Luke 14:15-24

Let's just take the words of that song into a short prayer together now.

Lord, we do ask that you would speak deeply and powerfully and in transformational ways

right into our hearts and lives this morning as we are here in your presence, as we open

your word.

May it be your voice that we hear and may you help us to respond.

Amen.

I can't say how relevant Alice's interview was to what we're actually going to be looking

at today as we continue in Luke chapter 14 where Jesus is round the table of the Pharisees.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Alice, I have to say there's just one tiny thing you said that I don't quite agree with.

You agreed, I agree with everything else apart from this one comment.

Did you notice it?

Alice started talking about the great foods and said that's not very spiritual, right?

Well, I'm going to try to persuade you today that food is a thoroughly spiritual thing because

for some reason what we're going to see is that Jesus in the gospel of Luke talks about

food all the time and is constantly at dinner tables.

And, you know, there's three times in the Bible where we hear the phrase, the son of man came,

right?

Once it's he came to seek and save those who were lost.

Once his own words were, the son of man came eating and drinking.

This is incredible that Jesus has got so much to say about food.

And before we read Luke 14, just a little bit of context about food.

I like food and I've been enjoying this week delving in a little bit more into why the Bible

has got so much to say about food and meals.

And I'm sure a lot of the verses will be familiar to you.

Sometimes references to food and meals are a reference to some of what God has to offer

us now.

And sometimes they are pictures of what God has in store for us in future.

And sometimes, and I think the passage in Luke 14 today is a little bit of a mix of the two.

Ben, my son, and I are trying to read through the book of Revelation at present.

It's a bit of a challenge.

I have to say, once we got by the bit about the letters to the churches,

and we got into the funny horses that are like humans,

and the dragons and the beasts and all the rest of it,

it gets a bit confusing.

But the one thing in Revelation that is marvellous and is understandable

are the references to food and meals, right?

So Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20,

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

Jesus speaking to the church at Laodicea says,

I'm standing and knocking, and I want to come in.

And what do I want to do?

I want to come in and have a meal with you.

Jesus says, I want to come into your lives and into your churches,

and I want to eat with you.

And then towards the end of Revelation,

as we have a picture of what heaven will be like,

what's it going to be like?

Again, we're told it's going to be like an incredible feast.

We're told it's going to be like a wedding,

and it's going to be like the marriage supper of the Lamb.

So food and feasting comes into the book of Revelation.

But as for Luke, it's just right through,

and we certainly won't go into all of the passages.

But again, just two references from the Gospels,

one where food is about the here and now,

and one where it's more about the future.

In two weeks' time, I hope you're looking forward to it.

In two weeks' time, we get on to that passage, Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

The prodigal son, what happens?

What happens when the boy finally returns to his father,

when the father greets him,

and the father says, well, you know, I'm going to punish you now?

No.

The father says, now we are going to have the most incredible feast together.

And so again, food used to demonstrate what it's like to be in fellowship with God the father,

used as a picture of the greatness of being close to God now.

And then in terms of food as a picture for what's to come,

Matthew chapter 22 says this,

Matthew 22 · chapter mention

the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gives a wedding feast for his son.

So food's right through it.

And maybe you want to do a bit of a study of that.

And as we go through this today,

maybe we'll understand a little bit more about the significance

and the importance of food in our lives,

and maybe also food as part of our witness and part of our mission together.

But let's get stuck into this particular story together.

And what we'll do is we'll just break in, if it's okay, at verse 12,

even though our main passage for today is 15 through to verse 24.

So if you've got a Bible, either on paper or on an app,

then do please look to Luke chapter 14 and verse 12, and let's read it together.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Remember the context.

Jesus is having what it must be said is a pretty miserable meal at the Pharisee's house.

Pretty miserable because they've been judging him,

and they're watching absolutely everything he's doing and saying,

and they're waiting to trip him up.

Okay?

Not the sort of meal that Jesus is really into.

Certainly not the sort of meal that he has to offer.

But nonetheless, that's where he's at.

And he says this to his host in verse 12.

When you give a lunch or dinner, do not invite your friends,

your brothers or sisters, your relatives or your rich neighbours.

If you do, they may invite you back, and so you'll be repaid.

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

and you will be blessed.

Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus,

Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.

Jesus replied,

A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.

At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to those who had been invited.

Come, for everything is now ready.

But they all alike began to make excuses.

The first said,

I have just bought a field.

I must go and see it.

Please excuse me.

Another said,

I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out.

Please excuse me.

Still another said,

I have just got married, so I cannot come.

The servant came back and reported this to his master.

Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servants,

Get out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.

Sir, the servant said,

What you ordered has been done, but there is still room.

Then the master told his servant,

Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be full.

I tell you, not one of those who are invited will get a taste of my banquet.

The film and story Babette's Feast tells us about an 18th century Christian community in Denmark that had lost its way.

It had become incredibly dull, joyless, and legalistic.

Babette was a refugee from Paris who came to this town to live with two sons.

And for 12 years, she served as the housekeeper of those two sisters,

learning how to prepare their humble and very bland food.

Then, unexpectedly, out of the blue, after this 12 years,

she suddenly was told that she had won the sum of 10,000 francs.

Because unbeknown to her, a friend had renewed her lottery ticket in the Paris lottery every year.

Babette asked at that point if she could prepare a banquet for this somewhat miserable community.

And what she did after days of preparation was serve up course after course of the most exquisite food.

A visiting general exclaimed after a number of courses that he had only ever tasted food like that

at the famous Café Anglais in Paris.

As the meal unfolded and as they were served by Babette,

slowly but surely, the community rediscovers joy.

Feuds are ended.

Sin is confessed.

And the evening ends with the community hand in hand around the old village fountain singing the songs of faith.

Meanwhile, the two sisters find Babette in the chaos of the kitchen,

surrounded by dishes and the remnants of the meal.

And with a distant look in Babette's eyes, she says to them,

I was once a cook at the Café Anglais.

And they say, well, Babette, we will remember you when you go back to Paris.

But as the story unfolds, we realise Babette will never be returning to Paris.

She has spent absolutely everything that she had on this feast.

The lavish meal has brought transformation to that joyless community,

but cost her absolutely everything she had.

I think that story of Babette's feast may have some parallels for us

as we get into this story of the feast in Luke chapter 14.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Jesus tells us a story about the most extravagant feast that you might be able to imagine.

And as we get into it, there are just three key phrases in Luke 14

that I'd like us to really zone in on,

because I think these three key phrases might have something really important

to say to each of us and to speak into our hearts and lives this morning.

And the first is the invitation that was given.

And the phrase that you'll see in verse 17 is this.

So in this parable, it's described by Jesus as a great banquet

to which many, many guests are invited.

This is no half-hearted or meagre affair.

And you may notice if you look closely, it seems that two invitations were given.

Do you see that?

So verse 16, a man invited many guests.

Lots of people have invited.

And what would happen in this custom is following this initial invitation,

the person giving the banquet would have an idea as to how many were going to come.

Right?

So based on that, he would then know how many animals had to be slaughtered,

how many people were going to have to help him serve.

And for a number of days, all of the extensive preparation would be done

for this magnificent banquet based on those initial acceptances.

And then at verse 17, the banquet is ready.

And the second invitation goes out at that point.

All those who have been invited are then told by the servant,

come, for everything is now ready.

The meats have been cooked.

They're ready to be carved.

And now we'd like you to come to the feast.

Come, for everything is now ready.

Jesus wants us to see this story, I think, on so many different levels.

And one of the levels that I would want to really emphasize this morning

is this invitation that I believe we are given by Jesus,

each of us personally today,

to the feast that he has in store for us,

to the celebration that he wants to offer to us today

as he invites us into life with him,

as he invites us despite our past,

despite our inadequacies and inabilities,

despite the fact that we may well,

and it's good if we can,

identify with the poor,

the helpless, the blind, and the lame

who he's already spoken about.

And if we can hear him say to us,

come,

for everything

is now ready.

Jesus

is the one

who has done all the preparation

that is needed

and who is able to invite us

into his magnificent feast.

He is the one who can say

everything is now ready.

He is the one who will invite.

He is the one who has done all the preparation.

What has he done?

Well, as we speak about so much

in this church,

and rightly so,

he is the one

who has given of his life.

He is the one

who has suffered,

who has died,

who has paid the price for our sin,

who has risen again,

and now because of him,

and because of his grace,

and his generosity,

and his extravagant love,

can say to us,

come,

for everything is now ready.

And wouldn't you think,

given the nature of the feast

that Jesus is referring to,

that once this invitation goes out,

people would be running to it,

delighted,

that everything is now ready.

But we hear that they didn't.

And indeed,

it seems that three,

they were only given three of the reasons

why people didn't come,

and there were many excuses

and reasons given

as to why they didn't come.

I wonder if some of you

have found yourself puzzled

by some truly awful excuses

that you've heard

for why people are perhaps rejecting

one of your invitations.

And that can be hard,

it can be hurtful,

can't it,

if you feel that the reason

you're being given

really lacks credibility

as to why somebody

doesn't want to spend time with you.

I was supposed to meet Christian

this week for a coffee,

and I gave him what I think

he thought was a dreadful excuse.

It was a text message saying,

I'm really sorry, Christian,

I've just had a call

from my long-lost cousin

from Australia.

I've never met him before,

but he happens to be in town,

and he's asked to see me tomorrow.

Sorry, we can't meet.

Didn't sound very credible,

but I do have evidence

that there really was

a call from my long-lost cousin

from Australia.

I can absolutely promise you.

I wonder if some of us

have come up with

all sorts of excuses, though.

Excuses as to why

we might be avoiding

doing the things

that God would want us

to be doing.

Maybe some of us have found

the most remarkable excuses

to avoid attending

any events

in our week of prayer

this week.

But certainly,

let's just drill in

for a minute or two

to some of these

dreadful excuses

that Jesus gives

in this parable.

This first person,

sorry, I need to go

and see a field

that I've bought.

I don't think the field

was going to change

very much

in the course of the banquet,

was it?

And I think he probably

knew that field

and what it was like

before he'd accepted

that first invitation.

But he was so caught up

with this field

that he decided

he was going to

stare at a field

and miss the banquet.

And then the second one,

I'm sorry,

I've just gone

and bought some ox.

Ox?

Oxen?

I'm not sure which it is.

And I need to go

and oxen,

thank you.

And I need to go

and try them out.

Was that a matter of urgency?

And the third one,

I've got married

and I need to spend

some time with my wife.

Now when I spoke to my kids

about these three reasons,

they thought that last one

was quite a good one.

They've clearly heard

me feeling that

I have to decline things

on the basis that

no, no, no,

it's really time

that I spend a little bit

of time with my wife.

So maybe the third one

is a slightly better

reason than others.

But you know,

Jesus wants us to see

that all three

of these excuses

were simply

missing the point.

They were giving excuses

and they were rejecting

the invitation to come

and they were missing out

on so much.

They were focused

on what was there

right in front of their eyes

rather than what this,

rather than what was

really offered to them.

And thinking about that,

I was reminded of

one of the things

that C.S. Lewis

had to say

that I think

is very relevant.

He said this,

it would seem

that our Lord

finds our desires

not too strong

but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures

fooling about

with drink

and sex

and ambition

when infinite joy

is offered to us.

We are like

an ignorant child

who wants to go on

making mud pies

in a slum

because he cannot

imagine

what is meant

by the offer

of a holiday

at the sea.

The trouble is

we are far

too easily

pleased.

Is that some of us?

Are we making

mud pies

in a slum

because we cannot

imagine

what is meant

by the offer

of a holiday

at the sea?

Are we caught up

with what are frankly

in the scheme of things

trivial,

somewhat pathetic

excuses

rather than giving

our wholehearted

devotion

to the one

who says

come

for everything

is now ready.

These people

whom Jesus

has to speak about

stand in sharp

contrast

to the disciples

who we have read

about earlier

in this gospel

for example

Levi or Matthew

in Luke chapter 5

Luke 5 · chapter mention

there is his tax booth

working away

and Jesus

comes and says

Levi

come

everything is now ready

come

follow me

and Levi

gets up

leaves

everything

follows him

and then interestingly

immediately what does he do?

Goes on to throw

a huge big banquet

for the tax collectors

and sinners

but I'm keen

that today

we just pause

and we reflect

on this little phrase

come

for everything

is now

ready.

The invitation

has gone out

Jesus wants us

to join him

for a feast.

Don't get me wrong

I'm not suggesting

for a minute

it'll all be

one big long party.

there will be

fellowship

and celebration

there will also be

suffering

and pain

as we will see

as we go on

to read the rest

of Luke chapter 14.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

There will be

great things

for us now

and there will be

the promise

of ultimately

participating

in that most

magnificent

of all feasts

that we've already

mentioned

in Revelation.

we would have

no greater joy

in this church

today

than to hear

that this day

some of you

have taken

the decision

to turn your eyes

away from the mud pies

in the slum

and to accept

the offer

of the holiday

at the sea.

And the challenge

here is that

the king does

eventually tire

of the excuses

that the servant

is coming back

and telling him

about.

The king does

eventually decide

that he's had

enough of those

excuses

and what's he

going to do

is not slam

the door

and just get on

with the feast

himself.

Absolutely not.

What he's going

to do is just

ensure that the

invitation goes

out all the

more widely

to more and

more and more

and more people

so that more

people have got

an opportunity

to attend.

And the second

little phrase

which I'd invite

us to focus

on and to

speak into our

hearts and

minds and

lives today

is this phrase

that we see

in verse 22

as the servant

has gone and

told some people

about it and

as they've responded

and as he speaks

again to his

master and he

says to his

master I've got

some in but

there is still

room.

There is still

room.

There is room

enough today

for those of

you who feel

that maybe

you've had so

many invitations

maybe you've

thrown up so

many excuses

or maybe

you've almost

taken steps

and you've

joined that

feast and

then you've

retreated and

you've got

back to those

mud pies if I

can continue to

use that

analogy.

I want you to

hear this

word from

verse 22 of

Luke chapter

Luke 14 · chapter mention

14 and I

pray that it

might be

relevant to

your heart

and life

today which

is that there

is still room.

You are here

and there is

still a moment

of opportunity

for you to

say yes to

Jesus, to

trust him, to

rely on him

for all that he

has done and

to experience

the banquet

that he has

to offer.

But I wonder

if those of us

who are already

enjoying something

of this feast

can also take

these words,

these four

words, as a

powerful challenge

to the mission

that Jesus has

for all of his

followers today.

Because Jesus

wants us

to be the ones

who will go

out and will

spread the

message of the

availability of

this feast to

those far and

wide, those near

and those far.

He has not yet

returned, the

invitation stays

open and the

message that we

have to those

around us is

come, everything

is ready and

there is still

room for you.

I wonder how

we're getting on

going to the

streets, the

alleys, the

roads, the

hedges, the

country lanes.

Are we getting

next door to us?

Are we getting

into our workplace,

to our schools

and our colleges

and getting across

this message?

There is still

room.

I wonder if

as we pass

people who to

the best of our

knowledge may

not know

Jesus, may

not maybe even

realize that this

invitation to this

feast exists,

I wonder if

you could look

at them and

in your mind

you could think

there is still

room.

There is still

room.

Maybe God

wants me,

wants you,

wants us to

do something by

way of encouraging

them to accept

the invitation.

This chapter

is of Luke 14

is spoken about

in this book

that I've got to

recommend for you

today.

I don't know if

some of you have

read it, called

A Meal with

Jesus by a guy

called Tim Chester.

If you haven't

read it, I

thoroughly recommend

it.

You'll get it on

Amazon.

food.

And he speaks

about many of the

examples of food

in the ministry

of Jesus, but he

also speaks about

the many ways in

which his church

family have used

food to try to

reach out to

people of all

cultures and

backgrounds and

generations.

Food as a way in

which they can just

try to share life

and show love

and generosity.

And he says

this,

If you

routinely share

meals and you

have a passion

for Jesus, then

you'll be doing

mission.

Meals will create

natural opportunities

to share the

message of Jesus

in a context that

resonates powerfully

with what you're

saying.

Meals bring

mission into

the ordinary.

Most people live

in the ordinary

and will be reached

by ordinary people.

Alice sees what I

mean now about

meals and food

being thoroughly

spiritual.

Francis Schaeffer

says this,

Start personally

in your home.

I dare you,

I dare you in

the name of

Jesus, do what I

am going to

suggest.

Begin by opening

your home for

community.

There is no

place in God's

world where there

are no people who

will come and

share a home

as long as it

is a real

home.

Tim Chester

goes on to

say this, my

final quote from

him, we

Christians should

have a reputation

for throwing

the best parties.

He then lists

a lot of

helpful reasons

as to why we

might want to

find an excuse

for a party

and says this,

Parties of

course are not

enough.

They create a

great platform

for gospel

opportunities,

but must be

accompanied by

a passion for

people and a

passion for

Jesus.

You don't have

to give a

little sermon,

just be attentive

to people and

be open about

your faith.

Now I realise

that not

everybody feels

that they can

invite people

into their

homes, but

many of us

can.

And I wonder

if some of

us have

bought into

the notion

that our

homes are

our little

castles,

they're for

us and

their family

and they're

basically for

nobody else.

In which case

can I suggest

that that's a

thoroughly

unbiblical,

unchristian

concept and

it's not one

that Jesus

would encourage

or that we'll

find support

for in

scripture.

Rather the

intention is

that we use

all that we

have, including

our homes, as

part of our

pursuit of

Jesus and as

part of our

desire to be

involved in

mission for

his name.

And so as we

seek to say to

others there is

still room, we

ourselves model

generosity and

grace and

kindness in our

lives and in

what we do and

that includes

inviting people to

share a meal

with us in

our homes or

maybe outside

of our homes,

in that party

that you might

have in our

mind.

What would

happen folks

today if all

of us went

away and

thought I'm

going to

throw a

party?

Can you

imagine the

impact that we

could have

collectively for

Jesus and we

prayerfully think

this party is

going to be some

way of just

demonstrating to

others that

Jesus loves them,

that he is the

one who is

inviting them to

come and know

his feast,

that there is

still room and

I know that I

need to model

some of that

joyful generosity

in order to

reflect more

fully the Lord

whom I serve.

Maybe some of

us find that a

little bit scary,

well maybe join

up with somebody

else, maybe make

a plan, can I

encourage you,

let's take this

seriously, let's

take seriously the

way in which Jesus

did so much around

the dinner table and

let's think whether

we can do something,

of course that should

include fellowship with

one another but it

needs to go beyond

that as we seek to

reach out to others

as well.

There is so much

room and the heart

of Jesus is that

those whom we come

into contact with

might be those who

are next to join

this feast.

My final phrase and

with this I close,

it's there in verse

23 and it's the

phrase, my house

will be full.

Come for all things

are now ready,

there is still

room but ultimately

the reassurance,

the promise,

maybe the challenge

at the end of this

passage that the

master sets out

is to go to the

roads and country

lanes, compel them

to come in so that

my house will be

full.

I wouldn't want us

to finish today

thinking that our

work for Jesus is

totally dependent on

us.

It's not.

It's all about

Jesus.

It's all about what

he has done.

It's all about his

grace and goodness

and we can finish

today with absolute

confidence that he

knows what he's

doing, that this is

the moment when the

invitation still goes

out but that

ultimately the day

will come when his

house will be full.

The day will come

and it's described

throughout Revelation,

it's there in

Revelation 7 as a

great multitude that

no one could count

from every nation,

tribe, people and

language worshipping

before the throne

and before the Lamb

crying out salvation

belongs to our God

who sits on the

throne and to the

Lamb.

The party will be

amazing.

It will put Babette's

feast thoroughly into

the shade.

Jesus will be at the

centre of it.

He is the one who

gave everything so

that it could happen

in the first place.

For us, let's ensure

that we have responded

to Jesus' invitation.

Let's seek to invite as

many as we can to be

part of this feast and

let's seek in as many

ways possible to reflect

the attitude of the host

Christ in our own

lives.

Let's pray together.

Just as we close,

let's ask God to

speak to us and

think about whether

one of these phrases

is of particular

importance for us.

Come for everything

is now ready.

There is still

room.

my house

will

be full.

Lord Jesus,

thank you for your

grace.

Thank you for giving

your life

for us.

Help us

to follow you.

Help us

to be engaged

in mission

with you.

For your glory

we pray.

Amen.