COME!

Luke 14:16-24

   16 But He said to him, "A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.'18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.' 19 "Another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' 20 "Another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.' 21 "And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' 22 "And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23 "And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 'For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'"

   It’s important when we stand in front of God’s word that we don’t try to spiritualize and “stretch” it. That can very soon lead us away from the content of the passage rather than deeper into it – as one was thinking of in the first place.
   It is not our task to spiritualize God’s word, it is spiritual. Therefore we will first of all stop for what's actually described.

   We are witnesses to people who chose this worlds goods, rather than the kingdom of God, as concrete as it simply happens every day among us. And we can really speak about goods, because none of this was sinful in itself, but exactly goods.

   What they actually say by their choice is that they expected to have much more left of this, than what they would get in the kingdom of God. It actually contains in reality a deep contempt for what is of God. This is the sin all “good” people that have opt out God, for the benefit of the things of this world, have committed, and live in.
   To their defense they would claim, that the things they have chosen are good things. Something that they absolutely are not any longer, when they are chosen instead of Him!

   “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” is Jesus saying. (Matt. 6:33). We are witnesses to more than the opposite here – it’s not just that they don't choose the kingdom of God and His righteousness first, but the kingdom of God is discarded completely for the other things.

   And then we have those who can be seen from the outside as true and spiritual Christians, but who actually seeks the other, by seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
   It is actually the gifts the heart and the mind is focused on, the person – in this case, Jesus – is just the means to reach them, and not the goal in itself.
   This is what Jesus speaks against when He says: “No one can serve two masters, God and wealth.”
   Listen: No one! You might as well give up before you try. You will only deceive yourself. This is what the Scripture calls harlot love. Who wants to be the object for that?
   It is on the level of this we say: - to get married for the moneys sake. Again – the person himself is secondary, it is the person’s concerned property one is after.
   The world you can surely fool with this, so that it looks at you as a true Christian, but God, who looks at the heart, sees it’s true condition.
   Just see the seriousness of rejecting God’s gift and God’s call, in the judgment that is judged over these people (v.24). They were eliminated from the kingdom of God before they left this world. The call just went by them, and never returned!
   You can also read about this type where they stand before the Christ’s judgment seat, in Matthew 7:22-23: “Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
   Just stop right here – it is a reality that is described for us, before it happens – and then look at our time.

   What we read about in our passage is what we can call “Esau’s sin” – he who looked at his birthright as very small (that which was from God), that he sold it for a dish of lentils. When he later realized what he had done, it says about him that “he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” (Heb.12:17).

   The head of the household became angry it says. (v.21).
 Where will you then turn? Fly to Jesus stripes and wounds (which He got for you), while it is still today!

   Who can still be standing before God’s wrath? Hell, perdition, is often presented as absence from God, being left behind, but perdition is on the contrary to be the object of God’s wrath over sin.
   When God turns/lifts His eyes towards/on a man, then that man is object to His compassion, mercy and blessings – but when God turn away from a man, that man is object to His wrath. You are left with wrath: “but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36b).

   This is also one of the serious passages in the Scripture – and we must never back away from the seriousness if we want to stand in a true relationship with God. But not solely serious, as it is written: “Light is sown like seed for the righteous” (Ps.97:11a), and: “Light arises in the darkness for the upright” (Ps.112:4a). And as the Psalmist prays in psalm 43:3: “O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.”
   And we read that in our passage here as well. He has let His light of mercy shine here as well, to salvation for the one who sees.

   He describes a time for this giving. It was planned in advance and set a certain time for it – and then the gospel sounds: “- for everything is ready.”
   You are invited for something that is ready, something that is prepared, and He is the one who has prepared it.
   He would surely never invite you to something you had to prepare yourself! What kind of invitation and what kind of gift would that be? No, when everything was ready the invitation went out, and Jesus reveals a secret of what this is concerned, when He speaks to the saved in Matthew 25:34, and says: “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
   Already then it was ready for us, in God’s heart, and at Golgotha everything is finished. Now the invitation can go out, and as said, has its reason in the fact that everything is finished!
   This cannot be underlined enough, and shows not only what kind of people that were invited, when they first (the majority of the Jewish people) rejected the invitation: “the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” (v21b).
   This is a description of us, heathens, who didn’t have part in the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises. (Rom. 9:4-5). In other words, blind and lost in this world.

   Do you hear the invitation? Yes, you! This is for you! Come, for everything is ready!

   Perhaps you must say when you look at yourself: - I sure am blind and crippled, poor and lame! Good! You are hereby well qualified!
   Remember that this is the Lord’s word and commandment: “bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” (v.21b). And that which makes it possible is that it is now ready! Jesus has spoken His: “Finished!” from Golgotha cross.

   In this passage, when it is spoken about these people’s frailties and defects, it has a spiritual meaning. It shall characterize their lack of dignity in themselves. At that time this kind of people were left to beg.
   In other places Jesus is using descriptions as “sheep without a Sheppard,” “that which was lost,” “sinners,” and the like. Briefly said, you who don’t find any foundation in yourself, and therefore has to come believing the word: “- for everything is ready” – alone.

   What is this feast dinner? (v.24b).
   Jesus gives us the answer to that as He breaks the bread and says: “Take, eat; This is My body which is given for you.” And about the wine: “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”
   Isn’t this a feast dinner? By this – and not by all of your own strife – you are free and saved. Bought free!

E.K.

Holy Bible, New American Standard Version
Translator: Benedicte Holtan Smart