The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luke 14:16-24

16Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

18 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.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

21 So that servant came, and shewed 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.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 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.

24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

“The master of the house is God, and the great banquet is the kingdom, a metaphor that was suggested by the speaker at the table. The invited guests picture the Jewish nation. The kingdom was prepared for them, but when Jesus came preaching that “the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17), He was rejected. “He came to that which was His own, but his own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).

Those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their own punishment—they missed out. The master respects their choice by making it permanent: they would not “taste of my banquet.” So it will be with God’s judgment on those who choose to reject Christ: they will have their choice confirmed, and they will never taste the joys of heaven.

The basic message of the Parable of the Great Banquet could be stated this way: “The tragedy of the Jewish rejection of Christ has opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles. The blessings of the kingdom are available to all who will come to Christ by faith.”

The inclusion of the Gentiles is a fulfillment of Hosea 2:23, “I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).” Gotquestions.org

Advice for Seekers – C.H. Spurgeon

“Do you desire eternal life?

Then “Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17

All things are ready: life for your death, forgiveness for your sin, cleansing for your filth, clothing for your nakedness, joy for you sorrow, strength for your weakness, indeed, more than anything you could ever want is stored up in the boundless nature and work of Christ.

You must not say, ‘I cannot come because I do not have this, or do not have that.’ Are you to prepare the feast? Are you to provided anything? 

When God has provided all things, what more could you possibly provide?

All things are now ready, therefore come at once.

Just now that your heart is so heavy and your mind is so careless, that your spirit is so wandering – all things are ready now.

If the reason why a sinner is to come is because all things are ready, then it is idle for him to say, ‘But I am not ready.” It is clear that all the readiness required on man’s part is a willingness to come and receive the blessing which God has provided. There is nothing else necessary; if men are willing to come, they may come, they will come. Where the Lord has been pleased to touch the will so that man has a desire towards Christ, where the heart really hungers and thirsts after righteousness, that is all the readiness which is wanted.

All the fitness he requires is that you first feel your need of Him (and that He gives you), and that secondly in feeling your need of Him you are willing to come to Him.

The text does not say, ‘You are ready, therefore come’; but it says, ‘All things are ready, the gospel is ready, therefore you are to come.’

As for your readiness, all the readiness that is possibly wanted is a readiness which the Spirit gives us – namely, willingness to come to Jesus.” C. H. Spurgeon

Revelations 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.