Episode Transcript
[00:00:24] Speaker A: Josh. And I'm Gabriel.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: And today on reading the gospel, we are covering the episode the great Banquet. We'll be reading from Luke, chapter 14, beginning in verse 15 and reading down to verse 24. Follow along with us.
[00:00:39] Speaker A: When one of those at the table with Jesus heard this, he said to Jesus, blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. Jesus replied, a certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited come, for everything is now ready.
But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, I have just bought a field, I must go and see it. Please excuse me. Another said, I have just bought five yolk of oxen and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me. Still another said, I just got married, so I cannot come.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: So the servant came and reported these things to the master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. And the servant said, sir, what you command has been done, and still there is room.
And the master said to the servant, go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.
This event starts with a question, one at the table, not a question, a statement. One at the table is exclaiming because of Jesus'previous. Comments bless is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: The previous comment is in verse 13 and 14. When Jesus said, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you'll be blessed. Not those that can repay you, but those who cannot repay, although they cannot repay. Verse 14, you'll be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. And one guy started dreaming right away, what would be that blessing? The repay that he will receive. And being a good jew, he said, I'm going to sit at the same table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. That is amazing.
And I find that idea being presented by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter eight, verse eleven.
The words of Jesus, I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
[00:03:33] Speaker B: So we have this juxtaposition, I guess, or this conflict. This person is excited that there's going to be rewards up in heaven. And I don't know about you, have you ever had a church member who asks what they can do to get more rewards in heaven.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: I think I had a couple of conversation of that kind.
[00:03:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I've had a couple of conversations with people who want to grow closer to God so they can get more rewards in heaven. They can do more to get more in heaven. They want to be at a higher level than other people for eternity. And I think this is what I'm hearing in the statement. I want these rewards.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: Being a jew and a descendant of Abraham and Abraham, being the father of all believers, he thought about getting closer to Abraham sitting at the same table, and Jesus Christ kind of supported this idea. I have one more verse from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verses 15 and 16. And Jesus said, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. The idea that the kingdom is portrayed by an amazing banquet when everyone will be next to each other and in other place. Jesus said that he will serve us. This is found in multiple places, not only in the gospel, but also in the book of revelation.
[00:05:20] Speaker B: This parable or this story that Jesus is telling right here is telling them, look, you got to accept the invitation.
It doesn't matter if you're first or last. It doesn't matter if you're at the seat of honor or the seat of no honor. If you don't accept the invitation, you're not getting any part of the reward.
[00:05:43] Speaker A: So this is kind of surprising for a jew because they felt that their invitation was built in their birth certificate. You are born jew. That means you are pre invited to be part of the kingdom of God. And Jesus Christ says, no, you have to receive the invitation. The invitation will be sent to everyone.
But if your behavior, if your priorities, by the way, the previous episode was about priorities, if your priorities in life are not about the kingdom and of course, the king who is Jesus Christ, you'll not take part in it.
[00:06:27] Speaker B: And I would change what you said about pre invited. I'd say pre accepted. Everyone is invited.
We are predestined. Jesus died on the cross for everyone. The invitation has gone out to everyone. But the Jews thought because they were jew, they were Jewish. They were part of Abraham's seed. They were pre accepted.
[00:06:52] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: They were already there. It wasn't just the invitation, it was the exception.
But Jesus is saying, no, this is not the case. That those who have been invited, those who are on the guest list, Abraham's seed, these are the ones who will not be ready.
[00:07:13] Speaker A: The passage that I refer to in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 811 and twelve, I tell you many will come from the east and west, referring to the outside of Israel, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.
It is not by birth that you will automatically be a member in the kingdom of God. Yes, I completely agree with you. Invitation is for everyone, but all have to receive it.
[00:07:56] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:07:56] Speaker A: All have to accept it.
[00:07:58] Speaker B: Yeah, just like if you get an invitation in your mail to a wedding or a party or whatever, you name it, the invitation is worthless as a piece of paper unless you get out the door and go to the event.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: And to take it closer to this story, even if you are a family member, you still have to accept it.
[00:08:23] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: If you are a close friend, you still have to respond to it.
[00:08:27] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's almost more important that you respond because if you're a close family member and a close friend and you don't respond, it's more in many ways, offensive.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: Offensive.
[00:08:42] Speaker B: And I think this is what we're hitting at here, that Jesus, the banquet is ready, and those who are already connected, those who consider themselves there, they're not the ones accepting the invitation.
So what does this event here tell us about God?
[00:09:06] Speaker A: I'm very surprised how big that banquet is going to be, how big the banquet room is to really include everyone who wants to respond, that is not going to be a limiting factor. The same way a parking lot for a church might be the limiting factor for the gross, or the number of seats in the worship place might be a limiting factor for gross. No, the kingdom of God has no limiting factors. If there is something that limits is my view of God, it is my wrong priorities.
It is my lack of responding as soon as possible, understanding the urgency of the kingdom.
[00:09:56] Speaker B: So just a thought. This table, how do you picture this table? Do you picture it as like a massive round table or tons of little tables?
[00:10:07] Speaker A: In my mind, it's long, very long. Very long table with people on both sides of the table, so it's not that wide. So people can talk to each other, can interact. But I see it very, very long. And by the way, I picture the same way the throne of God as it is in revelation chapter four and chapter five, not being like one person, but it is like a bench. Long or wide throne of God because Jesus was invited to sit on the right side of the father, and we can sit on the same chair with him, there is room for everyone. And maybe there are two benches like this on each side of that long table so people can sit and talk to each other on the other side of the table.
[00:10:58] Speaker B: So how is this passage speaking to us today, and what are we going to do about it?
[00:11:05] Speaker A: I really like how this invitation was given to everyone in the beginning. Some were selected to receive the invitation.
When they rejected it, the invitation went to absolutely everyone.
To connect this question with your previous question, I see God so interested to really fill his kingdom that after sending everyone quickly to the streets and the allies of the town to bring the poor and the crippled and the servant said, we have done this, but there is still room in the banquet hall. The master said, go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: So what does compel mean?
[00:12:04] Speaker A: Talk to them individually. Then just give them a flyer. Look into their eyes.
Explain the character of the master who is doing this.
Show them the benefits. Encourage them to make a decision.
Use all the techniques that are available to you without forcing their free will to draw them to my banquet hall.
[00:12:30] Speaker B: I think of a car salesman when I think of compelling.
And this is imperfect, because a car salesman, we often think of someone who will be shady or do things, hide things. But think of a car salesman that's got your best interests in mind, and they want to get you a car, and they don't want to take advantage of you. That's what I think of when compelling. Like, you need this. These are all the benefits. This is why you need this in your life today. And that's the image I get without the negative. Someone trying to take advantage.
[00:13:06] Speaker A: Very nice.
[00:13:07] Speaker B: All right, so for me, when I read this again, it's a personal question. Have I accepted the invitation that God has given? Again, getting back to the analogy of a wedding invitation, I can accept a wedding invitation when I get it in the mail. RSVP, yeah, I'm coming. I want meal to, whatever.
But if I don't make plans to get the plane ticket.
[00:13:36] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:13:36] Speaker B: If I don't get on the plane to go there, if I don't wake up that day to go to the event, it's more than just a yeah, I want to go. It's a lifetime of steps towards going.
[00:13:50] Speaker A: Preparing for the wedding is a lifestyle.
I like the way you put it. Accepting just initially the invitation is important, but is not enough.
Accepting the invitation should transform our lives, reset our priorities, refocus everything we do. Of course, we still have to buy oxen and buy land and get married. We still have to do that, but they should be aligned with a higher priority. That is, to make it into the kingdom, into the banquet hall.
[00:14:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:30] Speaker A: Let's pray.
[00:14:31] Speaker B: Father God, we want to make it to that banquet hall. We want to be in heaven on that day when Jesus comes.
And, Father, I pray that you will help us each and every day to work towards being prepared. We want to accept the invitation, Father, but we do not want to be like those who are then too busy.
They can't come right now. Come back later. We want to be those who are ready today, ready always, to go to the banquet and be present. So please come into our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.
