s invitation. If we fail to respond in faith, however, we are lost for eternity by our own choosing. God’s invitation is extended to everyone.

2. We are warned of the danger of missing God’s blessings. If we do not accept his invitation, we cannot possibly receive his blessings.

II. The excuses.

A. Notice that these are excuses and not reasons. There is a clear indication here that the prospective guests did not want to accept the invitation. The parable seems to imply that they had tentatively accepted the master’s invitation; they had not previously declined. This shows a lack of consideration for the master’s preparations.

B. Notice that the excuses are ridiculous. Examine a field at night? Can you imagine someone purchasing something as valuable as a piece of land without inspecting it first? This is an absurd excuse and certainly not a reason. The other excuses are equally ridiculous.

C. The excuses are transparently false. Anyone who hears or reads about such alibis can see clearly that the person did not want to attend.

D. The refusal to go provoked God’s wrath (v. 21). This wrath is righteous damnation. You cannot receive blessings if you do not accept the invitation. The damnation that results from failing to respond to God’s invitation is eternal separation from him.

Conclusion

God’s invitation is to each of you. If you have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, I pray that you would accept his invitation right now.