Called to the Feast.—Luke 14:15-35

Notes

1. The injunction never to guess at the meaning of Scripture is needed in connection with unexplained parables more than anywhere else. In this case the connection shows us some, at least, of the lessons we may learn. Jesus was speaking about the resurrection at His second coming, when He Himself has said that He will gird Himself and serve His own guests. Moreover, the remark that was prompted by the reference to the resurrection, and which in turn prompted the parable, was, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." Therefore we know that the parable represents the Lord's invitation to men to eat bread in His kingdom. Without trying to fix a location in point of time to the various calls to supper, we may note the following obvious lessons:—

(a) God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, as heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5), not because He is partial, for He bids "whosoever will" to come, but because the most of those who have great earthly possessions are content with them, and also because whoever has wealth must become poor for the sake of Christ. See Luke 14:33; 2 Cor. 8:9.

(b) We may learn the danger of making excuses. Those who make excuses now will by and by find themselves without excuse; for the fact that one makes an excuse proves that he has had a sufficient call. Those who believe do not make excuses, and they partake of the feast.

(c) We may learn a lesson of comfort and hope from the urgency of the Master of the feast. It was imperative that He have guests to His feast. "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief; again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time; as it is said, To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 4:6, 7. God has sworn by Himself that His house shall be filled. He has sent the invitation to everybody, but most have rejected it. But His honor is at stake, and His oath cannot be broken, and so the feast must be supplied with guests. God has more at stake than any man can have. And so there is none so poor and wretched but that he will be accepted as a guest. Such are begged and entreated to come. They will make as worthy guests as any, since the robe and all the fitness that is necessary are supplied by the Lord. It is He that "hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Col. 1:12.

2. "If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." The same Spirit that uttered these words also inspired the apostle Paul to write, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25); and, "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 1 Tim. 5:8. The Spirit does not contradict itself. Let Christ's own words, as recorded in Matt. 10:37, be the comment on the meaning of the word "hate" in the text in the lesson. "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." That love which leads a soul away from Christ is to be forsaken.