7 Then Jesus noticed how the guests always chose the places of honor. So he used this illustration when he spoke to them: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding, don’t take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited. 9 Then your host would say to you, ‘Give this person your place.’ Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor. 10 So when you’re invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honorable place.’ Then all the other guests will see how you are honored. 11 Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored.”
12 Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don’t invite only your friends, family, other relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they will return the favor. 13 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”
15 One of those eating with him heard this. So he said to Jesus, “The person who will be at the banquet in the kingdom of God is blessed.”
16 Jesus said to him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. 17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready now.’
18 “Everyone asked to be excused. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to see how well they plow. Please excuse me.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I recently got married, and that’s why I can’t come.’
21 “The servant went back to report this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry. He told his servant, ‘Run to every street and alley in the city! Bring back the poor, the handicapped, the blind, and the lame.’
22 “The servant said, ‘Sir, what you’ve ordered has been done. But there is still room for more people.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full. 24 I can guarantee that none of those invited earlier will taste any food at my banquet.’ ”
Read Luke 14:7-24 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
This journal entry’s passage has a lot of things that stood out to me. For this entry, let’s look at the the group we will call “the impulse guests”. The impulse guests in this parable are the ones that are invited at the last minute – quite literally. In verses 23 and 24, we see the master telling his servant to bring anyone he can bring. The master wants a fully attended party.
The master’s attitude here is interesting. While many people believe God to be in heaven, with the gates locked, and only admitting a select few individuals who have met some criteria, this parable seems to indicate the opposite. Instead of keeping people out, the master is trying to include as many as possible.
Really the only way to be excluded from God’s Kingdom according to this parable is to reject the invitation. It seems as though the only way to reject the invitation is to not value it highly enough to simply show up.
The people who are invited at the last minute have no time to “get ready”. They simply are invited to come. This places an additional twist on what we might traditionally think: We must get “good enough” before going to God, but this parable places its emphasis on going to God and letting Him change you on His terms.
My many years in church, mixed with my analytical nature, really wants to make it seem more complicated. But the only place that this thinking gets me is potentially placing myself in the crowd of people who were formerly invited, and who didn’t accept the invitation – which for the record is not where I want to be.
Are you overly complicating God’s simple invitation?
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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