If you were invited to a special dinner thrown to honor a great person, lets say, a war hero or a philanthropist…the ceremony was free and was going to be lavish. Would you go? If you didn’t go, what sort of excuse would you consider valid?
Jesus is going to pose this sort of scenario in the portion of Luke we’ll be reading this Sunday. Luke 14:15-24
As you read the story and consider what it is that Jesus is responding to, what do you believe his main point is in this parable? As we think about the broader implications of Jesus’ story, we start to make some observations about the kingdom of God as Jesus presents it. If we understand the kingdom of God in eternity to be the marriage of heaven and earth and the restoration of all things…what does the imagery of a banquet mean to you? Does this conjure up images of dry ice fog, clouds and harps….or something else?
Who are the people who enjoy this party? Who are the people left out…and why? What place do you see yourself in this story, and what response does it inspire in you (if any)?
We’ll unpack this as best we can on Sunday — see you then!
WONDERWHAT 
I really like this passage- I know personally that I would be at that banquet because my mother taught me to never pass up free food.
Seriously though… I feel like this is a good passage to remember as Christians. I think sometimes we get complacent and tend to back away when we are brought to a place of commitment with God and what he wants for our lives. I don’t doubt that the people in those passages all had legitimate excuses to not be apart of the banquet, however, I think I learn from this passage that God’s plans must always take precedence over our plans, even when it feels inconvenient. Some of the most amazing times in my life have been when I stepped out of my comfort zone towards God and what he has asked of me.
I think Jesus could be referring to the afterlife with this, but I think it can still apply to our present circumstances.
I see myself in this parable…at one time as one of the blind and crippled folks…as well as one one who was compelled to come in to the feast.Compel is interseting word which I felt compelled to look up..it means “to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure” Thank you Mr Webster for describing how I entered the Kingdom of God.A simple wedding invitation was not going to get me to the banquet.You see I had to be crushed and broken.I had to be in much pain and misery before I was willing to call out to God to save me..Psalm 40 pretty much describes the pit I was in.God used my suffering to humbly bring me to my knees.The cool part is since God rescued me from that dark hole I now am beginning to see myself like the servant who must go back in the muck and mire (or the world)to share with others where they too can find this amazing Grace and forgivenes.
Maybe we are approaching Easter, but I see the cross and the resurication in these verses
I can see easily where it would be easy sometimes to not attend a dinner party. Household responsibilities after a week’s work, exhaustion, uncomfortable socializing, etc. Maybe that is the Martha in me on those occasions worrying about stuff rather than the more important things like relationships. The times I have just gone ahead and attended things I didn’t necessarily want to God either had someone there I needed to learn something from or had me speak encouragement to someone else. When thinking about the banquet at the end of this epic journey that celebrates the uniting of heaven and earth, I am starving for it! Not the kind of hunger for pizza or brownies but the hunger of actually seeing and being with my King. Finally sitting down face to face with Him and the hero’s of faith we read about and taking it all in. Looking in the eyes of all those who I have run this race with at that finish line will be much more satisfying than any meal we could ever share! I bet we will all feel “full” without eating a single morsel!