Proverbs 9:1-10; Ephesians 2:13-22; St Luke 14:15-24
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen,
Last Sunday you heard of a certain Rich Man who feast sumptuously every day, hosting lavish banquets for his friends and guest, while the poor beggar Lazarus, starved at his gate. Today you hear a parable of a Master of a House who hosts a great banquet in which he invites all the poor, the lame, the crippled, the blind, the destitute and outcasts. The differences between the meal of the Rich Man of the world and the supper of the Man from heaven could not be more expansive. And they illustrate the extravagant grace and radical nature of the Gospel compared to the so-called good news of the world.
For the context of this parable is itself a meal; a Sabbath dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation of a ruler of the Pharisees to attend seder at his house after church. And they were watching Him closely. Waiting, hoping to see if he’d trip up, embarrass Himself, violate the Sabbath. They lured Him there under false pretenses. They wanted to trap Him. First He healed a man with dropsy; the poor wretch. Jesus had mercy on him like a child who has fallen into a pit and cannot get out. He gave him relief.
Then He told a parable of a wedding feast in which a man who thought highly of himself took the seat of honor at the table, but was publicly embarrassed and forced to move, with shame, to the lowest place. Jesus’ isn’t writing a another chapter to the famous The Gentlemen’s Book of Etiquette and Manuel of Politeness. When to remove your hat and which fork to use isn’t really what He has in mind here. He’s speaking of the Great Banquet of the Kingdom of Heaven. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
So it is for this parable, too. Jesus isn’t giving a lesson in manners and proper etiquette regarding RSVPs to events. He is catechizing about the nature of the Kingdom and the supreme importance of its priority. Where you eat and with whom you matters. It matters eternally.
Consider the first meal ever enjoyed in Holy Scripture. Not so much a meal as an appetizer. Nevertheless, a single course that had dreadfully everlasting consequences. In dining with the devil, eating the poisoned apple of the Tempter, Adam and Eve not only plunged all creation into the deep sleep of death, awaiting the resurrection kiss of the Prince of Peace, but in so doing forsook true table fellowship with the Lord of the House, the King of all Creation. One small meal had profound impact.
And so it went throughout the history of Israel; whether God was setting the Table with the Passover Lamb or the Elder’s Picnic on Mount Sinai, Israel continually turned away from the great banquet of the Lord for the rotten leftovers from Satan’s foul refrigerator. They made excuses. The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate. The serpent deceived me and I ate. The Egyptians had meat pots and cucumbers. Nabaoth’s vineyard made the best wine. And on and on it went.
So it goes. I bought a field. I contracted some farm animals. I married a wife. Translation: The land, the family vacation is calling. I’ve been swamped with work. The wife made other plans. Excuses. Pitiful excuses. But such is the wisdom of the world. Pure foolishness in the eyes of the Lord.
Worse than that, such excuses incur the wrath of Almighty God. The Master of the House gets angry. Fine. Don’t come. In His wholly justified, righteous anger, He cuts them off. None of those men who were invited shall taste My banquet. You reject God, He rejects you. You harden your heart to His Word and promise, to His invitation to join in heaven’s feast, then He’ll harden it even more for you.
This is the dark side to the Gospel. The nature of the two edged sword of God’s Word. This is how it was at Augsburg, this day in 1530. Melanchthon and the princes simultaneously believed and confessed and rejected and condemned. God’s Word is always Law and Gospel. He wants everyone at His banquet, in His kingdom, but some refuse and don’t come. Some out of ignorance, other out of obstinacy, either way its just foolishness. Keep praying for such folks, invite them, share the Gospel with them, but expect hostility. Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
So the Lord and Master moves on. His invitation won’t last forever. God’s Word is like a passing rain shower, Luther said. Ignore it, despise it, abuse it, neglect and reject it, He’ll take it away and move it somewhere else. We’re witnessing this reality in our own day: in the rise of orthodox, confessional Christian churches in the Global South. The Western world is no longer the epicenter of Christianity. Its moved on. Africans are sending missionaries to America now.
In a similar parable the Master of the House, this time the Owner of the Vineyard, destroyed those who rejected His Word. The wrath of the Father is real. God punishes sin. He will not hold the man guiltless who rejects His Word and promise. His invitation to join the Great Banquet isn’t an empty gesture or party favor. This parable is a warning.
Repentance is needed. We have all made excuses. Flimsy, pitiful excuses. We have hated God and despised His Word. I know it doesn’t seem like it. It seems only like we’ve enjoyed land and animals and marriage. And those are good things. But beware putting the good above the best. Of enjoying the gifts for this life rather than rejoicing in the Gift of Life. For God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, but His wrath is being stored up for the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly (2 Pt 3:7).
Repent. But do not despair. For the Father delights in you. And the full force of His wrath against unbelief and sin has been meted out upon the Son. He fattened up His own Son, stuffed Him full of your sin and rejection and excuses and despising of His Word and roasted Him on the fire of His fury. Now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
Israel rejected His invitation, but He has sent out His servants to preach peace to you who were far off; peace to you Gentiles living in the ghetto lanes of your sin and the alleys of your unrighteousness. His word of invitation goes out to you who were living desolate outside the walls; scared and alone, not even fully aware of the danger surrounding you. Come. For this is the invitation of Christ Jesus Himself, the invitation to the Great Banquet of the Kingdom.
It doesn’t matter from where you came or what you have left behind. You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens in the eternal City, the New Jerusalem. At whose center is the new and greater Temple made without hands, the very Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ, who is also the Cornerstone. In Him you have access once more to the Father, the Master of the House, the Lord of the Feast, who wants you at His Table.
For some of you the invitation was received in childhood, infancy, when you were clothed with the wedding garment of righteousness in Holy Baptism and welcomed into the Banquet. For others you came later in life, following many struggles and difficulties. We’re overjoyed you’re here.
But still the call goes out. The poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, we, beggars all, have been brought in from the highways and hedges, compelled from our street corner addictions and rescued from our own destruction. And still there is room!
For true Wisdom keeps calling. Her servants keep going out to the ends of the earth until the end of time. The Father wants the house to be filled. Filled with the joy and laughter of children seated around His Table, feasting on His sumptuous banquet.
Come. Everything is ready. Eat the bread that is the Body of Christ. Drink of the wine that is His Blood. Come. The fiery sword of the cherubim guarding Eden’s Gate has been quenched in the Blood of the Lamb. You are at peace with the Father and with one another. Fellowship is restored. Be blessed to eat the Bread that is the very Kingdom of God.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen,
Last Sunday you heard of a certain Rich Man who feast sumptuously every day, hosting lavish banquets for his friends and guest, while the poor beggar Lazarus, starved at his gate. Today you hear a parable of a Master of a House who hosts a great banquet in which he invites all the poor, the lame, the crippled, the blind, the destitute and outcasts. The differences between the meal of the Rich Man of the world and the supper of the Man from heaven could not be more expansive. And they illustrate the extravagant grace and radical nature of the Gospel compared to the so-called good news of the world.
For the context of this parable is itself a meal; a Sabbath dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation of a ruler of the Pharisees to attend seder at his house after church. And they were watching Him closely. Waiting, hoping to see if he’d trip up, embarrass Himself, violate the Sabbath. They lured Him there under false pretenses. They wanted to trap Him. First He healed a man with dropsy; the poor wretch. Jesus had mercy on him like a child who has fallen into a pit and cannot get out. He gave him relief.
Then He told a parable of a wedding feast in which a man who thought highly of himself took the seat of honor at the table, but was publicly embarrassed and forced to move, with shame, to the lowest place. Jesus’ isn’t writing a another chapter to the famous The Gentlemen’s Book of Etiquette and Manuel of Politeness. When to remove your hat and which fork to use isn’t really what He has in mind here. He’s speaking of the Great Banquet of the Kingdom of Heaven. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
So it is for this parable, too. Jesus isn’t giving a lesson in manners and proper etiquette regarding RSVPs to events. He is catechizing about the nature of the Kingdom and the supreme importance of its priority. Where you eat and with whom you matters. It matters eternally.
Consider the first meal ever enjoyed in Holy Scripture. Not so much a meal as an appetizer. Nevertheless, a single course that had dreadfully everlasting consequences. In dining with the devil, eating the poisoned apple of the Tempter, Adam and Eve not only plunged all creation into the deep sleep of death, awaiting the resurrection kiss of the Prince of Peace, but in so doing forsook true table fellowship with the Lord of the House, the King of all Creation. One small meal had profound impact.
And so it went throughout the history of Israel; whether God was setting the Table with the Passover Lamb or the Elder’s Picnic on Mount Sinai, Israel continually turned away from the great banquet of the Lord for the rotten leftovers from Satan’s foul refrigerator. They made excuses. The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate. The serpent deceived me and I ate. The Egyptians had meat pots and cucumbers. Nabaoth’s vineyard made the best wine. And on and on it went.
So it goes. I bought a field. I contracted some farm animals. I married a wife. Translation: The land, the family vacation is calling. I’ve been swamped with work. The wife made other plans. Excuses. Pitiful excuses. But such is the wisdom of the world. Pure foolishness in the eyes of the Lord.
Worse than that, such excuses incur the wrath of Almighty God. The Master of the House gets angry. Fine. Don’t come. In His wholly justified, righteous anger, He cuts them off. None of those men who were invited shall taste My banquet. You reject God, He rejects you. You harden your heart to His Word and promise, to His invitation to join in heaven’s feast, then He’ll harden it even more for you.
This is the dark side to the Gospel. The nature of the two edged sword of God’s Word. This is how it was at Augsburg, this day in 1530. Melanchthon and the princes simultaneously believed and confessed and rejected and condemned. God’s Word is always Law and Gospel. He wants everyone at His banquet, in His kingdom, but some refuse and don’t come. Some out of ignorance, other out of obstinacy, either way its just foolishness. Keep praying for such folks, invite them, share the Gospel with them, but expect hostility. Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
So the Lord and Master moves on. His invitation won’t last forever. God’s Word is like a passing rain shower, Luther said. Ignore it, despise it, abuse it, neglect and reject it, He’ll take it away and move it somewhere else. We’re witnessing this reality in our own day: in the rise of orthodox, confessional Christian churches in the Global South. The Western world is no longer the epicenter of Christianity. Its moved on. Africans are sending missionaries to America now.
In a similar parable the Master of the House, this time the Owner of the Vineyard, destroyed those who rejected His Word. The wrath of the Father is real. God punishes sin. He will not hold the man guiltless who rejects His Word and promise. His invitation to join the Great Banquet isn’t an empty gesture or party favor. This parable is a warning.
Repentance is needed. We have all made excuses. Flimsy, pitiful excuses. We have hated God and despised His Word. I know it doesn’t seem like it. It seems only like we’ve enjoyed land and animals and marriage. And those are good things. But beware putting the good above the best. Of enjoying the gifts for this life rather than rejoicing in the Gift of Life. For God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, but His wrath is being stored up for the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly (2 Pt 3:7).
Repent. But do not despair. For the Father delights in you. And the full force of His wrath against unbelief and sin has been meted out upon the Son. He fattened up His own Son, stuffed Him full of your sin and rejection and excuses and despising of His Word and roasted Him on the fire of His fury. Now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
Israel rejected His invitation, but He has sent out His servants to preach peace to you who were far off; peace to you Gentiles living in the ghetto lanes of your sin and the alleys of your unrighteousness. His word of invitation goes out to you who were living desolate outside the walls; scared and alone, not even fully aware of the danger surrounding you. Come. For this is the invitation of Christ Jesus Himself, the invitation to the Great Banquet of the Kingdom.
It doesn’t matter from where you came or what you have left behind. You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens in the eternal City, the New Jerusalem. At whose center is the new and greater Temple made without hands, the very Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ, who is also the Cornerstone. In Him you have access once more to the Father, the Master of the House, the Lord of the Feast, who wants you at His Table.
For some of you the invitation was received in childhood, infancy, when you were clothed with the wedding garment of righteousness in Holy Baptism and welcomed into the Banquet. For others you came later in life, following many struggles and difficulties. We’re overjoyed you’re here.
But still the call goes out. The poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, we, beggars all, have been brought in from the highways and hedges, compelled from our street corner addictions and rescued from our own destruction. And still there is room!
For true Wisdom keeps calling. Her servants keep going out to the ends of the earth until the end of time. The Father wants the house to be filled. Filled with the joy and laughter of children seated around His Table, feasting on His sumptuous banquet.
Come. Everything is ready. Eat the bread that is the Body of Christ. Drink of the wine that is His Blood. Come. The fiery sword of the cherubim guarding Eden’s Gate has been quenched in the Blood of the Lamb. You are at peace with the Father and with one another. Fellowship is restored. Be blessed to eat the Bread that is the very Kingdom of God.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
RSS Feed