Luke 14:13-14 "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the
blind. And you will be blessed; for they cannot repay you: for you
shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
Soon after Jesus had finished these words, He precedes to tell the
parable of the great supper, in which a certain man prepared a great supper and bade many to come. At supper time he sent his servant to bid them to "Come; for all things are now ready." Yet, "they all with one consent began to make excuse."
Upon word of this, the master became angry and said to his servant, "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed, and the lame, and the blind." But yet there was still room. So he sent his servant once more and again and told him, "Go out into the highways and the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
There are several points that Jesus was trying to get across to His
audience of that day and to us today.
First, is that how the Jews had rejected His invitation to the Feast
of the LORD. Here is God's chosen people whom He had brought up out of bondage in Egypt to the fertile and lush land of Canaan. They ate from crops that they did not plant and slept in houses that they did not build. Yet, in spite of the warnings from God, they became entangled with the people and pagan culture of the land. And because of such when God invited them to come and sup (commune) with Him in the person of Jesus Christ they rejected Him and were rejected by God.
So God sent His servant once more out into the streets and lanes to bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame,and the blind. These groups represent those who were not able to stand under the customs and traditions that were imposed under the law, but were still a part of the Jewish family.
But He also sent His servant into the highways and hedges to compel those to come who were not Jews (a.k.a. the Gentiles) to come.
Why these two classes of people? Well, this can be explained better if we bring this story a little closer to home. You see when I was out in the world I depended upon my self and thought my strength was sufficient to carry me through, but most of all I would not answer the call of the LORD delivered by His servants to come to the supper and commune with Him.
Yet, the time came that I was not able to stand upon my own. Sin had left me spiritually bankrupt, maimed, lamed, and blinded from the things of God. But a merciful and gracious God issued an effectual call to His servant to Go out into the streets, lanes, highways, hedges and may I add the clubs, the bars and the drug dens. WHY? That He might compel and bring to the supper all those chosen by God. For you see many are called but few are chosen.
The master chose to bring those to the supper who stood in need. They had nothing to give in return, but it was only by His grace.
Thank God that in spite of not being worthy to come in His presence that by His grace and His mercy I was compelled to come into the feast of the LORD. (In fact, I had no desire to come, but God changed my heart to desire the things of God.)
What does this have to do with our verse this morning? Well, since
God has show His grace to us by giving us something we did not
deserve, we too are to do the same. None of us got to where we are on our on, but only by the grace and mercy of an Almighty God. Tell me why is it that we have a job and others don't? Why is it that some of those same friends that many of us hung with in the world are still there...bond up and tied up in sin, but yet God has called us out? Why is it that we are not sleeping under a bridge or living out of a dumpster? WHY??? GOD'S AMAZING GRACE!!!
And the final word on our scripture today is from Verse 14 which says, "And you will be blessed" because to do so is showing forth the same love that God has shown to you and your reward is in heaven.
Truly, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God."
(Luke 14:15)
We must be careful how we treat people for we who have received God's Amazing Grace should be the most gracious people in the world.
Have Blessed Day...Be PRAYERFUL and THANKFUL for all things!!!
Edward Price