Second
Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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O
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LORD, who never failest to help and govern those whom thou dost bring
up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under the
protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and
love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
15 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.
16 Then
said he unto him, A certain man made a great
supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his
servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things
are now ready. 18 And they all with one
consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of
ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen,
and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come. 21 So that
servant came, and shewed his lord these things. 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 hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the
blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord,
it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the
highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which
were bidden shall taste of my supper. (Luke 14:15-24)
This parable of today's text was given at the home of one of the chief
Pharisees who had invited Christ to supper. It is doubtless that the invitation
was made out of a cordial courtesy, but out of a contemptuous curiosity to
learn more of how they might entrap the Son of God.
The comment that precedes the parable is noteworthy of the casual piety with
which many regard the means of salvation. Blessed is he that shall eat
bread in the kingdom of God. The one posing the comment
doubtlessly considered himself to be one of those blessed ones who would eat of
that Bread in Heaven. Many of us simply assume that we shall be among the
number and smugly look around at those whose destiny we may consider in doubt.
The comment of Balaam seems to best describe this lot: Who can count the
dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! (Num 23:10)
The statement, of course, is a profound truth, but the way in which it is
viewed from the personal perspective may be profoundly in error. Instead of
concerning ourselves about our PRESENT righteousness, we are too focused
on the end of the play – how we shall DIE! We must not occupy our time with
undue emphasis on End of Time matters, but rather with those issues of life
itself. In order to walk from Jerusalem to Damascas, we must take EVERY step in
between. Every step is as important as the last for, if one be missing, we
shall not reach Damascus.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man
made a great supper, and bade many: God is the `certain man'. The Great Supper is Heaven itself. Those
`many' invited are the fullness of the Will of God for those to fill His Heaven
at last. We do not know the number, but God certainly has a fixed knowledge of
it. God has invited a great many to that Supper. Though an invitation may be
received, it will benefit the recipient nothing at all if he fails to respond
to the invitation. ("many are called but few are chosen" Matt 20:16)
Certainly, if you hear these words and have read the Gospel, the invitation has
been extended to you. But what will you do in response to the invitation? Are
you presently too busy to come? Have you properties to look after that forbids
your coming? Are the trifling concerns of the world preventing you? Compared to
the salvation of your soul, every other consideration is trifling.
17 And sent his servant at supper
time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
Jesus is speaking to the Jewish guests who have early been invited to the Great
Supper. They have not yet, at this point in His ministry, rejected Him
officially. Those hereditary descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – not
because of bloodline and DNA, but because of geographic affinity – have been
invited first to the Great Supper. "All things are made ready" in the
great I AM – the Gift has been presented in the coming of Christ, the life of
love and labor has been completed, the sacrifice of the Great Passover has been
killed, and the first fruits of God in the Resurrection fulfilled. All is ready
at great expense of the "Certain Man" who has extended the
invitation. He is speaking, first, to those who have already received the
invitation.
18 And they all with one consent
began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground,
and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Not a few, but ALL began to make excuse with one consent. It brings the fearful
image to mind of all the Jews gathered on the paddock outside the balcony
of Pontiius Pilate screaming Crucify Him! Crucify Him! "His blood be
upon us and our children." (Matt 27:25) …and so it has been, and is today. Of what worth is a piece of ground
which belongs to a dying world whose coming fiery death is a stark reality of
prophecy? The surgeon has scheduled you for an appointment for surgery to
remove a cancer that will certainly kill you soon if not removed. Afterwards,
he is leaving for Africa for many months. What happens if you miss the
appointment? Will an acre of ground loom more importantly to you than the
life-saving surgery?
19 And another said, I have bought five
yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come. Certainly, oxen may be more important
to the depraved of faith than coming to the Great Supper in Heaven. How can one
night of nuptial bliss surpass the eternal joys of heaven. Did not God give the
oxen, the land, the wife? Yet, we have no time for HIM! What is it truly that
prevents inquiring men and women from coming all the way to Christ? It is the
deceitfulness of riches: He also that received seed among the thorns is
he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. (Matt 13:22)
Remember the shipis like the Church. It is made for the sea just as the church
is made to be in the world. But when the sea begins to get into the ship, and
the world into the church, the resulting ship wreck will be tragic. Those who
simply do not desire to serve will always have SOME excuse to delay. The longer
the delay, the greater the thorns that choke away the remaining life until…it
is too late!
Bear in mind that we do not discuss any ordinary invitation – it is issued by
the King of all Kings. Is it wise to refuse? 21 So
that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. 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 hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt,
and the blind. The
purpose of God in bringing the full number of His Elect into the Kingdom will
not be abrogated by the small wills and
weaknesses of men. He will fill His Supper with those who respond in earnest to
His invitation. – even if He must enlarge the list of those invited. So here,
in accordance with His foreknowledge and providence from the beginning, He
sends for those who will genuinely respond, outside those first invited: the
poor, the crippled, the suffering, and the blind. We all may easily fit into this
last category. Before we knew Christ, we were absolutely blind. Have any
of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? (John 7:48)
22 And
the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is
room. The angels have expanded the list, yet still there
remains room for others. Thank God that there does remain room for others, for
those others are those who read, and the one who writes, these sermon notes.
The maimed, the poor, the halt, and the blind have responded to the invitation
ahead of those prominent ones who were privileged to come and have rejected the
invitation. There is STILL room – even today!
23 And the lord said unto the
servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come
in, that my house may be filled.
God sends His ministers into the four quarters of the earth seeking
those who will respond to His gracious invitation. God will have His House
filled with those who desire Heaven more than the riches of this world….not
half-full, but wholly full with His predetermined number. The net is cast in
the darkest depths of the sea where hope was forlorn and depravity beyond
measure. The Gospel will go out to the heathen and the Gentiles. In fact, all
of the Household of Israel – those who are Children of the Promise in Abraham.
These does not require a blood heritage except the blood of Christ. It is
doubtless that the Pharisees gathered around Christ understood fully His
parable and were enraged by it. How could those vulgar Gentiles be placed ahead
of them in gaining the privilege of Heaven? How, indeed? By faith!
24 For I say unto you, That none of
those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. Heaven
will not be a home-delivery proposition. IN order to taste of its delicacies,
we must come to it by way of the Householders Son. He has bought and paid for
your invitation with His own Blood. How shall you trample His Blood underfoot
by refusing the gracious invitation to come?
Jesus has sealed your invitation with these words: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt 11:28-30)
