Parable of the Great Feast/Dinner
Parable of the Great Feast/Dinner: Luke 14:16-24
Jesus tells this parable of the great feast (parable of the great dinner) in order to reveal God's attitude towards humanity.
This parable of the great feast is similar to The Parable of the Wedding Banquet with both parables having almost the same message.
Context of the Parable
In the context of Luke 14, Jesus has been invited to eat with a Pharisee and his guests. As Jesus sees the people take their seats, he tells them The Parable of the Lowest Seat at the Banquet.
After hearing this parable, a guest at the dinner exclaims, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" (Luke 14:15) Jesus then responds with this parable of the great feast/dinner.
Summary of the Parable of the Great Feast
(Parable of the Great Dinner)
Jesus begins by saying, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many." (Luke 14:16)
The host has his servant tell everyone invited that the feast is ready. The servant tells the invited people, "Come, for everything is ready now." (Luke 14:17) However, all the invited guests make excuses for why they cannot come.
Upon hearing this information, the host is very upset and says to his servant, "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame." (Luke 14:21) When the servant returns, the host then says, "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled." (Luke 14:23)
The host ends by saying, "For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner." (Luke 14:24)
Meaning of the Parable of the Great Feast (Parable of the Great Dinner)
As stated, this parable of the great feast has essentially the same message as the Parable of the Wedding Banquet. Jesus is revealing God's attitude towards the Israelites, as well as the rest of the world.
God is the host. The originally invited guests are the Israelites, since it is them that God has historically invited to have a relationship with him through his covenant. Many of the invited Israelites refused to obey God's covenant, such as by worshiping false gods (Jeremiah 3:1-5; Ezekiel 16:15) or not obeying the commandments, thus refusing to accept God's invitation.
It is just as Jesus says in Matthew 23:23, "Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have
neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and
faith."
Therefore, God has invited everyone and anyone who will accept his invitation, as seen by their actions to keep his covenant since Our Actions Reveal the Truth.
The parable of the great feast ends with the host saying, "For I tell all of you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner." (Luke 14:24)
God's Truth Taught in Stories
Study the parables of Jesus in this easy-to-read 40 day devotional.
This devotional takes the unique approach of
understanding Jesus' parables by examining the genre, scriptural
context, and historical culture. Your life will be transformed by studying the parables of Jesus Christ.
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