The Story Teller: The Great Banquet Day 1

The Great Banquet
When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you. Luke 14:12-14 NLT

This parable is unique because our Lord told this parable of the great Banquet, while sitting with others at a banquet. In fact He had just watched people jockey for more favored positions in the banquet he was attending! He let those near Him hear his strong rebuke. Jesus says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 He then spoke to the man who had invited him, and said in so many words, ‘Don’t invite friends and relatives so they’ll repay you, invite the poor, crippled, the lame, the blind.”

Someone close to him at the banquet table, who obviously caught His message commented, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” - which led our Lord to tell the Parable of the Great Banquet! It was all about inviting everyone, literally everyone! And when invitees began their list of lame excuses, more invitations went out! Even more invitations went out again, when still more excuses came in! The invitations turned into ‘compelling appeals’ to come to the banquet. Our Lord, the great ‘inviter’ made it clear, He wanted His house full!
What a demonstration of God’s grace. He continually invites all people to taste His love and forgiveness. He even invites us! He even invites us to be His compelling servants, inviting all we possibly can reach. Thanks be to God!