* * * *
“And it came to pass, as He went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched Him. And, behold, there was a certain man before Him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And He took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer Him again to these things. And He put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when He marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Then said He also to him that bade Him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, diat my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper”—Luke 14:1-24.
* * * *
Once more we find our Lord invited out to dinner. In this instance, one of the chief Pharisees is His host. Whether he asked Jesus to dine with him and some of his friends because of a genuine interest in Him and His message, or whether he simply did it cut of curiosity, or in order to criticize His words and behavior, we are not told. In any case, Jesus accepted the invitation, and as usual He was soon the real Host rather than just a special guest. Wherever He went men had to recognize His superiority, although He was ever meek and lowly in heart. There was something so compelling about His words and His bearing that even His enemies had to acknowledge the authority with which He taught.
The other guests on this particular occasion consisted of a number of lawyers and Pharisees who were watching Jesus intently, eager to find something against Him. The opportunity soon came, for there was a poor, distressed man present on that Sabbath day, who was afflicted with the dropsy. To him the Lord’s heart went out in pity and compassion. Evidently the sick man was hopeful that the Lord would do something for him, and he was not disappointed, for Jesus turned to the other guests and asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” He knew their prejudices, and how they had found fault with Him on many previous occasions for freeing people from their diseases on the Sabbath. They were far more concerned about outward ceremonies than about the needs of a man, but when the Lord spoke directly to them, they did not commit themselves audibly. When they did not answer Him, Jesus, we are told, “took the man and healed him and let him go.” The Lord knew what was in their hearts; so turning to them He asked: “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?” They would consider it quite proper and right to deliver one of their beasts from a calamity even on the Sabbath, but they would have him ignore the needs of troubled and distressed humanity. They could not answer Him as to these things.
As there was no response on the part of the baffled lawyers and Pharisees, Jesus next addressed Himself to the guests as a whole. He observed how each one sought to obtain the best places at the table. We read, “And He put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when He marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” He was suggesting merely that others should do as He had done. He who was entitled to the highest place of all came from the Father’s house down to this earth. Here He took the lowest place; but in God’s due time He was given the highest place where today He sits on the right hand of the Father. It is He who teaches us these lessons of humility, and what a rebuke they are to our pride! We are always looking for recognition, and we feel hurt if we do not have it; but our Lord was ever ready to take the lowest place. Surely this should put us to shame. Next we find that the Lord not only instructed the guests, but also as He was looking about He saw the kind of persons who were present. He addressed His host and, indirectly, all the guests: “Then said He also to him that bade Him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.” Is not that one of the reasons we select certain guests? When we give a dinner, most of us go over the list and determine who are likely to return the compliment by inviting us to their homes when they put on a similar affair. This is the accepted procedure in the world, but it should not be practised by those who profess to follow Christ. He said, “When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” This is the first resurrection—the resurrection of life when all who have died in the Lord will rise and appear before the judgment-seat, there to be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body.
It is evident that the instruction given by Jesus at that table so impressed one man that he was carried away with a holy enthusiasm which led him to exclaim, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” That is, if the kingdom of God is the sphere where all seek the lowest place, and where the poor and disfigured are assured of a glad welcome, it must be indeed a great privilege to participate in such a wondrous fellowship.
In reply Jesus related the parable of the Great Supper to show that there are few comparatively who are willing to avail themselves of the invitation to eat bread in the kingdom of God. He told of a certain man who made a great feast, and at supper time he sent his servant to call the invited guests. But “all with one consent began to make excuse.” This is the way men treat the gospel invitation. The natural man has no desire for the things of God. The privilege of a place at the great supper of salvation means nothing to him. For him the feast is spread in vain. It is only when God’s Spirit works in the heart and conscience of a man that he is ready to enter and sit down at the gospel feast. When in love God spread the feast for Israel, they would not go in. It is just as true of many Gentiles today. I do not know of anything else in which men are in such agreement. They are not in agreement on political questions or on religious questions, but they do not want Christ, and do not want to submit their lives to the Saviour whom God has provided until they are convicted by the Holy Spirit of their lost, needy state.
“And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.” Trivial excuses indeed and utterly foolish. At last came a man who felt that he had an absolutely unshakable alibi. He said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” How many men allow the wife to come between the Lord and them, and how many wives allow the husband to come between the Lord and them. “So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry”—Stop there! Does God become angry with men? Scripture tells us, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” When one deliberately spurns His Son, His heart is filled with holy indignation. God loves His Son and He desires to see men honor the Son even as they honor the Father.
Rejecting in his anger those who spurned his feast, the master bade his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.” So, following the setting aside of Israel, the gospel invitation has gone out widely, but the house is not filled yet. “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” It is dispensational. The message first came to the Jews, and they refused it, and then it was carried to the Gentiles. The apostle Paul says, “They will hear it,” but not all of them. Throughout the centuries there have been millions who have accepted the invitation, but the house is not filled yet. There is still room for more, and the invitation is extended to all who are sin-sick and sad. The master sent his servant to “compel them to come in.” The Servant here is the Holy Spirit. It is He alone who can compel men to come to Christ. In Matthew’s account of the marriage feast it is the servants who gave the invitation. They can only bid men come; they cannot compel. But here it is the Servant, not servants. He compels by convicting men of sin and impressing upon them their need of a Saviour.
“Why was I made to hear Thy voice
And enter whilst there’s room,
When thousands make a wretched choice
And rather starve than come?
“’Twas the same love that spread the feast
That gently forced me in;
Else had I still refused to taste
And perished in my sin.”