A Feast for the Ones the World Forgot: Luke 14:15-24
1On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely…. 12He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see |
JESUS MAFA. The poor invited to the feast, from Art in the Christian Tradition
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it; please accept my regrets.’ 19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’20Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’21So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” 23Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Have you ever noticed how often Jesus is either going to, coming from, or in the midst of a meal? The thing is, Jesus wasn’t always the demur, well-behaved, jovial dinner guest. It seems whenever Jesus was at the table, fireworks were bound to occur, something huge was about to happen, and someone always seemed to end up angry. The setting surrounding the story of the Great Banquet is no exception. So, let’s set the stage for this wonderful story.
Meals were important social occasions in the first century. They were almost ceremonial with specific expectations and strict social rules. People noticed what people ate, whether they washed before meals, and who ate with whom. The guest list was an important consideration. People generally ate with others from the same social class, which indicates that Jesus most likely would have been considered of the same status as the host, a leader of the Pharisees. But Pliny the Younger (61-113 CE), a Roman lawyer and author, was critical of the customs surrounding meals in the first century, especially of the discrimination between classes. If diners of different economic classes attended the same dinner, it was common to be served completely different menus and even to be seated in different rooms. Pliny was quite critical of a dinner host in one of his letters:
Meals were important social occasions in the first century. They were almost ceremonial with specific expectations and strict social rules. People noticed what people ate, whether they washed before meals, and who ate with whom. The guest list was an important consideration. People generally ate with others from the same social class, which indicates that Jesus most likely would have been considered of the same status as the host, a leader of the Pharisees. But Pliny the Younger (61-113 CE), a Roman lawyer and author, was critical of the customs surrounding meals in the first century, especially of the discrimination between classes. If diners of different economic classes attended the same dinner, it was common to be served completely different menus and even to be seated in different rooms. Pliny was quite critical of a dinner host in one of his letters:
Some very elegant dishes were served up to himself and a few more of the company; while those which were placed before the rest were cheap and paltry. He had apportioned in small flagons three different sorts of wine; but you are not to suppose it was that the guests might take their choice: on the contrary, that they might not choose at all. One was for himself and me; the next for his friends of lower order (for you must know that he measures out his friendship according to the degrees of quality); and the third for his own freed-men and mine. (Pliny the Younger, Letters 2.6)
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At this particular dinner, as the guests arrive, so does a man with dropsy. Dropsy is not something we are necessarily familiar with. It is a disease that caused the victim a great deal of thirst, but thirst was never quenched, no matter how much one drank. Instead, the victim just became more thirsty. In ancient literature it was often used as a metaphor for greed – a thirst for money or status is never satisfied; the more one gets, the more one wants. Luke, therefore, by beginning this story with a man with dropsy is giving a clue to the reader that these parables will be about greed. The big question for the dinner guests is whether Jesus will heal him. It is the sabbath, so Jesus first words at the party are a challenge to the other guests about the lawfulness of healing on the sabbath versus compassion. Jesus’ challenge would have been a rude affront to his host, so if those attending the dinner were hoping to see fireworks, they weren’t disappointed! (14:1-6) But it didn’t end there…
People were surely watching one another at this dinner. Jesus was watching too, and warned about jockeying for position and taking the most honorable seat, urging instead to take the lowest, then launches into a parable about the disgrace of taking a place above one’s status, something else Miss Manners probably would not have approved of (14:7-11) since it too would have been an insult to the host and to the other guests.
But then Jesus launches into our parable for this week, the very heart of this section. When dinner invitations were extended, it was generally to those of the same social class, but also to those who could repay the invitation. But for Jesus, meals were to be seen as inclusive celebrations that looked toward the coming kingdom where God would gather all in grace and love. This reflects many familiar passages in the Old Testament:
People were surely watching one another at this dinner. Jesus was watching too, and warned about jockeying for position and taking the most honorable seat, urging instead to take the lowest, then launches into a parable about the disgrace of taking a place above one’s status, something else Miss Manners probably would not have approved of (14:7-11) since it too would have been an insult to the host and to the other guests.
But then Jesus launches into our parable for this week, the very heart of this section. When dinner invitations were extended, it was generally to those of the same social class, but also to those who could repay the invitation. But for Jesus, meals were to be seen as inclusive celebrations that looked toward the coming kingdom where God would gather all in grace and love. This reflects many familiar passages in the Old Testament:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. - Psalm 23:5
6On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 7And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. 8Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. 9It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. – Isaiah 25:6-9 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! - Isaiah 55:1 |
God is spreading the picnic blanket and pushing up sleeves and putting on an apron to prepare this banquet for us – not only for the elite, the socially superior, those who adhere to strict societal norms – but for everyone no matter who they are! The idea of the celestial banquet shared in heaven is a common image, and one reflected in Jesus’ parable. In telling this story, Jesus underlines the difference between his dinner guests and their jockeying and maneuvering for position, and the open arms and abundant welcome of God.
The Parable of the Great Banquet begins assuming the customs and practices of the society – those of like status ate together. We can assume that the host in this parable is wealthy by those he invites. It is a large banquet with many guests and he can afford to invite people who are buying oxen and property, something only the wealthiest could probably afford. The host sends out the invitations, but then when all is prepared, sends out his slave again. This was actually a common practice in Jesus’ day. A double invitation allowed people to see who was invited, who was actually attending, and whether these were the right people they wanted to associate with. When the slave arrives with notice of the second invitation, they could politely offer excuses and decline the invitation if the “right people” were not going to be in attendance. It may seem strange to us at first, but if we are truly honest with ourselves, we must admit this happens today as well! (Think of every “coming of age” movie, and the agony of the middle school cafeteria – there is definitely a division between kids of different status!)
The excuses however are absolutely ridiculous! Kenneth Bailey in his book Through Peasant Eyes, calls the first guest “the real estate expert.” He says he has already bought a field and at that very moment must go out and check out his purchase. Hogwash! Bailey writes, “The statement is a bold-faced lie and everyone knows it. No one buys a field in the Middle East without knowing every square foot of it like the palm of his hand. The springs, wells, stone walls, trees, paths, and anticipated rainfall are all well-known long before a discussion of the purchase is even begun.” And in a world where everyone pretty much knew everyone else’s business, the host of the banquet would never believe that his guest suddenly bought a field sight unseen! Bailey goes on to say that the contemporary excuse would be if a dinner guest cancels by explaining that they had just bought a new house over the phone and must now go, check out the neighborhood, and have a look at the house. Such a flimsy excuse is a huge insult to the host. He is implying that the field is more important than his relationship to the host. In the Middle east, personal relationships are of huge importance, yet this guest throws that relationship away.
The second guest is called “the plowing expert” by Bailey. And again, the excuse is just as ridiculous. Bailey explains that oxen are sold one of two ways in the Middle East. They are either brought to market as long as there is a small field nearby where the prospective buyer can try them out, or a buyer goes to the seller’s own field to see the oxen in action there. Again, this all takes place before a price is ever negotiated, and again, the excuse is a complete fabrication and an insult to the host. Bailey connects this story to the modern suburbanite calling their spouse and saying they just bought 5 cars over the phone and now must go and see what model they are and whether or not they will start. The guest is saying that the oxen are more important than the host and like the real estate expert, throws the relationship away.
Bailey names the third guest “the passionate bridegroom.” Once again, the excuse is a complete and utter lie, perhaps the weakest of the three. The NRSV may embroider a bit: “I have just been married,” says the guest. But the Greek is even more spare where the guest simply states, “I have married a woman.” Umm… Okay… Did he just marry her? If he did, the village would have known about it and may even still be celebrating, in which case another host wouldn’t give a dinner at the same time. It almost seems as if this third guest couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough so he said the first thing that came to mind!
The Parable of the Great Banquet begins assuming the customs and practices of the society – those of like status ate together. We can assume that the host in this parable is wealthy by those he invites. It is a large banquet with many guests and he can afford to invite people who are buying oxen and property, something only the wealthiest could probably afford. The host sends out the invitations, but then when all is prepared, sends out his slave again. This was actually a common practice in Jesus’ day. A double invitation allowed people to see who was invited, who was actually attending, and whether these were the right people they wanted to associate with. When the slave arrives with notice of the second invitation, they could politely offer excuses and decline the invitation if the “right people” were not going to be in attendance. It may seem strange to us at first, but if we are truly honest with ourselves, we must admit this happens today as well! (Think of every “coming of age” movie, and the agony of the middle school cafeteria – there is definitely a division between kids of different status!)
The excuses however are absolutely ridiculous! Kenneth Bailey in his book Through Peasant Eyes, calls the first guest “the real estate expert.” He says he has already bought a field and at that very moment must go out and check out his purchase. Hogwash! Bailey writes, “The statement is a bold-faced lie and everyone knows it. No one buys a field in the Middle East without knowing every square foot of it like the palm of his hand. The springs, wells, stone walls, trees, paths, and anticipated rainfall are all well-known long before a discussion of the purchase is even begun.” And in a world where everyone pretty much knew everyone else’s business, the host of the banquet would never believe that his guest suddenly bought a field sight unseen! Bailey goes on to say that the contemporary excuse would be if a dinner guest cancels by explaining that they had just bought a new house over the phone and must now go, check out the neighborhood, and have a look at the house. Such a flimsy excuse is a huge insult to the host. He is implying that the field is more important than his relationship to the host. In the Middle east, personal relationships are of huge importance, yet this guest throws that relationship away.
The second guest is called “the plowing expert” by Bailey. And again, the excuse is just as ridiculous. Bailey explains that oxen are sold one of two ways in the Middle East. They are either brought to market as long as there is a small field nearby where the prospective buyer can try them out, or a buyer goes to the seller’s own field to see the oxen in action there. Again, this all takes place before a price is ever negotiated, and again, the excuse is a complete fabrication and an insult to the host. Bailey connects this story to the modern suburbanite calling their spouse and saying they just bought 5 cars over the phone and now must go and see what model they are and whether or not they will start. The guest is saying that the oxen are more important than the host and like the real estate expert, throws the relationship away.
Bailey names the third guest “the passionate bridegroom.” Once again, the excuse is a complete and utter lie, perhaps the weakest of the three. The NRSV may embroider a bit: “I have just been married,” says the guest. But the Greek is even more spare where the guest simply states, “I have married a woman.” Umm… Okay… Did he just marry her? If he did, the village would have known about it and may even still be celebrating, in which case another host wouldn’t give a dinner at the same time. It almost seems as if this third guest couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough so he said the first thing that came to mind!
Lange, Dorothea, 1895-1965. Children in a Democracy -- On Arizona Highway 87, Maricopa County, from Art in the Christian Tradition
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So what exactly is going on here? What could Jesus be referring to? Up to this time, Jesus has been eating a lot of meals. But he’s been eating them with the wrong people! With tax collectors and sinners, and the Pharisees know that and have been critical of him. He has also been healing on the Sabbath. These are just not their expectations of God’s promised Messiah! So even though Jesus has been proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand, these religious leaders choose to reject it. They are rejecting the banquet that has been promised by God in the words of the psalmist, in the words of Isaiah, and in other places where the heavenly banquet is proclaimed. T.W. Manson writes, “God gives the Kingdom; but the accepting of God’s gift means the rejection of many other things… The great feast is a feast and not a distribution of free rations. Those who wish to enjoy it must come in. They cannot have portions sent out for them to enjoy, while they busy themselves with other things.”
The original guests who the host assumed to be worthy, and who would joyfully accept the invitation, refuse to respond to the good news that the banquet is ready. They believe that the banquet cannot precede without them, and it will be a humiliating defeat for the host, dishonoring him in front of the entire village. But this host is craftier, and has something else up his sleeve. He finds new guests, those who are undeserving, those who have been already branded as outcasts and riffraff. The servants go out into the streets and roundup the poor, the needy, the sick, all those who have been previously rejected by the religious system. The host is not |
looking for an exclusive gathering of like-minded people; he is looking for all people from every walk of life. The slave does as he is told and returns and there is still room! There is always room at God’s table of grace. So travelers on the highways and roads are invited as well – outsiders, Gentiles! What a wonderful affront this is to those greedy back-stabbing, maneuvering guests who were watching Jesus so closely at the Pharisee’s dinner party!
Here lies the point of the parable. Culpepper writes, “Many of those who presume that they will be included will find themselves excluded, and their places will be taken by the outcasts. The future will not be a continuation of the present but a reversal of its exclusionary and discriminatory social codes… In Jesus’ parable those who are concerned about their honor will exclude themselves from the master’s banquet, and their place will be taken by those who exclude no one on the basis of their social standing.” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Commentary on Luke, p. 290)
This reflects the very themes Luke introduced in the beginning of his gospel with the birth of Jesus to a poor peasant girl from a no-name town, being laid in a lowly feeding trough attended by rough, outcast shepherds. It reflects what Mary sang in the Magnificat: “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (1:51-53) It is what Jesus has been teaching and living in his own life, going to those who society rejects. It underlines Luke’s theme of Good News for the poor and needy, the outcast and marginalized, the forgotten and the rejected. And it emphasizes that promise is not lived out in power, but in weakness. Jesus’ telling of this parable is mirrored by Paul’s words in Philippians, the second reading for Palm Sunday that stands alongside the reading of the Passion:
Here lies the point of the parable. Culpepper writes, “Many of those who presume that they will be included will find themselves excluded, and their places will be taken by the outcasts. The future will not be a continuation of the present but a reversal of its exclusionary and discriminatory social codes… In Jesus’ parable those who are concerned about their honor will exclude themselves from the master’s banquet, and their place will be taken by those who exclude no one on the basis of their social standing.” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Commentary on Luke, p. 290)
This reflects the very themes Luke introduced in the beginning of his gospel with the birth of Jesus to a poor peasant girl from a no-name town, being laid in a lowly feeding trough attended by rough, outcast shepherds. It reflects what Mary sang in the Magnificat: “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (1:51-53) It is what Jesus has been teaching and living in his own life, going to those who society rejects. It underlines Luke’s theme of Good News for the poor and needy, the outcast and marginalized, the forgotten and the rejected. And it emphasizes that promise is not lived out in power, but in weakness. Jesus’ telling of this parable is mirrored by Paul’s words in Philippians, the second reading for Palm Sunday that stands alongside the reading of the Passion:
1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11)
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The word “empty” in verse 7 is the Greek word, kenosis, a complete and total emptying of oneself, giving up all control, all power, all authority, and all status. In the world of the first century, one was identified with those he ate with. The host now is brought down to the level of his guests. In other words, he becomes an outcast, rejected and marginalized, shamed by his previous colleagues. He takes the form of a slave and humbles himself and eats with those the world had forgotten.
The Pharisees are now left out in their fields, with their oxen, and attending to the stuff of their lives, trying to maintain what they were working so hard to maintain. But isn’t that the definition of sin – not sin as the individual acts we commit, but sin as a condition we create ourselves by building a wall between ourselves and God, creating distance between ourselves and God and between ourselves and our neighbor. Like the older son in the parable of the Prodigal Son, we stand outside the doors of the banquet, hearing the clinking of dishes and the laughter and celebration inside. We are invited to come in and participate fully in the joy the host is sharing. What will we do?
Questions for Reflection:
• What insights or ideas has this brought up for you?
• Where do you see yourself in the story?
• Where are those banqueting places for us? Where are the places we find grace? Where are the places we can offer grace?
Please share your thoughts about this lesson and any of the discussion questions in the box below
The Pharisees are now left out in their fields, with their oxen, and attending to the stuff of their lives, trying to maintain what they were working so hard to maintain. But isn’t that the definition of sin – not sin as the individual acts we commit, but sin as a condition we create ourselves by building a wall between ourselves and God, creating distance between ourselves and God and between ourselves and our neighbor. Like the older son in the parable of the Prodigal Son, we stand outside the doors of the banquet, hearing the clinking of dishes and the laughter and celebration inside. We are invited to come in and participate fully in the joy the host is sharing. What will we do?
Questions for Reflection:
• What insights or ideas has this brought up for you?
• Where do you see yourself in the story?
• Where are those banqueting places for us? Where are the places we find grace? Where are the places we can offer grace?
Please share your thoughts about this lesson and any of the discussion questions in the box below