“For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet” (Luke 14;24).
I had a student with big, mischievous, blue eyes. When this story took place, he was seven years old. He was very smart and quick to learn. That sometimes gave him extra free time to begin conversations. While his classmates finished their assignments, he began organizing events. He did the same thing every class without exceptions. He always invited his friends to either play, eat a snack or sleep over at his house. Sometimes he would come to class feeling sad, but when a friend accepted his invitation, his face and attitude changed completely. It was the best news for him!
At that age, for many kids saying, “I’m not going to invite you over” or “I’m not inviting you to my birthday party”, can be the worst way to threaten their friends. But he always invited them over.
Jesus told a parable about a man who also prepared a great banquet and was looking forward to it. He invited many people, but all of them, without exception, turned down his invitation by making an excuse. When the man found out, he became angry, and sent his servant out on the streets to invite «the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame» (Luke 14:21). Although all of them accepted his invitation, there was still room in the banquet and his servant went out on the roads and paths to invite more people so the house would be filled. Now the first guests who had been invited no longer had the chance to attend.
Through this parable, Jesus taught that blessings were to be shared with those who need them the most, and also that the blessings the Israelites attributed themselves were destined to all God’s children.
In addition, by telling about the guests who didn’t attend, He showed we often make excuses not to spend time with Him and overlook His invitation by being too busy with our things.
“The world is perishing for want of the gospel. There is a famine for the word of God. . . . The Lord calls upon His servants to carry His message to the people” (Christ’s Object Lessons, ch. 18, p. 228).
I don’t know which character you most identify with. The teaching and invitation are still valid today. How will we respond?
