Luk 14:18-20 | KingComments | STEP | Someone who is reclined at the table and has listened carefully, suspects the scope of the words of the Lord’s. He feels that He is talking about the kingdom of God and speaks out loud how blessed it must be to be in it and to eat bread there, to feed himself with what God offers as food. In this he resembles the woman in the crowd who, in response to His words, calls her “blessed” who had the privilege to be His mother ( ). Just like there, it is here about an external impression that is correct in itself, but that does not bring the person who is impressed any further. The man sees the privilege of being in the kingdom, but has no part in it. In a parable the Lord makes clear why people reject the invitation to eat bread in the kingdom of God and which people will participate in the meal. The beginning of the parable shows the great grace of God and the wide offer of His grace. He is giving a “big” dinner, where there is room for the many whom He invites. It is a “dinner”, a meal in the evening, at the end of the day. The day of grace comes to an end. This parable represents the desire of God’s heart to fill His house with people with whom He can share the riches of His heart. The parable also makes it clear that He Himself takes care of that, because people don’t want to come. Here we see God’s sovereignty in showing His grace and mercy to fill His house. It is also important to see that it is about a house here on earth now and not about a house in heaven later on. When it is time to start the dinner, the host – a picture of God – sends out his slave. The slave is the Holy Spirit Who, as a Servant to men, lets the gospel, that is the good news, of a ready dinner, be announced by servants. That the dinner is ready presupposes that the Lord Jesus has completed the work on the cross. In the gospel it is said to the guests that everything is ready now. The guests are the Jews. To them comes first and foremost the gospel ( ), which deals with the treasures of heaven that have been laid ready and that can already be enjoyed by virtue of the work of Christ. Because Christ laid the foundation for it on the cross, the invitation can go out. God sent His Son to prepare the dinner for the guests. God sent His Spirit to prepare the guests for the dinner. When the slave comes to the guests, they all have an excuse for not coming. They have too many possessions to go through the narrow door, things they don’t want to leave at the door. The reasons they give are not things that are wrong in themselves. They are ordinary human duties. It’s not about someone who’s too drunk to come, or someone who’s degenerated as a result of a dissolute life, like the prodigal son. They are all decent, esteemed people. They enjoy the gifts of the Creator, but the Creator Himself should not interfere with them further. They are so preoccupied with their pastimes that they do not take time for the feast of grace. They are excuses of unbelief based on so-called duties, on temporary, material interests. The first excuse comes from someone who bought a piece of land. He is very curious how it looks like and that seeing should really be done first. He will also be curious about the produce. He has just bought it and he wants to sow and earn money to prepare his own meal. So he doesn’t have a longing for the dinner God has prepared. Perhaps he also dreams of large barns in which he can store the produce (cf. ). No, he doesn’t have time to accept the invitation and opts out politely. A second person who receives the invitation makes excuses because he has just bought five pairs of oxen. This new acquisition takes so much time that he really cannot accept the invitation. He just has to try those five pairs of oxen first. And you can be sure that if he succeeds, he will provide his own meal, with a richly laid table provided with his own well-earned delicacies. For him, the whole dinner of God is not necessary. No, he doesn’t have the time, nor the need, to accept the invitation and opts out politely. A third excuse comes from someone who is (just?) married. He considers that an extraordinarily good reason to reject God’s invitation. For this man too, life in the world here and now, having a family, is more important than his place at God’s table. Besides, his wife can prepare an excellent meal. He does not need God’s. No, he can’t come and doesn’t even bother to apologize. How can someone bother him with a message about an invisible dinner, when he’s doing so well himself!

‏ Luke 14:18-20

The Invitation Rejected

Someone who is reclined at the table and has listened carefully, suspects the scope of the words of the Lord’s. He feels that He is talking about the kingdom of God and speaks out loud how blessed it must be to be in it and to eat bread there, to feed himself with what God offers as food. In this he resembles the woman in the crowd who, in response to His words, calls her “blessed” who had the privilege to be His mother (Lk 11:27-28). Just like there, it is here about an external impression that is correct in itself, but that does not bring the person who is impressed any further. The man sees the privilege of being in the kingdom, but has no part in it.

In a parable the Lord makes clear why people reject the invitation to eat bread in the kingdom of God and which people will participate in the meal. The beginning of the parable shows the great grace of God and the wide offer of His grace. He is giving a “big” dinner, where there is room for the many whom He invites. It is a “dinner”, a meal in the evening, at the end of the day. The day of grace comes to an end.

This parable represents the desire of God’s heart to fill His house with people with whom He can share the riches of His heart. The parable also makes it clear that He Himself takes care of that, because people don’t want to come. Here we see God’s sovereignty in showing His grace and mercy to fill His house. It is also important to see that it is about a house here on earth now and not about a house in heaven later on.

When it is time to start the dinner, the host – a picture of God – sends out his slave. The slave is the Holy Spirit Who, as a Servant to men, lets the gospel, that is the good news, of a ready dinner, be announced by servants. That the dinner is ready presupposes that the Lord Jesus has completed the work on the cross. In the gospel it is said to the guests that everything is ready now.

The guests are the Jews. To them comes first and foremost the gospel (Rom 1:17), which deals with the treasures of heaven that have been laid ready and that can already be enjoyed by virtue of the work of Christ. Because Christ laid the foundation for it on the cross, the invitation can go out. God sent His Son to prepare the dinner for the guests. God sent His Spirit to prepare the guests for the dinner.

When the slave comes to the guests, they all have an excuse for not coming. They have too many possessions to go through the narrow door, things they don’t want to leave at the door. The reasons they give are not things that are wrong in themselves. They are ordinary human duties. It’s not about someone who’s too drunk to come, or someone who’s degenerated as a result of a dissolute life, like the prodigal son. They are all decent, esteemed people. They enjoy the gifts of the Creator, but the Creator Himself should not interfere with them further. They are so preoccupied with their pastimes that they do not take time for the feast of grace. They are excuses of unbelief based on so-called duties, on temporary, material interests.

The first excuse comes from someone who bought a piece of land. He is very curious how it looks like and that seeing should really be done first. He will also be curious about the produce. He has just bought it and he wants to sow and earn money to prepare his own meal. So he doesn’t have a longing for the dinner God has prepared. Perhaps he also dreams of large barns in which he can store the produce (cf. Lk 12:16-19). No, he doesn’t have time to accept the invitation and opts out politely.

A second person who receives the invitation makes excuses because he has just bought five pairs of oxen. This new acquisition takes so much time that he really cannot accept the invitation. He just has to try those five pairs of oxen first. And you can be sure that if he succeeds, he will provide his own meal, with a richly laid table provided with his own well-earned delicacies. For him, the whole dinner of God is not necessary. No, he doesn’t have the time, nor the need, to accept the invitation and opts out politely.

A third excuse comes from someone who is (just?) married. He considers that an extraordinarily good reason to reject God’s invitation. For this man too, life in the world here and now, having a family, is more important than his place at God’s table. Besides, his wife can prepare an excellent meal. He does not need God’s. No, he can’t come and doesn’t even bother to apologize. How can someone bother him with a message about an invisible dinner, when he’s doing so well himself!