Just imagine. God tells you that you are the apple of His eye.
“…for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”
“He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.”
This isn’t just some poetic expression. God told the Hebrew people how much He loved them. Their safe-keeping and their blessing is His joy.
That is how God sees you and me as His sons and daughters. God not only loved the people of Israel that much, but He longs to show that love to every soul. But people still deny His tender offer. Can you imagine that?
As with all the parables, it is critical to know what has come before the story of the Great Banquet. You will also want to read what happens after this meaningful story.
As the chapter opens, Jesus has just healed a man of an illness called dropsy. It was a critical illness affecting the heart, kidneys or liver. That should give you some idea of just how sick this poor man was.
As usual, the Pharisees are looking for an excuse to arrest and kill Jesus.
…He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.
Luke 14:1
Jesus knew these wicked men were watching Him. He knew what they were thinking. They were just hoping that Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath, contrary to the Mosaic Law. They knew that He would, because Jesus always healed the sick and hurting.
But with perfect wisdom, Jesus interrupted their thoughts with a simple question. They had put themselves in an uncomfortable predicament.
Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
Luke 14:3
But they didn’t answer Him. So, Jesus asked them another question.
“Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
Luke 14:4-6
Jesus had been invited to the formal dinner, which included many notable Jews. For whatever reason, the poor, sick and outcast were allowed to mingle out of sight, but within earshot of the meal.
Jesus begins to lay the groundwork for His parable of the Great Banquet.
Jesus pointed out how the dinner guests had each chosen the best places at the table for themselves. Jesus exposed their arrogance .
What if someone even more important had joined the dinner party? The master of the dinner would have asked them to give up their honored position for the more esteemed guest. He showed them the shame they would have felt to give up their seat of honor.
Most importantly, Jesus had revealed their sinful hearts. As always, He reveals our sin so that we can find grace.
Jesus told them how much better it would be to have taken the lowliest seat at the table and then to be invited to move to a position of honor.
“…For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:11
- Do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors
- They may invite you back, and you will be repaid
- Instead, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
- You will be blessed, because they cannot repay you;
- You shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.
At least one of the men at the table got it.
Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
Luke 14:15
Keys for understanding the parable:
Who are the characters in this parable-
- The Master (God)
- The Servant (Jesus)
- The guests first invited to the banquet (The elite or the Pharisees and Israel)
- The second group of people invited (poor, outcasts, sick, and deplorable ones)
- The last group invited (Gentiles- all lost souls for whom Jesus died)
What are the key elements of the parable-
- The Great Banquet (The Kingdom of God where believers will enjoy fellowship with the Lord)
- Excuses (The world prioritized and Christ rejected)
- The Master’s anger (Eternity settled; grace rejected; judgement rendered)
- The Filled House (None of God’s elect will be missing from Heaven)
The Savior paints a graphic picture with The Parable of the Great Banquet.
Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
But they all with one accord began to make excuses.
The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
So that servant came and reported these things to his master.
Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
Luke 14:16-24
The parable flows seamlessly into the remainder of this passage. I hope you will be inspired as you read the rest of the chapter. (Luke 14:25-34)
Share the Good News in your world!
Isaiah 52:7
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 