WHEN LISTENING TO JESUS I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT…
1. The statements Jesus makes and stories that he tells may offend me.
Before telling his Awesome Banquet story Jesus offends…
● The religious leaders at the banquet.
One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away.
Luke 14:1-4 NLT
● The guests at the banquet.
When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor…Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 14:7-8, 10-11 NLT
● The seemingly gracious host of the banquet.
Then he turned to his host. “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
Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”
Matthew 15:12 NLT
2. When Jesus is confronting them, He may be confronting me.
These are all warning markers--DANGER!--in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel-- they at the beginning, we at the end--and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else.
1 Corinthians 10:11-12 MP
● Due to this reality, I must sincerely ask “Jesus, who am I?”
Am I the person who listens in order to trap, not to change?
Am I the host of the wrong people with the wrong motive?
Am I the guest who uses the banquet to bolster my status?
5 LESSONS FROM THE PARABLE OF THE AWESOME BANQUET
1. My profession of faith absent of my practice of faith is useless.
Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses.”
Luke 14:15-18a NLT
… if a person claims to have faith but does nothing, that faith is worth nothing. Faith like that cannot save anyone.
James 2:14 ERV
2. My excuses anger the master, but they do not excuse me.
One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious…
Luke 14:18-21a NLT
3. The Master, Jesus, wants everyone to be at His Kingdom Banquet.
…and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.’
Luke 14:21b-23 NLT
4. As a servant of the Master I am to be an extension of the Master.
what you ordered has been done...
Luke 14:22b NIV
5. I’m not welcome at the Kingdom banquet if Jesus is not my King.
I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.
Luke 14:24 NIV
…imagine a king gearing up to go to war. Wouldn’t he begin by sitting down with his advisors to determine whether his 10,000 troops could defeat the opponent’s 20,000 troops? If not, he’ll send a peace delegation quickly and negotiate a peace treaty. In the same way, if you want to be My disciple, it will cost you everything. Don’t underestimate that cost!
Luke 14:31-33 VOICE
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