Sermon
Who Should We Invite to Taste the Banquet?
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christchurch.
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redistribution, or any other use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christchurch.
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Hello, Christchurch.
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My name is Karp.
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I am on the AV and CC Kids teams.
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Today's reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, verses 7 through 24, as printed in your liturgy.
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When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable.
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When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor.
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For a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.
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If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, give this person your seat.
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Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
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But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you,
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friend, move up to a better place.
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Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.
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For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
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Then Jesus said to his host, when you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors.
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If you do, they may invite you back, and so you will be repaid.
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But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.
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Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
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When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus,
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blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.
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Jesus replied,
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A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.
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At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited,
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Come, for everything is now ready.
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But they all, like, began to make excuses.
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The first said,
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I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it.
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Please excuse me.
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Another said,
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I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out.
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Please excuse me.
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Still another said,
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I just got married, so I can't come.
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The servant came back and reported this to his master.
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Then the owner of the house became angry,
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and ordered a servant,
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Go out, quickly, into the streets and alleys of the town,
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and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.
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Sir, the servant said,
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What you ordered has been done,
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but there is still room.
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Then the master told his servant,
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Go out into the roads and country lanes
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and compel them to come in,
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so that my house will be full.
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I tell you,
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not one of those who were invited
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will get a taste of my banquet.
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This is the gospel of the Lord.
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Thanks be to God.
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Good morning, Christ Church.
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It's March Madness,
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and there's basketball on today,
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so we've got to just get through this,
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because Duke and Baylor are playing at 1140.
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So, we are jumping back into the gospel of Luke,
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and we're here in Luke 14,
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Jesus' amazing parable of the great banquet,
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the great feast.
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And we didn't print verse 1,
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which tells us where this is taking place.
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It's taking place at a Sabbath feast,
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and it's taking place in the home of a Pharisee
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who was a teacher and a leader of Israel.
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And at that table,
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and with these other guests,
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and around this feast,
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Jesus tells some simple stories
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that on the surface also seem to be
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just about your common, ordinary, everyday feasts,
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and hosts, and guests,
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and invitations,
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and last-minute cancellations,
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and lame excuses,
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and unlikely invitations to guests
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who end up seeming completely unworthy to be there.
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And one of the things we need to know
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as we get into this
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is that Jews in the first century,
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they shared a biblical vision,
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they shared a biblical conviction
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about a coming feast in the future.
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You've kind of already heard about this.
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We've sung about this today.
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This messianic banquet,
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this banquet of the Messiah
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that would come in the fullness of time.
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And that's what Jesus is referring to there
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in verse 14
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when he talks about this feast
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that's coming at the resurrection of the righteous.
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And that lights off the table guests
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in verse 15 to say,
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yes, blessed is the one
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who will feast
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and eat at the feast
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in the kingdom of God.
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So Jewish people in the first centuries,
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they read their Bibles,
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they shared this belief and this hope
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in a future when God would put the world to rights,
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and he would do away with all sin
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and suffering and death.
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And he would make all things in his creation new.
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And when he did that,
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God would spread a table
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and he would invite everyone to the feast,
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not just Jews,
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but Gentiles as well.
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That part of the story
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tends to be forgotten quite a lot.
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But if you want to pull out your pew Bibles,
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I encourage you to turn
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in your pew Bibles
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to page 573.
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Page 573,
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you'll find this classic text
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from the prophet Isaiah.
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Page 573,
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Isaiah chapter 25,
Isaiah 25 chapter mention
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starting in verse 6.
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It speaks of this feast
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and the prophet says this,
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or God through his prophet says this,
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On this mountain,
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the Lord Almighty will prepare
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a feast of rich food for all peoples,
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a banquet of aged wine,
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the best of meats,
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and the finest of wines.
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Now in Hebrew poetry,
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that sounds kind of like this,
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a feast of filet
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and a banquet of cabernet.
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Filet mignon,
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cabernet sauvignon.
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It's beautiful poetry.
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And it goes on,
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it says,
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on this mountain
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he will destroy the shroud
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that unfolds all peoples.
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He will swallow up death forever.
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The sovereign Lord
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will wipe away
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all the tears
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from all the faces
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and he will remove
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his people's disgrace
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from all the earth.
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And down in verse 9,
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it says,
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let us rejoice
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and be glad
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in this great salvation.
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And Jesus,
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in Luke chapter 13,
Luke 13 chapter mention
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right before the text
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we just heard,
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he says this in Luke 13,
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he says,
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Abraham,
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Isaac,
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and Jacob,
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and all the prophets
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and people
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coming from the east
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and the west
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and the north
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and the south,
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they will all take
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their places
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at the feast
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in the kingdom of God.
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So there's this kingdom feast
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where all hunger
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and tears
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and shame
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are going to be gone.
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And this table guest
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in verse 15,
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he's pretty certain.
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You know,
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he says,
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blessed are those
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who eat at the feast
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of the kingdom of God.
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He's pretty certain
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about his future.
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He's super confident
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that he
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and all the people
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around this table
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with Jesus
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are going to be
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at that ultimate feast
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in the kingdom of God.
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And Jesus says,
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okay,
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well,
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since you brought it up,
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let's talk about that.
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You know,
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let's talk about
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who's going to be
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at this ultimate feast,
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this ultimate party
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and table
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of salvation
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in the kingdom of God.
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And so Jesus tells
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this story
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about a host
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who gives a banquet
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with some unexpected twists
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and surprising turns.
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And what Jesus is telling us,
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I think,
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is this,
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that we need to rearrange
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our priorities
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around this feast,
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that we need to invite
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unlikely guests
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to the feast,
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and that we need to take
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the lowest place
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at the feast.
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Okay,
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three things.
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I'm going in reverse order
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of Jesus,
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but that may not be wise,
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but here we go.
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Arrange your priorities
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around the feast,
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invite unlikely guests
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to the feast,
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and take the lowest place
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at the feast.
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First of all,
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arrange your priorities
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around the feast.
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Verse 16,
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Jesus replied,
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he said,
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a certain man was preparing
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a great banquet
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and invited many guests.
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So who's the host
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in Jesus' story?
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The host is God.
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And why does he invite
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so many guests?
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Well,
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it says in verse 23,
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this host,
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he says,
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I want my house
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to be full.
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He's a wealthy
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and a generous host,
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and he has a good
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and a gracious heart,
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and he wants to include
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as many people
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as he can possibly
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squeeze in.
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He likes having
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a crowded
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and a noisy
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and a full house.
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And so it says
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in verse 17,
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at the time of the banquet
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he sent his servant
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to tell those
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who had been invited,
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come,
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for everything
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is now ready.
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There's this interesting
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double invitation.
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The first invitation is,
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hey,
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we're having a party
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next Saturday night,
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so get ready.
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And everybody says,
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yeah,
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great,
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great,
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we will be there.
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And then the second invitation
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goes out on the day of,
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and it says,
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hey,
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the party is ready,
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the fattened calf
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has been barbecued,
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and it's going to be served
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at 6 p.m.,
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and your good
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and gracious host
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is waiting for you
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to come.
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So this first invitation
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is about the great feast,
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the great banquet
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that's coming,
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and the second invitation
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is about the great feast
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that's here,
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it's arrived,
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it's ready.
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And what Jesus is saying
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is that God's feast,
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it's no longer out there
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in the future.
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God's feast is right here,
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right now.
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Jesus is surely talking
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about himself
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and his own arrival
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on the scene,
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that God's son
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has stepped out of eternity
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and into time.
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God's Messiah
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has come from heaven
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to earth,
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and that means
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that God's messianic banquet
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is no longer coming
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in the future.
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He says,
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come for all is now ready.
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And God invites
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a bunch of people.
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He's seeking to gather in
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as many people
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as are willing,
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but they don't come.
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They refuse to show up.
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And this is the totally tragic
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and disastrous turn
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of events in this story.
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Not only do these invited guests
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miss out on this amazing feast,
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but even worse,
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this good and gracious host
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is rudely insulted
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and humiliated, right?
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And who are these guests?
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Who are the guests
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that don't show up?
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Well, it says in verse 18,
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but they all alike
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begin to make excuses.
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The first said,
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I have just bought a field
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and I must go and see it.
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Please excuse me.
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Another said,
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I just bought five yoke of oxen.
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I'm on my way to try them out.
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Please excuse me.
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Still another said,
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I just got married,
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so I just can't come.
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Each person in Jesus' story
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is a successful achiever, right?
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They all have enough money
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to at least buy property.
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The other has enough money
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to drive a tin ox-powered vehicle.
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Very fancy.
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At least one of them,
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one of these strivers
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is established enough
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to attract a spouse
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and to become newly married.
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All of them are affluent enough
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and comfortable enough
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to think to themselves
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what they do not say out loud,
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which is,
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you know,
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I'm not really sure
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I need the host
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and I need his feast.
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And just to be clear,
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like none of these people
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are anti-host
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and anti-feast, right?
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They're all glad
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that the host is there.
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They appreciate what he does
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for their community.
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They receive his invitation.
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They indicate every intention
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of being present at his party.
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And they seem positively disposed
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to come to the feast.
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Just like this guy in verse 15
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who says,
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blessed are all who eat bread
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at the feast in the kingdom of God.
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They hope to be there.
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They desire to be there.
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But Jesus says,
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none of them are found at the feast.
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Many who seem interested
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just simply won't be there.
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Why is that?
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What Jesus says,
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verse 18,
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they all began to make excuses.
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And anyone in the ancient Near East
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that's hearing these excuses
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would know that these excuses
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are lame and they are ludicrous.
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Right?
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What are the priorities
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that are higher than the host
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and higher than the feast?
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Well, this first guy,
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he bought a field.
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And of course,
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there's nothing wrong
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with buying property.
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But why does he need
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to go see this property
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if he's already bought it?
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And why does he need
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to go right now
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at dinnertime,
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at night,
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in the dark?
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Right?
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He's allowed a small piece
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of this world
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to get into his soul
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and to capture his attention
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and divide his heart
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and to become more important to him
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than the host and the feast.
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And this field,
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it may be a valuable field,
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but it's just a field
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and it's causing him
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to miss out on the greatest feast
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of his life.
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Same with the second guy.
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There's nothing wrong
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with buying oxen
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and going out
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and getting the things
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that you need
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to do your work.
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There's nothing wrong
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with work,
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but he basically says
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to the host,
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these beasts of burden,
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my work,
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all the things that I hope
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to accomplish in my life,
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all of them are more important
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to me than my relationship
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with you.
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And the third guy,
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the third guy's newly married
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and of course marriage
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is one of God's greatest gifts.
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Amen?
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That was a little weak.
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That was a little weak.
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But this third guy,
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you know,
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why can't he bring his wife
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to the feast?
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What's up with this guy?
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At least the first guy
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and the second guy say,
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please excuse me,
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but the third guy,
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he doesn't ask to be excused,
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he just says,
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I can't come,
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no apologies.
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These are to allow your host
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to go through
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all the expense
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and all the preparations
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and yet to leave him hanging
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with no one to partake of the food
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is to cause him
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to be rudely snubbed
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and humiliated
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and ignored
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and insulted.
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And what is Jesus
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trying to communicate
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with us
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about these lame excuses?
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Jesus is saying,
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you know,
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it's one thing to say
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that we believe in God,
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but it's another thing
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to act on it.
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Right?
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It doesn't matter so much
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what we say about God,
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it matters what we do
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in our relationship
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with God.
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All three of these people,
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they believe in the host,
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they desire to be at the feast,
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they accept the invitation,
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but in the day-to-day life,
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how do they
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and how do we
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rank this feast
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in our actual life,
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our actual priorities,
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our actual commitments?
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Does Christ
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and his gospel invitation
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to the messianic feast
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claim first place
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in our lives?
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Have we placed everything else,
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our fields,
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our possessions,
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our houses,
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our oxen,
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our work,
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our bank accounts,
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our spouses,
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and our kids,
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and our family life,
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have we placed all these things
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in a subordinate position?
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Does the kingdom of God
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take precedence
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over everything else,
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and have we given it
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our exclusive loyalty,
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and our wholehearted devotion,
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or are we allowing
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good things
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but lesser things?
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Good things
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but temporary things
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to cause us
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to miss out
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on the greatest
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and most important thing
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that could possibly
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happen to us,
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this feast that has come
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and is coming
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in Jesus Christ.
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You see,
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they were all guilty
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of accepting God's invitation
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conditionally,
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the condition being
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that the feast
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should fit in with
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and suit their convenience.
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They were honored
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to be invited,
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they had,
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and had nothing else
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intervened,
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they would have been present
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as long as it involved
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no sacrifice
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on their part.
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All would have been well.
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They would appear
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when it suited them,
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if nothing else was present,
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and if they felt like it,
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but other things
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were pressing,
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and other things
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did intervene
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and they didn't feel like it
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and more immediate
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interests busied them.
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And they found
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that feast
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to be inconvenient
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because they placed
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their convenience
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before everything else.
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And the people
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who made these excuses,
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they imagined
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that future opportunities
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would come
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and that all would be well,
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but what does Jesus say
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in verse 21?
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In verse 24,
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the servant came back
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and reported this
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to his master
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and then the owner
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of the house became angry.
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In verse 24,
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I tell you,
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not one of those
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who are invited
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will get a taste
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of my banquet.
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And I so wish
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I could soften
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those words for you,
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but I don't presume
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to do that.
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Jesus is saying,
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you've got to arrange
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your priorities,
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you've got to arrange
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your entire life
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around this feast.
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That's point number one.
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Point number two,
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not only arrange
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your priorities
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around the feast,
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but you've got to
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invite unlikely guests
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to the feast.
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Invite unlikely guests
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to the feast.
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Just before Jesus
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tells this story,
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what does he say
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to his host
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in verse 12?
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He says this,
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Jesus said to his host,
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when you give a lunch
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and a dinner,
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do not invite your friends
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or your brothers
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and sisters,
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your relatives
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or your rich neighbors.
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If you do,
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they may invite you back
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and so you will be repaid.
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But when you give a banquet,
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invite the poor,
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the crippled,
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the lame,
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the blind,
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and you will be blessed.
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Although they cannot repay you,
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you will be repaid
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at the resurrection
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of the righteous.
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What's the difference
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between these groups?
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We see friends
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and siblings
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and family members
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and rich neighbors,
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they all have their lives
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put together, right?
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Their lives are so put together
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they have the capacity
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maybe to invite you back.
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They have the ability
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to pay you back.
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These people can add value
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to your network.
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They can open doors for you.
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It's this supportive alliance
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of people
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that can sort of do
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quid pro quo.
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Like,
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if you do something nice for me,
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I'll do something nice for you.
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And Jesus raises the question.
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He says,
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but what if we live
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for something higher
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and something greater
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than right now payback
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with other people?
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What if we made sacrifices
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for a future reward?
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In the resurrection
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of the righteous?
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And by the way,
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Jesus is not telling you
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to stop inviting your family
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over to dinner.
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Okay,
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I've got a birthday party
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later today
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at my sister's house.
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That is okay
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with Jesus.
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He's not giving you,
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you know,
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a carte blanche,
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like,
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just stop inviting
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the people in your family
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you don't like
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over to dinner.
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He's saying,
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in addition to
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inviting people
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who can pay you back,
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what if,
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like God,
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you begin to invite people
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who cannot pay you back?
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And you see,
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who's on God's
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can't pay me back list?
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Well,
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we get it in Jesus' story
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in verse 21
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where he says this.
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He says,
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the owner of the house
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became angry.
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He ordered his servant,
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go out quickly
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to the streets
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and alleys of the town
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and bring in who?
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The poor,
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the crippled,
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the blind,
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and the lame.
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These are people
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who are clearly needy.
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They are unfit
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for this feast,
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right?
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The poor are unwashed.
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The crippled
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are hobbling in
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on their crutches.
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The blind
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are being led in
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by others.
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The lame can't walk in.
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They've got to be carried in
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by other people.
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And of course,
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to connect this back
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with the people
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making excuses,
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blind people
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can't even see a field
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even if they wanted
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to buy it.
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They can't buy it.
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Crippled people,
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they can't test oxen.
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They don't have
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that ability.
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Lame people
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typically don't get married.
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Poor people
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can't afford
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any of these things.
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None of these people
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are people
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who are invited
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to feasts.
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Yet God is inviting them
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to his feast.
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Now,
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if I were God
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and,
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you know,
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the people
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that I had made
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in my image
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and I invited
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to my party
-
rejected me
-
and they
-
snubbed me
-
and humiliated me
-
and ignored me
-
and insulted me,
-
I don't really think
-
I'd be inviting
-
more people
-
to my party.
-
I would just say
-
that's it.
-
Party's over.
-
But Jesus says
-
God is so good
-
and so gracious.
-
God is so patient
-
and so kind
-
and he so wants
-
his house
-
to be full
-
that he seemingly
-
will include
-
just about anyone.
-
Jesus is saying
-
that no one
-
is too low status
-
or needy for God.
-
God.
-
No one is too
-
dirty
-
or wretched
-
or miserable
-
for God.
-
No one is too broken
-
or outcast
-
for God.
-
He's saying
-
the feast of God
-
is going to be
-
full of people
-
who have nothing
-
to offer God.
-
God's feast of grace
-
is not given
-
to people
-
who are fitting
-
and who are
-
worthy recipients.
-
No,
-
God's feast of grace
-
is given precisely
-
to those who are
-
without worth.
-
They're completely
-
absent and empty
-
of worth
-
and his grace
-
is just this
-
incongruous gift.
-
It makes absolutely
-
no sense.
-
God gives his grace
-
to people
-
who can never
-
even think
-
to repay him.
-
And what does Jesus
-
want us to see
-
about ourselves?
-
Jesus wants us
-
to see that spiritually
-
and morally
-
we are the unwashed poor.
-
that spiritually
-
and morally
-
we are the disabled.
-
That we are
-
the unfit people
-
at the bottom
-
of the pile
-
and that we are
-
the unworthy people
-
at the end of the line
-
and that we do not
-
deserve to be
-
at God's feast.
-
But God
-
in all of his grace
-
he goes out
-
into the city streets
-
and he goes out
-
into the country roads.
-
He goes to the rural poor
-
and the urban poor.
-
He goes to everybody
-
to gather us
-
into his feast.
-
And one of the ways
-
that you know
-
you are an unlikely guest
-
is that you need
-
to be compelled
-
to come into the feast.
-
Right?
-
Jesus says
-
in verse 22
-
what does he say?
-
Sir,
-
the servant said
-
what you ordered
-
has been done
-
but there is still room
-
and then the master
-
of the house
-
told his servant
-
go out to the roads
-
and country lanes
-
and compel them
-
persuade them
-
to come in
-
so that my house
-
will be full.
-
Why do they need
-
to be persuaded
-
because they're surprised
-
that they're even
-
invited at all?
-
Right?
-
They know that
-
they're undeserving.
-
They know that
-
they don't belong here.
-
There must be
-
some mistake.
-
Like why are you
-
including desperate
-
beggars in your feast?
-
You know we can't
-
pay back this host.
-
You know we're not
-
fit for this feast.
-
We're unwashed.
-
We smell bad.
-
We're in rags
-
and tatters.
-
We don't have
-
decent robes.
-
This gracious
-
invitation
-
cannot possibly
-
be real.
-
What have I ever
-
done for the host?
-
Don't you see
-
the state that I'm in?
-
These people
-
have to be compelled
-
and someone
-
needs to tell them
-
you know
-
you don't have
-
to do anything.
-
You're just welcomed
-
and you're wanted
-
just as you are.
-
You see this feast
-
of grace,
-
this feast of salvation
-
in the kingdom
-
of God.
-
It's totally free
-
and it's completely
-
prepared for you.
-
Come now
-
for everything
-
is ready.
-
You don't need
-
to do anything.
-
You don't need
-
to contribute
-
anything.
-
It's not a potluck
-
where you bring a dish
-
and add to the meal.
-
It's not a restaurant
-
where you pick up
-
a part of the tab
-
and you pay
-
your share.
-
You just receive it
-
without giving
-
anything for it.
-
And this is the
-
first acid test
-
that you know
-
and you've come
-
to know how poor
-
and how disabled
-
and how unworthy
-
you are
-
and how good
-
and how gracious
-
and how generous
-
God is.
-
Do you have
-
a sense of shock,
-
a sense of astonishment
-
that God's grace
-
toward you
-
is so radical
-
it's almost hard
-
to believe it?
-
Do you need
-
someone to compel
-
you to come in
-
because you think
-
it's just too good
-
to be true?
-
Do you need someone
-
to just gently
-
smile at you
-
and take you
-
by the arm
-
and say come in
-
you're included
-
you belong.
-
The host of the feast
-
himself says that
-
you are wanted
-
and you are welcomed
-
in his house
-
and at his table.
-
That's the first
-
acid test
-
that you know
-
what grace is.
-
And the second
-
acid test
-
is the second test
-
that you've experienced
-
the grace of God
-
and that is
-
it has to do
-
with who you invite
-
into your life
-
and to your table.
-
Right?
-
Just as the master
-
of the feast
-
wants to fill
-
his house
-
and his table
-
Jesus also wants
-
us to invite
-
people into our lives
-
and around our tables.
-
And he says
-
when we are looking
-
for people to invite
-
we're not scanning
-
for people
-
who have their lives
-
put together.
-
We're not looking
-
for people
-
that we deem
-
to be fitting
-
and worthy candidates
-
who can offer us
-
something in return
-
people who can pay us back
-
people who can improve
-
our lives
-
because that is simply
-
not what God
-
has done for us.
-
Rather
-
we're to graciously
-
and generously
-
invite
-
the most unlikely guests
-
who cannot pay us
-
in the same way
-
that God
-
invited us
-
by his incongruent grace
-
by his uncalculating
-
generosity
-
that we could never
-
repay.
-
So Jesus is telling us
-
look around you
-
look around you
-
at the actually poor
-
and the spiritually poor
-
look around you
-
at the actually disabled
-
and the morally disabled
-
and ask yourself
-
what is keeping me
-
from inviting them
-
into my life
-
and around my table
-
and bringing them
-
into the feast of Christ
-
here in our community.
-
Jesus says
-
the one who invites people
-
into your life
-
and to your table
-
like this
-
will be rewarded
-
not by the recipients
-
themselves
-
but by God himself
-
at the resurrection
-
of the righteous.
-
So Jesus says
-
you've got to
-
arrange your priorities
-
around the feast
-
you've got to invite
-
unlikely guests
-
to the feast
-
and last thing
-
we got basketball
-
so I'm wrapping up.
-
You've got to take
-
the lowest place
-
at the feast.
-
Take the lowest place
-
at the feast.
-
You know
-
Lord's Supper
-
or holy communion
-
that we're about
-
to receive
-
it's given to us
-
by Jesus
-
as a foretaste
-
of this coming feast
-
in the kingdom of God
-
this messianic banquet
-
this feast
-
to end all feasts
-
where all of our hunger
-
and our sadness
-
and our tears
-
and our shame
-
will be gone.
-
But how are we
-
to approach
-
the Lord's Supper?
-
How are we to come
-
to holy communion?
-
Well Jesus indicates
-
that it's a feast
-
for the humble
-
and it's a feast
-
for the lowly.
-
And what does Jesus say
-
about the people
-
sitting around the table?
-
He says in verse 8
-
if you'll turn back
-
to verse 8
-
he says
-
when someone invites you
-
to a wedding feast
-
do not take the place
-
of honor
-
for a person
-
more distinguished
-
than you
-
may have been invited
-
so if the host
-
who invited
-
both of you
-
will come
-
and say to you
-
give this person
-
your seat
-
then humiliated
-
you will have to take
-
the least important place
-
but when you are invited
-
take the lowest place
-
so that when your host
-
comes
-
he will say to you
-
friend
-
move up to a better place
-
then you'll be honored
-
in the presence
-
of all the other guests
-
for all those
-
who exalt themselves
-
will be humbled
-
and those who humble
-
themselves
-
will be exalted.
-
By now
-
hopefully we can see
-
that while Jesus
-
is giving us
-
solid counsel
-
on how to behave
-
at dinner parties
-
right
-
he's talking about
-
something way more
-
than just social etiquette
-
and table manners
-
isn't he
-
what is he talking about
-
he's talking about
-
how we relate
-
to God as our host
-
and how we position
-
and posture ourselves
-
as the guests
-
at his feast
-
and Jesus talks
-
when he talks
-
he says
-
this is a price
-
a pricey feast
-
it's a
-
it's a precious
-
wedding feast
-
and hopefully
-
you can see
-
that this feast
-
that God is inviting us to
-
it's not one of those
-
scratch meals
-
where you say
-
come over
-
we'll just see
-
whatever's in the fridge
-
and in the cupboard
-
and we'll whip
-
something together
-
no
-
it's been prepared
-
over a long period
-
of time
-
it's been prepared
-
at great cost
-
before the foundation
-
of the world
-
the Father
-
and the Son
-
and the Holy Spirit
-
took counsel together
-
about this feast
-
the one God
-
and three persons
-
agreed
-
that they wanted
-
you
-
to come and be
-
at this feast
-
of grace
-
and this feast
-
of salvation
-
the value of which
-
is measured by
-
how much it costs
-
God to put on
-
and what does it cost
-
God for this feast
-
well it costs
-
God the Father
-
his most precious
-
and dearly beloved
-
and only Son
-
and it costs
-
Jesus all the glories
-
of heaven
-
it costs him
-
humiliation
-
absolute misery
-
and humiliation
-
on his cross
-
bearing in his broken
-
body the sins
-
of the whole world
-
dying in our place
-
taking on all
-
the condemnation
-
and shame
-
and wrath
-
and punishment
-
that we deserved
-
so that you could
-
be at this feast
-
Jesus was cast out
-
see
-
that all the outcasts
-
could come in
-
Jesus became
-
poor
-
and he became
-
crippled
-
and he became
-
blind
-
and he became
-
lame
-
so that you could
-
be brought in
-
to the feast
-
and not only
-
has God prepared
-
a feast
-
for us
-
at exorbitant
-
cost to himself
-
but all that
-
you need
-
and all that
-
you could possibly
-
want
-
is provided
-
at this feast
-
right
-
he has a means
-
to transform us
-
from being
-
absolutely unfit
-
and unworthy
-
outcasts
-
to coming in
-
in a state
-
of being
-
his precious
-
and his
-
treasured
-
friends
-
right
-
for all
-
the unwashed
-
poor
-
he's got
-
a wonderful
-
bath
-
in which
-
he will
-
baptize you
-
and make
-
you clean
-
by the blood
-
of Christ
-
and for all
-
those disabled
-
in their rags
-
and their tatters
-
he covers
-
our nakedness
-
and he gives
-
us a robe
-
the robe
-
of his very
-
righteousness
-
because you see
-
Jesus didn't
-
live
-
when he lived
-
his life
-
he wasn't
-
living
-
for fields
-
and for oxen
-
and for marriage
-
what was he
-
living for
-
he was living
-
exclusively
-
and holy
-
for the kingdom
-
of God
-
and when we
-
come naked
-
to him
-
when we come
-
in rags
-
and tatters
-
and unclean
-
he puts
-
that robe
-
of his perfect
-
righteousness
-
around us
-
and says
-
you're ready
-
now for the
-
feast
-
you see
-
Jesus
-
he became
-
a poor
-
and unworthy
-
outcast
-
on his cross
-
so that he
-
could cleanse
-
us and clothe
-
us in his
-
own worthiness
-
and so when
-
we come
-
to the Lord's
-
supper
-
when we come
-
to holy
-
communion
-
this is for us
-
a mini feast
-
it's a feast
-
that's a signpost
-
to that kingdom
-
that's already
-
come
-
and that
-
is yet to
-
come
-
in the future
-
the messianic age
-
that's already
-
begun
-
and that will
-
one day be
-
consummated
-
when Jesus
-
returns
-
and Jesus
-
says that the
-
best way
-
to approach
-
this feast
-
is to
-
humble
-
yourself
-
it's to
-
say you
-
know what
-
I'm going
-
to take
-
the lowest
-
place
-
I'm going
-
to take
-
the least
-
important
-
position
-
because I
-
know
-
that I'm
-
not even
-
worthy
-
to be at
-
the table
-
I know
-
that I'm
-
completely
-
unqualified
-
I'm just
-
a desperate
-
beggar
-
all I bring
-
to this feast
-
is my
-
hunger
-
all I bring
-
is my
-
thirst
-
the only
-
way I'm
-
here is
-
because Jesus
-
has cleansed
-
me
-
and he's
-
clothed
-
me
-
to be
-
here
-
so friends
-
if this is
-
the attitude
-
and the
-
posture
-
that we
-
take
-
we can
-
hear the
-
host of
-
this feast
-
say to
-
us
-
Jesus
-
words
-
in verse
-
10
-
if you
-
look at
-
verse
-
10
-
it says
-
friend
-
move up
-
to a
-
better
-
place
-
you see
-
if we
-
come
-
humbly
-
to this
-
feast
-
we
-
hopefully
-
can
-
hear
-
the
-
master
-
of the
-
feast
-
saying
-
to us
-
my
-
precious
-
friend
-
my
-
treasured
-
friend
-
what are
-
you doing
-
way down
-
there
-
come
-
move up
-
to a
-
better
-
place
-
come
-
sit
-
right
-
here
-
next
-
to
-
me
-
it's
-
the
-
affirmation
-
it's
-
the
-
honor
-
that
-
all of
-
our
-
hearts
-
so
-
desperately
-
and
-
deeply
-
desire
-
and
-
this
-
encourages
-
us
-
I
-
think
-
that
-
those
-
who
-
humble
-
themselves
-
at
-
this
-
feast
-
will
-
ultimately
-
be
-
exalted
-
by
-
God
-
and the
-
feast
-
to
-
come
-
so
-
friends
-
I want
-
to
-
reassure
-
you
-
that
-
the
-
God
-
of
-
all
-
grace
-
he's
-
here
-
and
-
he
-
himself
-
is
-
inviting
-
you
-
to
-
his
-
feast
-
the
-
feast
-
of
-
the
-
Messiah
-
the
-
feast
-
of
-
grace
-
the
-
feast
-
of
-
salvation
-
and
-
what
-
he's
-
saying
-
to us
-
right
-
now
-
is
-
come
-
for
-
everything
-
has been
-
prepared
-
for you
-
come
-
for
-
everything
-
is now
-
ready
-
and I
-
want
-
my
-
house
-
to be
-
full
-
in the
-
name of
-
the
-
Father
-
Son
-
and Holy
-
Spirit
-
Amen
-
Amen