Kingdom Invitations
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “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.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “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.’
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
Introduction
Introduction
Context: Jesus had been invited to a dinner / feast by a prominent Pharisee. Already he had confronted the guests in terms of them taking up places of prominence.
Now, Christ will continue by addressing the host himself.
Once again the area of concern that Christ is addressing is that of pride. More specifically, he’s going to address the pride and self-centeredness that is shown through performing certain acts in order to gain the praises of men.
This is something that the phraisees were often prone.
Kingdom Invitations…
1. Confront our Motives (vv.12-14)
1. Confront our Motives (vv.12-14)
The very first thing that Christ does in this encounter at the Pharisees house, following on from what has just been said, is that he confronts the motives of the host.
He begins by telling the host the kinds of people that are to be avoided in terms of invitations going out.
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
It’s very interesting to note what He says.
The people that are included in this list are the typical kinds of people that you’d invite to your dinner.
We need to see that Christ was not outright stating to not invite these people.
Hospitality is always instructed in Scripture. It’s commanded, even for new testament believers whose hearts have been transformed.
Elders are to be hospitable...
2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
ALL BELIEVERS are to be hospitable...
13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
What Christ is doing is he’s exposing the heart of the person.
Think about what Christ is confronting here.
He’s not confronting overt sin. (Pharisees were careful to avoid such).
He’s confronting a heart that is motivated wrongly.
Uses hyperbole in order to expose the heart of the Pharisee.
Think about this!! If Jesus were to confront us today… what would he be saying.
If Jesus were to be invited to one of our functions, might he say the same thing in order to expose our hearts.
But note, Jesus is not merely suggesting that this Pharisee include a couple of other
13 “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Now we see who Jesus says ought to be invited.
Again, we the extent to which Christ is exposing the sinful heart, and the self-serving heart of the Pharisee.
The people listed are those who need service… need help.... incapacitated in some way.
In a sense, the Pharisee would be required to provide help and assistance…
And he might be seen by his friends and peers to be doing this really strange task of entertaining the weak of society… Those who really cannot contribute all that much to society.
And because they’re weak, and limited in terms of the way in which they can function, they’re hardly celebrated and embraced as friends.
14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The reason that Christ’s instruction is so revealing is because the reward for inviting such people will not be found.
Notice - they do not have the means to repay you.
But that does not leave the person without some measure of reward.
The person who would do this would be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
We must not overlook the significance of this truth.
The time-frame for awaiting rewards is eternal...
Application...
Who are your friends?
Not just, who are you friendly towards… but who are your friends.
One of the realities of the church is that it ought to be an example of friendships across all kinds of barriers.
One of those is friendships across social standings.
Kingdom Invitations...
2. Expose our Priorities (vv.15-20)
2. Expose our Priorities (vv.15-20)
Not only does Christ’s teaching of Kingdom invitations expose our motivations, but it exposes our priorities.
We see this through Christ’s discussion with another person present at the feast, that poses a statement to Jesus, based on what Jesus has just said.
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
So, this man, seated at the banquet along with the other guests, picks up on the motif of the banquet and resurrection. Those are two of the aspects that Christ has taught on.
The remark probably is designed to remove some of the tension Jesus’ remarks and actions have created. Its force is, “Despite our differences, won’t it be nice for all of us to experience the blessing of sitting in fellowship before God when he reasserts his rule fully?” [Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (p. 394). Zondervan Publishing House.]
What was meant by this? What was their understanding of the kingdom of God, and eating bread in this kingdom of God?
Some texts that would have contributed to their thinking…
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
13 Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry.
Behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty.
Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
14 “Behold, My servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart,
But you will cry out with a heavy heart,
And you will wail with a broken spirit.
In addition to the above, there a couple of places that the Apocraphyl writings speak to this feast with the son of man.
This was clearly something that this man was looking forward to.
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.
Christ now uses this man’s statement about the banquet in the kingdom, and eating bread in the kingdom, as an opportunity to teach on the kingdom, and the manner in which guests will be invited to this kingdom banquet.
We must seee that Christ is teaching here on the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.
17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
Now, keep in mind here that the original invitation would already have gone out to those invited.
A Walk with God: Luke 69. Jesus Dines with the Pharisees (Luke 14:1–24)
In antiquity an invitation had to be given twice. First, the preliminary invitation was given, announcing the event and requesting the presence of those chosen. But protocol also demanded that just before the meal was served, a second announcement was to come by messenger. If a person accepted the first invitation, but, when the second invitation was given, then declined, this was considered to be a grave insult. Grave enough to be grounds for waging war.
In this context, we should understand that God the Father had sent out an invitation to a particular nation to come and delight in a wedding feast for His Son.
2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
But before we go further, I want us to see from Christ’s teaching that the wedding banquet is not merely something that should be thought of in terms of a distant future event.
This is what the Pharisees were thinking, at least to some extent. They certainly didn’t see Christ as the Messiah that would inaugurate the coming of the Kingdom.
While there is ultimately a final fulfilment, where all the redeemed of the Lord will sit with Him at this wedding banquet, it was still true that this feast has been inaugurated right now.
Returning our attention to the parable that Christ is telling, he goes on to explain to his guests that from people that had initially been invited, they didn’t actually want to come to the wedding feast. He says they refused to come.
All of them began to make excuses about why the could not attend the celebration.
18 “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.’
This man has just purchased a new plot of land, and he needs to go and inspect.
In that day, it was not uncommon to conduct a post-purchase inspection in order to finally seal the deal of purchasing the property.
This is what the man looks to do… he wants to inspect the field and ensure that the purchase is finalised.
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Here is another excuse related to domestic responsibilities.
This man seems to have been quite wealthy.
The average person that owned land would only require two oxen to work their land. This man had 5 times that.
He’s evidently reasonably well-off.
Again, the process of trying out the oxen was probably related to sealing the deal
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
Here is another weak excuse.
In the Jewish law, in certain circumstances newly weds were granted exemption from participation. Usually this was for war. (Deut 24:5)
In this case, it was a feast, a banquet. This was nothing like a war, and didn’t pose any of the dangers of a war.
The only possible reason that he may have had for then not going was that the banquet may have been arranged for men, and thus his wife wouldn’t have been able to attend.
However, even then, it’s only for an evening, and he could have returned to his bride.
The reality is that all of the excuses presented are precisely that - excuses because these people see themselves as having something more important to do than to attend the wedding feast.
What is Christ’s point through this? What is He actually driving home?
Essentially, Christ is speaking here to Israel.
He was speaking in the context of God’s plan of salvation....
God had sent the invitation, as it were, to the nation Israel, calling them to dine and fellowship with Him.
Now that the Son had come, they were being called to gather into the kingdom, into his presence.... the time was for the wedding feast!!
And yet, the Pharisees / religious leaders (and later on the Jews as a whole) would wholesale reject Christ. they would make up all kinds of excuses.
Recall the interactions between God (through Moses) and Israel....
5 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him.
8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.
3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!”
7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
27 ‘Go near and hear all that the Lord our God says; then speak to us all that the Lord our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.’
17 “You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice.
21 The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.”
24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice.”
Cyril of Alexandria...
Luke, Volumes 1 & 2 Excuses, Excuses
“scorned a surpassing invitation, because they had turned aside to earthly things and focused their mind on the vain distractions of this world.”
Kingdom Invitations…
3. Are Extended to the Lowly (vv.21-24)
3. Are Extended to the Lowly (vv.21-24)
21 “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.’
Notice that Jesus is issuing a stern warning to the religious leaders.
If we consider that God is the master in this account, Jesus says that the owner of the house was angry.
This was an anger directed even at these leaders who failed to heed God’s call to the banquet with the Son.
He was in their very presence, and yet they refused to join in the celebration.
So, notice what Jesus says...
The master order the servant to out into the streets and bring in those people that he’s previously mentioned.... poor; crippled; blind; lame....
Those who are the outcasts.
Those who could not repay anything. Those who knew their neediness.
In a sense, this was a rebuke to the Pharisees / religious leaders themselves.
The invitation was not merely to the religious insiders.... it was for those who were spiritually poor, destitute, crippled… for those who were religious outcasts.
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.
The invitation is now opened wider still.
Not only is it to go out to those who were the outcasts among Israel, but it was to be extended further....
This certainly pictures that the Gospel would go beyond Israel and to the Gentiles also.
24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
Application / conclusion
Application / conclusion
Consider Your Motives
Consider Your Motives
Do you always ask the question: “What’s in it for me?”
As you live your life as a Christian, are you entirely others’ focused?
Christian calling is one of self-sacrifice.
Christian calling is one of humble service to those who may never repay us… to those who
34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
What is motivating us in life?
Are we motivated by all things to bring honour and glory to Christ.
Is He our supreme delight and driving force?
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Consider Your Priorities
Consider Your Priorities
The invitation to the wedding banquet ought to be a top priority.
The call has gone out.
The challenge is to be so distracted with the things of this world, that we ignore the call to the banquet.
This parable was first preached to Pharisees… they were the ones making the excuses.
But we need to realise that we are prone to this.
The world becomes a distraction.
Parable of the sower / seed
13 “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Where are our priorities?
Is the Gospel, the message of salvation, God’s grace towards us… Are these our priorities?
Consider Your Invitation
Consider Your Invitation
The invitation has gone out - and it is a glorious one.
It is a call to union and fellowship and feasting with the Son of God.
Don’t let this invitation pass you by because of trivial, unimportant, fading, temporary joys / responsibilities.
Thomas Boston…
Luke, Volumes 1 & 2 Going out and Coming In
“This is a comfortable word for those who have not yet complied with the invitations of the gospel; the doors are not yet shut, and such sinners may yet have access to Christ.”
Close with the words from a beautiful hymn by Sovereign Grace Music...
VERSE 1
Lord, forgive us for our pride
When our faith becomes a show
Dressed in righteous deeds to hide
All the stains below
We have judged Your sons and daughters
For the sin that is our own
May we now forgive each other
And lay down our stones
CHORUS
Forgiven, forgiven
Through the blood of Christ
We are forgiven
VERSE 2
Lord, forgive us for our love
Of the things we wish to own
We forsake the feast above
For all the crumbs below
Though You’ve made us sons and daughters
We do not the world disown
May we find our greatest treasure
Is in You alone