The Parable of The Great Banquet
Today we are learning some more about God’s Kingdom. This kingdom is a country or nation where God is the king and his people all love and obey him. The place everyone lives is called Heaven, but the people are not all there yet. The people who are citizens of this country are called Christians! Being part of this kingdom is like trying to get a valuable treasure - you’d do anything to get it!
The parable today is Jesus story about people who can be part of God’s Kingdom; people who are allowed to be Christians. Jesus used the story about a banquet to explain who will be able to enter into God’s Kingdom in Heaven.
A banquet is a word for a party with a fancy sit down meal, which would have been a very special treat, and you would only host a party like that for people you really love and respect. Have you ever had a party? A lot of work goes into making it happen.
I hosted a party on the weekend for my sister in law Richelle who turned 50 during Covid and now that our lockdown laws in Australia have eased, we were able to celebrate. Richelle invited all of her friends and paid for their food and drink. We worked hard for all her friends to have a lovely time, shopping, cooking and getting the house ready and looking nice. We wouldn’t invite anyone, only people who Richelle wanted to come.
What do you think?
When someone holds out a present for you, all wrapped up beautifully, what do you do?
Do you say, “No thanks, I don’t want that present?”
Do you take the present and open it?
Imagine someone hasn’t wrapped their present for you, but is holding a family ticket to Disney World, including flights, hotel and everything you need to this holiday of a lifetime. What do you do, what is your reaction? I can imagine my kids screaming until my ears were ringing, running around the house like lunatics and then talking about it every spare minute until we actually went.
Could you imagine doing that?
Or would you opt for not going? Would you turn down the offer?
Have you ever gotten tickets for something or an invitation to something and then not actually gone? Why didn’t you go? Were you busy when it was on, or did you have something else you’d rather be doing?
My husband Brad got tickets to a comedian and I couldn’t go with him as I couldn’t find a babysitter that night. He asked heaps of people who couldn’t go either. Some were busy, others just didn’t want to go.
Story Time!
Brad had tickets to see a comedian but I couldn't come! He asked a variety of friends but many didn't want to join him.
Bible Passage - Luke 14:15-25
“After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, “The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God’s kingdom!”
Jesus told him:
A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, “Everything is ready! Please come.”
One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, “I bought some land, and I’ve got to look it over. Please excuse me.”
Another guest said, “I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me.”
Still another guest said, “I have just gotten married, and I can’t be there.”
The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry that he said, “Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or crippled or blind or lame.”
When the servant returned, he said, “Master, I’ve done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people.”
His master then told him, “Go out along the back roads and fence rows and make people come in, so that my house will be full. Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!”
While there is no explanation for this parabe in the Bible, we can tell that Jesus is the man who gave the banquet. The banquet is Heaven. The people invited are all the people on earth.
Jesus invites us all to come to heaven. But we don’t all want to come. We all need to accept his invitation, like you accept a friends party invitation or when it’s your birthday you accept a gift.
The thing is, this gift of God’s Kingdom is better than any other gift you’re ever going to get! It’s better than a trip to Disney World, better than any party. All you have to do to get this gift is like any other gift - you have to accept it. To accept this gift, you need to repent of your sins and you need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for those sins.
Question Time!
Why is Jesus’ invitation the best invitation that you are ever going to get?
Why do you think some people would not want to accept Jesus’ invitation?
What about you, will you accept Jesus’ invitation?
