THE GREAT SUPPER
‘A certain man made a great supper, and bade many.’
It is very instructive to mark the conduct of our Blessed Lord in His intercourse with worldly people. Wherever He went, He sought to do good by word as well as action.
Here we find Him at a feast (Luke 14:15), but mark how He improves the occasion (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 4:29; Malachi 3:16). As they sit around the festive board, He tells them of—
I. Another great feast that was made (Luke 14:16).—The feast of good things in the Gospel. We meet with this picture often in Scripture (Proverbs 9:1-5; Song of Solomon 5:1; Isaiah 25:6). So it was familiar to the hearers. What three things go to make up a feast? Nice company (Revelation 19:9; Revelation 21:27); good cheer (Isaiah 55:1-2; Revelation 7:16-17); great joy (Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:4). What a picture of the Gospel!
II. The invitation that was given, or rather the call made (Luke 14:17).—The guests had been invited, ‘were bidden.’ A messenger now tells them it is time to come in. We have been invited, the Spirit now says, ‘Come’ (Revelation 22:17). Notice the words of invitation—‘Come.’ Just as you are—whoever you are (Luke 15:2). ‘ All things’ (Ephesians 1:3) ‘are now ready.’ Father is ready (Luke 15:20-22); Son ready (John 6:35); Spirit ready (Micah 2:7). Are we ready? ‘ Now’—there can be no delay (2 Corinthians 6:2; Psalms 27:8; Psalms 119:60).
III. The excuses that were offered (Luke 14:18-20).—You see they all began to make excuse (Isaiah 28:12; Jeremiah 6:10; Jeremiah 6:16); but if we examine them, each is a lie. Would a man buy a piece of ground without seeing it? Would a man buy oxen without proving them! Would not a man be glad to take his wife with him? These are the excuses of earth, but what shall he say in the presence of God (Matthew 22:12)?
IV. The solemn consequences (Luke 14:21; Luke 14:24).—Those who excused themselves from accepting the call were deprived of all the privileges (Acts 13:46; John 5:40). By the Jews rejecting the grace of God, salvation is come to the Gentiles (Romans 11). It is a fearful thing to refuse God’s Word (John 6:66) or to delay its reception (Acts 24:25).
Let us take encouragement from the Word. ‘ Yet there is room’ (Luke 14:22; Psalms 130:7); room for me, room for my family, room for all I can bring—but room for no excuse.
—Bishop Rowley Hill.
Illustration
‘Unhappily, there was a large proportion of those amongst whom our Lord moved who had nothing to say to the message one way or the other. It never stirred within them one genuine feeling of repentance, never excited a single hope. They were quiet, respectable folk, mostly belonging to the commercial and comfortable classes, but too much engrossed in commerce or home to have any real sense of the next world. The next world, when they had so much to occupy them about this! The world of imagination and fancy, instead of the world of fact! The world of God, instead of the world of man! No; they were too matter-of-fact, too practical—had too much common sense to be thinking about imaginary suppers when the actual work of the world had to be done! They had nothing against it; it was all very beautiful and attractive and interesting, and doubtless very true, but then, it was not business. They liked the Preacher—He was so good, spoke in such a wonderful way, was so earnest—but the message, well, it was all very well for Him, Who had no calling in life, no family to maintain, but for themselves, frankly impossible.’