Day 9 - The Parable of the Great Feast

Reading Passage: Luke 14:15-24.

The Parable of the Great Feast is an amazing story directed toward the Pharisees, but ultimately is a message that applies to all who are lost (Hint: that’s ALL of us!). 

The host invited honored guests to a great feast. One after another they declined, each giving an insincere and even insulting excuse. In this parable, Jesus made it clear that many who are expected to be at the banquet table in the kingdom of Heaven would be excluded because they had rejected Jesus' invitation to believe in Him. 

Yet, God is willing to go to the deepest and darkest corners to have us join Him in the kingdom of Heaven (Mark 16:15). As we see this parable unfold, the host of the banquet fills his table with the misfits, the outcasts, and Gentiles - all who would accept his invitation.

At the heart of this passage, we are going to learn that we are all invited to God’s table and that all we have to do is accept the invitation. 

We have the privilege of saying “Yes!” to God’s invitation to the kingdom of heaven. To have an audience with God through Jesus. Our attitude should shift from, “Here I am Jesus, aren’t you glad you get me?” to instead be “Thank you for your invitation. I’m not worthy, but I am honored to accept.”

As you read the Parable of the Great Feast in Luke 14:15-24 what do you learn about our invitation to the Kingdom of God? What is your response to the invitation?

Reminder: To understand the heart of Jesus’ parable here, read before and after the parable to identify the original audience Jesus was talking to and cultural reference points and characters they would have understood. Also observe the ending, which often had an unexpected twist that Jesus desired the audience to notice most.