The Parable Of “The Great Supper” – Luke 14:16-27

by Micky Galloway

“But he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper; and he bade many: and he sent forth 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 field, and I must needs go out 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. And the servant came, and told 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 maimed and blind and lame. And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain (them) to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper. Now there went with him great multitudes: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

Earlier in this series, we have discussed the parable of “The Marriage Feast” in Matthew 22:1-14. In the parable of “The Great Supper” (Luke 14:15-24), one immediately notices similarities. However, these parables are not the same. The occasion is different. The parable of “The Marriage Feast” was actually told later in Jesus' ministry, during His final week, and in the Temple. The parable of “The Great Supper” was told much earlier, and at the house of a certain Pharisee. The application is also different. The parable of “The Marriage Feast” appears directed more to the nation of Israel as a whole, in rejecting the Son of the King (cf. Matthew 22:1-3). The parable of “The Great Supper” does not appear to have such a limited focus, thus its application may hit a little closer to home.

Consider the context of the parable of “The Great Supper.” Jesus is eating at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, along with a number of lawyers and Pharisees (Luke 14:1-6). He had just told the parable of “Taking The Lowest Place” (Luke 14:7-11). He then tells His host that when he has a dinner or a supper, that he ought to invite those who cannot repay him (Luke 14:12-14). Jesus was not suggesting that we cannot provide a dinner for our friends and family, but he is stressing hospitality towards those who cannot repay us in this life. Jesus' comments prompt a response from one who heard Him, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15). This saying was likely precipitated by Jesus' reference to the being repaid at the resurrection of the just in verses 13-14, “But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not (wherewith) to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.” “The language of Christ implied that God himself would feast those who feasted the poor, and this implication accorded with the Jewish notion that the kingdom of God would be ushered in with a great festival. Inspired by this thought, and feeling confident that he should have been part of the festivities, this guest exclaimed upon the anticipated blessedness” (McGarvey). It was not out of place that the speaker would refer to blessings given in the resurrection (cf. Matthew 8:11-12; Revelation 19:9). It is this comment by the other guest that prompts Jesus to tell another parable; the parable of “The Great Supper.”

The application of the parable. In Luke 14:18-20, excuses were offered by people who were invited to a great feast, but who declined the invitation. The gospel invitation is in view, and the way people react to it (often rejecting it) is under consideration. God has indeed made wonderful provisions for the future. As indicated above, the blessings of the kingdom of heaven in its eternal state are often depicted in the figure of great feast (cf. Matthew 8:11-12; Revelation 19:9). Paul also writes of the wonderful blessings that are promised to those “in Christ.” “…[T]hat in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). John writes of the vision he saw relating to these blessings (Revelation 21:1-7, 9-12; 22:1-5). Whatever these symbols represent, who would not want to partake of this great feast?

God has been gracious to extend the invitation of salvation, along with its future blessings to all (cf. Acts 2:21). It is His desire that all be saved, not wishing that any should perish (cf. I Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 2:11; I Peter 3:9). However, an invitation must be accepted. Revelation 22:17 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely.” Certainly not everyone who is invited will partake of these blessings. Many will not accept the invitation, making excuses instead.

Excuses offered are often considered acceptable. “I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee have me excused” (verse 18). Thus, the excuse of necessity is offered for not obeying the gospel and entering the kingdom of God (verse 15). Some people place a higher value upon the cares of this life (Luke 8:14) than they do upon answering Jesus' call of salvation. The value and possession of earthly things simply cannot be offered as a legitimate reason for not obeying the gospel of Christ.

“I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused” (verse 19). The excuse of other obligations continues to be offered in the belief that since we have other things which “must be done,” we are somehow exempt from putting the kingdom of God first in our lives. Haven't we all given this excuse to Christ at some point? In doing so, have we not failed to fulfill our responsibility toward Him? If so, let us repent of such shallow commitment to the will of God.

“I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (verse 20). The excuse that somehow family responsibilities outweigh our obedience to Christ continues to keep lost souls out of the kingdom of God! God does not tell us to abandon our spouse, our children, or our parents when we obey the gospel, but He does call upon us to love Him more. “If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Do we really believe Christ will accept our excuse that making our family happy is more important than making Him happy?

Finally, those who will experience the blessings of the “Great Supper” might surprise us. In the end, it will be the humble, often despised, yet ever faithful, servants of the Lord who “shall taste of my supper” (Luke 14:24).

We must stop making excuses when we disobey Christ. Instead, let us take responsibility for our failure, confess our sin to the Lord, and He will forgive us (I John 1:9). Then, we will enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God (Luke 14:15).