When we were looking at this passage from Luke in a more reflection mode at Rest a couple of weeks ago, I suggested that we imagine a banquet, our favourite food, the things that really get our taste buds tingling. I wonder what that might be for you. I wonder what your go to celebration meal is \u2013 do you have a favourite place to go and eat with friends and family to celebrate. In our household there are gradations of celebration. If we want to celebrate something minor, like the end of a school term, then we\u2019ll order in a Dominos pizza. Birthdays are marked with croissants and pain au chocolat for breakfast and birthday cake for tea. Special birthdays or anniversaries we will go to a favourite Indian restaurant. I wonder what it is in your house, with your friends. <\/p>\n
I hesitate to claim that something is universal, because there are always exceptions to any generalisation, but it does seem to me that celebrating by eating together is probably as close to a universal experience as you can get. Most human cultures across the world and through history have marked special occasions by eating some kind of special meal together. We see the range of this in the Bible, from huge feasts lasting several days to mark coronations, religious festivals, or just parties, to simple meals of grilled fish on a beach \u2013 eating together is a thread that runs through many of the accounts of life the are recorded in the Bible. <\/p>\n
Given the near universal expression of eating together and feasting as a cultural phenomenon, it is hardly surprising that the Biblical writers draw on this image as one that can help us connect with what life with the goodness and abundance of God\u2019s provision for us, both in this life and in the life to come. <\/p>\n
A good example of this is found in Psalm 36, v5-9<\/p>\n
“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
\nIn this great poem, praising God, we get the great virtues of God \u2013 love, faithfulness, justice, as we might expect, but in the same list is the feast of the abundance of God\u2019s house. God\u2019s generosity and abundance are as core to who God is as are love, faithfulness, and justice. Which means that feasting in the kingdom \u2013 making the most of God\u2019s generosity – is as much an expression of a faithful Christian life as our responses to God\u2019s love, faithfulness and justice. Yes, of course, our response to God\u2019s generosity to us will be generosity to others, but it will also include enjoying that generosity. We feast ourselves, as well as inviting others to join the feast.” <\/p>\n
As we move into the book of the prophet Isaiah, we find images of the feast that Go d is preparing. We might want to think about whether these prophecies are intended to be an image of the restored earthly kingdom of Israel, post exile, or whether they are intended to be images of the final restoration of the Kingdom of God over the whole of creation. Perhaps it\u2019s both. Either way, we can draw out some of the characteristics of what God\u2019s rule and reign look like, on earth and in heaven.
\nIn Isaiah 25: 6-8 we read: <\/p>\n
“6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
\n a feast of rich food for all peoples,
\na banquet of aged wine\u2014
\n the best of meats and the finest of wines.
\n7 On this mountain he will destroy
\n the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
\nthe sheet that covers all nations;
\n8 he will swallow up death forever.
\nThe Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
\n from all faces;
\nhe will remove his people\u2019s disgrace
\n from all the earth.
\nThe Lord has spoken.”<\/p>\n
This description of the feast that God is preparing is particularly interesting because of the universality of the guest list. And it\u2019s not a hint, or a single appearance, it runs through the whole picture, it is at its heart. It\u2019s for all peoples. God is going to destroy the shroud enfolding all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations. Tears will be wiped away from all faces. Towards the end the focus shifts back to God\u2019s people, but it seems to me that there is a strong link made here between the universal invitation to the feast, and the removing of the disgrace from God\u2019s people. We will return to this later.
\nIn Isaiah 55:1-2 we read:<\/p>\n
\u201cCome, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money,
\n come, buy and eat!
\nCome, buy wine and milk
\n without money and without cost.
\n2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
\n and your labour on what does not satisfy?
\nListen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
\n and you will delight in the richest of fare.<\/p>\n
Again, we note the universality of the invitation, \u201ccome, all\u2026.\u201d Here, though our minds our drawn to Jesus\u2019 proclamation in the temple courts at the feast of the tabernacles, recorded in John chapter 7, when he stood up and said, \u201cLet anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.\u201d This, in turn, repeats what Jesus had said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, and what he had said to the crowd after the feeding of the thousands in John 6. He is the source of living water, he is the bread of life, he is the feast that satisfies and keeps spiritual hunger and thirst at bay. More than that, the living water then flows from us to others. As we enjoy the feast, so we are empowered and enabled to draw others to the feast.
\nThere are many other examples of feasts and festivals in the Old Testament, often linked to the sacrificial system. This link is seen clearly in the accounts of the first Passover. The people of God were enslaved in Egypt, and God had sent Moses to free them from this enslavement. On the night before they were going to escape, they celebrated the first passover. Through Moses, God tells the people that each household is to take a lamb and slaughter it. Then we read this in Exodus 12:7-8:<\/p>\n
\u201cThen they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sacrifice and feasting go together. The lamb is sacrificed, the blood is used to mark the doors, and then the people share the meal together. Later on, after the people have escaped, and God gives the commandments of how they are to live together, and how they are to worship, this duality continues. Most of the produce that was brought to be sacrificed \u2013 meat, grain, oil, wine, was then eaten by the priests or the people who brought it. Some of it was burnt up, but most of it was eaten \u2013 feasted upon. As we read through the Old Testament we find this pattern repeatedly, a pattern which is picked up by Jesus at the Last Supper, also a passover feast, and continued on in our communion services.<\/p>\n
And so, we come to the New Testament, and our passage for this evening, from Luke 14. But, before we dive further into that, I think we will need to go back a bit first. What does the first line of this passage say? \u201cOne of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him\u2026.\u201d Hold on a minute, we\u2019re at a dinner with guests, that might be important. And what is it that this guest has heard that has prompted him to say something to Jesus? That might be important as well. So, let\u2019s go back to the beginning of chapter 14 and see what\u2019s been happening. <\/p>\n
As we do, we discover that Jesus has been invited to a Sabbath meal at the house of the leader of the Pharisees. This is a big deal. According to the Talmud, observant Jews should eat three meals on the Sabbath \u2013 one on Friday evening to mark its beginning, and two on the Saturday. We don\u2019t know which of these it was, but all three had religious and social implications. This wasn\u2019t just someone being invited to Sunday lunch, in Jewish culture expressions of faith were integrated into family life. You didn\u2019t go to synagogue for the primary expression of Sabbath – you marked it with your household in your home. Feasting and faith intertwined. <\/p>\n
We know that Jesus and the Pharisees didn\u2019t always see eye to eye, but for some reason this leader of the Pharisees wanted to invite this wandering rabbi and miracle worker to his home for a Sabbath meal. Jesus had accepted the invitation, but wasn\u2019t in the mood to make things easy for his host. <\/p>\n
He starts off by challenging the Pharisee\u2019s understanding of the Sabbath, and their application of the Sabbath law. He sees a man living with dropsy, and asks the question, \u201cis it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath or not?\u201d They refuse to answer, so Jesus heals the man. In passing, we note that Jesus took the man away to do this. Perhaps to give him some dignity and privacy, not just an exhibition in the Jesus\u2019 show, but a person who Jesus saw and loved. When Jesus returns he again challenges the other guests on their understanding of the Sabbath law. They were happy enough to share the physical food on the Sabbath, but would they truly revel in God\u2019s abundant provision, and would they allow everyone to enjoy the overflow of that provision?<\/p>\n
Jesus hasn\u2019t finished making them uncomfortable though. He\u2019s got a couple of other points to make. I wonder if you\u2019ve ever had to do a seating plan. The only one I\u2019ve ever had to do was for our wedding. I seem to recall sitting there with lots of bits of paper with names on, and a plan of the tables, working out who would get on with whom, who should be at which table closest to the high table, last minute changes as people dropped out or family members asked if they could bring their new partner. I\u2019m glad I\u2019ve only had to do it once. <\/p>\n
It seems that the significance of where people get to sit at special meals is almost as universal in different cultures as the feasts themselves. It surely was in Jesus\u2019 day. Jesus uses this as an illustration of humility in practice. Surely, he says, it is better to take a low seat and be invited up, than to take a high seat, and be asked to move down. But he doesn\u2019t stop there, not only should we be humble about our place in society, but we should extend the invitation to our parties, our meals, beyond those who would normally fit in at our table. We shouldn\u2019t just invite those who can invite us back, but should invite those who could never repay our hospitality, to those who would not even, normally, have even the lowest place at the table because they wouldn\u2019t even be in the room. We might be repaid in this world, but at the resurrection feast, surely there will be reward for those who do this, says Jesus.<\/p>\n
And it is this that the dinner guest at the beginning of our reading this evening is responding to. Jesus has been talking about earthly feasts and meals, with a link forward to the great feast of heaven, and this guest picks up on the link and says, \u201cBlessed is anyone who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Which, in turn, acts as spring board for Jesus to tell another uncomfortable parable, of a great dinner to which many are invited, but not everyone attends.<\/p>\n
The first thing to notice is the double invitation. At that time it would have taken some time to produce a great feast. Animals would have had to be sourced, selected, prepared, cooked. The initial invitation would have been sent to get an idea of who was coming, so that the right amount of food could be prepared. It\u2019s like the \u201csave the date\u201d invitations that get sent for weddings and other celebrations nowadays. Now it\u2019s time for the \u201ccome and get it\u201d invitation \u2013 that goes out to those who have already indicated that they will attend. <\/p>\n
As Jesus told this story, it is likely that there would have been gasps, and perhaps the odd giggle. The excuses of those who aren\u2019t going to come are flimsy to say the least. No-one sensible buys land without seeing it, or oxen without trying them. It is highly unlikely that a wedding would have been arranged at such short notice that the bridegroom would have been unable to let the host know at the initial invitation that he couldn\u2019t attend. These are deliberate and rude snubs of the host. As one commentator writes,<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever one makes of their excuses, their refusal to join the great dinner is a social strategy the effect of which is the host\u2019s defamation\u201d <\/p>\n
The host is furious, and sends his slaves out, to go and find guests who will come, who do want to share in the feast. They do this, and bring people in, but there is still room, so they are sent out to bring more in \u2013 this time from the country side. The host even tells his slaves to compel them to come in. <\/p>\n
Now, this idea of compulsion is an interesting one. What does it mean to compel people to come to the feast, especially if we\u2019re thinking that the feast represents God\u2019s Kingdom in some sense? I\u2019m not sure, but the explanation that seems to make most sense to me links back to what Jesus was saying earlier about inviting people to parties who could never return the favour. I wonder if you\u2019ve ever had the experience of inviting someone to something, only to have them refuse because they didn\u2019t think they could return the invitation. Sometimes, people are worried that they are not good enough, that they don\u2019t deserve it, that they will never be able to repay it, that they will be out of place, and they need fairly strong persuasion, even compelling, to come in. <\/p>\n
The parable finishes with Jesus strong statement, \u201cnone of those who were invited will taste my dinner\u201d Which given that the parable was prompted by one of the other guests saying, \u201cblessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God.\u201d might have caused some consternation around the table. <\/p>\n
Now, one of the most common readings of this parable over the years has been to understand the recipients of the first invitation as the religious Jews. They had received the initial invitation to the feast through the prophets, and now Jesus is here, telling them that the feast is ready, and they are declining the invitation in a rude and insulting manner. The invitation then goes out to the irreligious Jews, those in the city \u2013 the publicans and sinners Jesus spent time and ate with. Then, the invitation also goes out to the Gentiles, those in the country side. And it is these, the unexpected who end up at the feast, instead of those who expected to be there, indeed who expected to be seated at the highest seats there. <\/p>\n
This reading does make sense, and it does fit with much of Jesus\u2019 other teaching. There, however some problems with it. Given what we read earlier in Isaiah about the universality of God\u2019s invitation to the feast, does it make sense for the others only to have received the invitation as a result of the refusal to attend of the first invitees? Does it suggest that God only invited us to the party because of anger with those who snubbed the initial invite? <\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure that these are fatal objections, perhaps they are just reminders that we are dealing with a parable, and we can get in trouble if we try and apply every aspect of the characters in the parables to the realities that they broadly represent. <\/p>\n
So, as we\u2019ve dived into this passage, and the wider ideas of feasting and banquets in the Bible, where have we ended up? What might we take out of this for our lives? It may be that as we\u2019ve been exploring God has been putting something particular on your heart, and if so I encourage you to continue to reflect on it, and respond to it in the coming week. I have two particular suggestions to make as we come to a conclusion.<\/p>\n
Firstly let\u2019s consider our response to God\u2019s invitation to enjoy feasting. It seems to me that this invitation is not just to a single feast, but to the ongoing enjoyment of God\u2019s abundant generosity. This includes, but is not restricted to, our response to the invitation to the heavenly and eternal banquet. Yes, our response to Jesus invitation to repent and follow him is important, but God\u2019s feast doesn\u2019t begin in the future. It has already begun. Are we enjoying it today? This isn\u2019t to say that there aren\u2019t challenges, painful times, suffering \u2013 not everything is always great, yet. Even given this, however, it seems to me that we can aim to cultivate an attitude that inclines towards enjoying the good things that God has given us, celebrating God\u2019s generosity to us.<\/p>\n
The second thing for us to consider is our readiness to invite others to join the feasting. This has very down to earth, practical applications. Will we open our homes and tables to those outside our normal social circle and comfort zones? Our invitations to people to join God\u2019s feast are likely to ring hollow if we are not willing to invite them to join in our own meals. An invitation to Sunday lunch can be a big thing, so if you need to start small \u2013 going for a coffee or a pint, sharing a table in the work\u2019s canteen for lunch. One of the best ways to show God\u2019s hospitality to all is to be hospitable to all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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