Trinity 2 2021

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

St. Luke 14:15-24

Trinity 2

June 13/17, 2021

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Table fellowship with Jesus is both a two-edged sword of blessing and judgment. This parable of the invitations to the great banquet, in particular, is directed against the Pharisees who are seated at the table with Jesus. It accents and highlights the tension between the Pharisees—those religious elite, those who do well on their own and have no need of a Savior—and the tax collectors—the sinners, the poor, maimed, blind, and lame, those who cannot help themselves. In the end, those who are deemed to be the outcasts of society are included, but the Pharisees—those who have no need for Jesus or His gifts or His supper—are excluded.

Now of course, this is a parable. It’s a story that Jesus tells to highlight a greater truth. Parables are like visions or dreams that are recorded for us in the Bible. They portray and teach us about things that our small, corrupt, and sinful minds cannot fathom. Jesus explains various aspects of the Kingdom of God in such a way that we can understand. In a sense, it’s a lot like the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The purpose of that parable was to show that there are only two ways—heaven and hell. The only way to heaven is found in Moses and the Prophets, that is, Holy Scripture because that’s where God has revealed who He is, what He does, and how He loves us in the person of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of the Parable of the Invitations to the Great Banquet, which Jesus tells today in the Gospel reading, is to show us and explain what God wants to give—eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and fellowship with Him, and that it’s given freely. The invitation goes out time and time again. No one has merited this invitation by being a great war hero or by being the president of an organization. No one has acquired enough volunteer hours or has risen through the ranks at work in order to be rewarded with an invitation. It’s free. But unfortunately, this free invitation to come to a great banquet, one that goes out time and time again, is rejected by many. Because in verse 17 of the Gospel reading, Jesus says, at the time for the banquet [the certain man] sent his servant to say to those who had been invited “Come, for everything is now ready.” So this is now the second time those who have been invited, have been invited.

But immediately then, following in verse 18 comes the bad news. All who were initially invited, not only once but twice, immediately they all alike began to make excuses. They paid no heed to the invitation. They simply shrug it off as if it’s nothing because in their eyes, they have more important things to do, more important things to tend to. Thus, they give excuses. In reality, these excuses are terrible excuses. The first excuse is that the man said to the servant, “I have bought a field, and I must go out to see it.” He must not be a very good business man. Why would he buy land and then go out to examine it? The field could be in terrible condition with terrible soil, filled with rocks and sand. But it doesn’t matter. He simply doesn’t want to come to the supper. The second man says likewise, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them.” What if half of them have broken legs or some disease that would render them unable to work? Why must this man go and examine them now, after he bought them? He’s a terrible farmer, a terrible business man. These are terrible excuses. The last guy doesn’t even make an attempt to give an excuse. All he says is, “I have gotten married. I have no need for your supper. I have a wife. None of these excuses are any good. But this goes to show that most excuses that we give, time and time again, are terrible and just a result of us being lazy. Especially when it comes to heavenly things, such as, a great banquet or a supper.

Those who are initially invited all begin to make excuses because they want nothing to do with this banquet. But the greater reality, the greater truth that Jesus is describing in this parable is that heaven is like a great banquet, and it’s free. Because in heaven, we have everything we need. In heaven we will be with our Lord, in His glorious presence. For Jesus is the Lamb sitting upon the throne. Jesus is the Tree of Life, who feeds us and nourishes us with heavenly food. No one must do anything or provide any work that merits heaven. They invitation goes out to all people. It goes out into the streets and lanes of the city, even outside the city—into the highways and hedges. Even the Gentiles are invited to this great banquet. That’s us.

And we receive a foretaste of that feast, which is yet to come during our liturgy. Because the Lord’s Supper is a foretaste, a foreshadowing of this Great Banquet. It’s a foreshadowing but it is also the Great Banquet itself. Thus, it’s a foretaste. Because there also seated at the feast are angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. That means Grandma is there. It means your lovely wife and young child, both who have died in the faith are feasting there with you. We can’t see them but we believe this, truthfully and faithfully. Because this feast is a foretaste of that Great Banquet that they are now enjoying fully in heaven.  

Thus, the Lord’s Supper is the heartbeat of the Church. It is the central focus of our worship. When Jesus Himself instituted worship, and how to worship, He instituted the Lord’s Supper. Celebrating and receiving the Sacrament of the Altar is the only form of public worship instituted by Jesus in the New Testament. We don’t worship like they did in the Old Testament, with sacrifices and burnt offerings. We don’t have the Ceremonial Law. All of that has been fulfilled in Christ, the Sacrificial Lamb who carried our sin to the cross and buried them in the grave. And so He instituted the Lord’s Supper as true Christian worship because that is what heaven is like. How are we to worship? Eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus. He gives Himself for that feast. He gives Himself as the meal at the Great Banquet.

Now this parable is also a warning. Be warned. Not everyone will come to this feast. Because table fellowship with Jesus is a two-edged sword of blessing and judgement. If you find yourself with Jesus enjoying table fellowship with Him, you are blessed. But if you reject the invitation, if you decided that you know what’s better for yourself than God does, and if you attempt to make excuses, you will be excluded from the Great Banquet in heaven forever. But God be praised! The invitation still stands.

This parable exposes our sinful nature. We often times find ourselves making excuses, like those in the parable.

Some excuses might be, “Great banquets take too long. I’d rather just pop in and say hello and leave before everyone starts eating. I have more important things to attend to. I don’t want to sit through a long banquet or long supper. I’d just rather eat food that doesn’t satisfy.”

or

“Well, if I get invited to too many banquets and feasts, if I go too often, they’ll become less special.”

or

“Banquets and feasts used to occur only once in a great while. We only used to celebrate every so often. And so, I’m going to stick to my old customs. We never had Great Banquets and feasts as often as we do now. I don’t need to attend that often.”

Does any of this sound familiar? Does it? If not, then replace the words “great banquet” and “feast” with “The Lord’s Supper.”

“The Lord’s Supper, that is, Divine Service takes too long. I’d rather just pop in and stay for the sermon but immediately leave before the Service of the Sacrament. I have more important things to attend to. I don’t want to sit through a long church service. I’d just rather eat food that doesn’t satisfy.”

What about, “Well if we celebrate the Lord’s Supper too often or if I receive it too much, it’ll become less special.”

Or have we ever dared to say, “The Lord’s Supper used to be celebrated only once in a great while. We only used to celebrate it every so often. And so, I’m going to stick to my old customs despite what God says in the Bible. We never had The Lord’s Supper as often as we do now. I don’t need to receive it that often. 

Like the excuses in the parable, these are all poor excuses. Perhaps we all have made an excuse like these or a version of them. If that’s the case, then repent. That is sin. Refusing to receive God’s gifts because of a superficial and selfish reason is a breaking of the Third Commandment. Repent of your sin. For you have placed your own will and desire ahead of God’s will. By this, you claim to know what’s more important for you than God Himself. God has invited you to the His Table for a reason. He invites you to the Great Banquet because He loves you. He desires to be with you and to have fellowship with you both here in time and also in the life of the world to come. Thus, the supper we eat and drink here gives us a glimpse of what awaits us in heaven. 

So also it must be said that simply going to Church is not the Great Banquet. Going to Church is not the feast itself. A foretaste of that Great Banquet, that feast, that supper, happens in Church, during the Divine Service. You receive heavenly food—food that truly satisfies, food that truly sustains. And it is a testament that Jesus gives to you that you can hold on to and trust in this fact: He forgives you all your sins.

A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. A man still gives a great banquet here at this altar every week. It is an inclusive event. All are invited. He begs and pleads with you to come. The invitation is yours. Come and eat.

In +Jesus’ name.