And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Since our Lord's words seemed to hold forth the future "recompense" under the idea of a great Feast, the thought passes through this man's mind, how blessed they would be who should be honoured to sit down to it. A pious exclamation it seemed to be; but, from our Lord's reply, it would appear to have sounded in His ears more like Balaam's wish, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his" (Numbers 23:10) - a wish only to be safe and happy at last, while rejecting all present invitations to turn to God and live. 'The Great Feast of which you sigh to partake,' says our Lord, 'is prepared already: the invitations are issued, but declined: the Feast, notwithstanding, shall have guests enough, and the table shall be filled: but when its present contemners come to sue for admission to it-as they will yet do-not one of them shall taste of it.