We're All Invited to THE Wedding Banquet

And when one of those who were reclining at the table with Jesus heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" But He said to him, "A certain man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, "I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.' And another one said, ' I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' "And another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.' "And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' "And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'"
Luke 14:15-24


Don't you just love Wedding Banquets! I do, most of them, that is. Especially do I love those held locally at a historic Motel where they perform the most magnificent serving of the food to the Head Table. It is a fun time of rejoicing around the best of food, drink and friends. Oh, to have an invitation and accept to these Wedding Banquets.

Jesus invited through his pastors everyone to His Wedding Banquet, the culmination of His marriage to the Bride, the Holy Christian Church. Everyone is invited, since the only qualification is to be a card carrying sinner, and everyone meets this requirement. Who would decline such a wonderful and gracious invitation? But the snag, you see, is that many will not admit their sin and decline the invitation. Oh, they have excuses that sound contemporary and important, don't they: business, real estate, family.

The Jews who first heard this story considered all those not Jews to be unclean and thus not part of God's people. Read here: He should never hang out with them, nor invite them to anything! Thanks be to God that His thoughts and ways are not like ours as Isaiah 55 attests! When Jesus heard this he got angry and thus sends His servants of the Word to the Gentiles as well.

The poor, miserable, blind and lame refer primarily to those who are the opposite of these Jewish Pharisees and scribes who arrogantly and incorrectly think they are fine with God by their actions. These outcasts know they are not and so look for redemption somewhere else other than themselves and find it in Jesus: The Groom, who loved them and gave Himself for their sins on the cross.

The Master of the Wedding Banquet in heaven will continue to fill it with these poor, miserable sinners who trust in Jesus' blood to clothe them for the Banquet in His righteousness and purity. And it will be full! Not one will be missing! Alleluia!