The Parable of the Great Feast

Today's Reflections

                      

                                                                                 

The Parable of the Great Feast

Lk 14:15-24

15One of [those at table with Jesus] said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” 16He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. 17When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ 18But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’

19And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ 20And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ 23The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. 24For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’ ”

THAT MY HOME MAY BE FILLED. The Gospel has a parallel in Mt 22:2-14. In Matthew, the parable seems to tell the story of Israel but ends with a non sequitur, “Many are invited, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14). In Luke, Jesus gives the parable in response to a guest who calls blessed those who will dine in God’s kingdom.

On God’s part, Jesus says, all—including and especially the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame, those on the highways and hedgerows—are invited to the great feast because God wills that the banquet hall be filled (cf v 23). On the people’s side, only those who accept the invitation will dine in God’s kingdom (cf v 24).

The Gospel pictures a reversal of fortunes. People who are so busy that they have no time to lose, and must ask their secretaries to phone in their excuses, will not taste the great feast. The poor—who are not too busy because they have nothing, nobody invites them, and they have no prior schedules to keep or break—will fill God’s banquet hall.

By God’s grace and mercy we are enjoying God’s blessings and generosity.

Jesus the Groom wants us sinners to be part of the heavenly banquet.