The Dinner Luke 14:1-24 Asian Fellowship Summer series on the Parables of Jesus © International Media Ministries July 8, 2011 Prepared by Ed van Ouwerkerk Todays theme is: God wants everyone to enjoy His Kingdom blessings Apostle Luke as pained by Dutch painter Frans Hals (1625) Jesus as pained by Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 – 1669)

Opening questions 1.Describe the last dinner party you attended. Who was there? What was the meal like? What types of preparations had been made? 2.If you could choose to dine with anyone in the world, who would it be? Where would you have this dinner? 3.Imagine planning a luxury dinner party. Youve spent weeks planning every detail and days considering the choice of food. Your home is spotless. You are anticipating a perfect evening. As the hour approaches, the table is set, soft music is playing, candles are lit and the appetizers are just coming out of the oven. Yet, the guests dont show up! Not one of them even calls to express regrets. How would you handle such a situation? 4.Have you ever attended an event or a dinner that was almost too good to be true? Imagine being selected to attend dinner at the White House where you would dine with international stars. What feelings would such a dinner invitation bring you? Why?

Read aloud together: Luke 14: One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy (full of water). 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he asked them, If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out? 6 And they had nothing to say. 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 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. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, Give this man your seat. Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 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 will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 12 Then Jesus said to his host, When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. 16 Jesus replied: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, Come, for everything is now ready. 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me. 19 Another said, I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and Im on my way to try them out. Please excuse me. 20 Still another said, I just got married, so I cant come. 21 The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. 22 Sir, the servant said, what you ordered has been done, but there is still room. 23 Then the master told his servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.

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Questions 1.Can somebody tell the story in own words? 2.Which people play a role in this story? 3.When the invited guests made up excuses for not coming on the day of the feast, why was this so insulting to the host? Why would these people trivialize (make less important) the hosts generosity? 4.When the first guests wont come, to whom does the master extend an invitation? What conditions does he place on their invitation? 5.They dont deserve this invitation, theyre not prepared to dine in such a fancy setting, and they can never repay the hosts generosity! Yet, these folks are welcomed into the banquet hall as honored guests. How did this group respond to the opportunity to dine with the master?

6.What do you think about the excuses of the first invitees? 7.Why do you think the second group of invitees joyfully came? 8.Read the Old Testament prophesy Isaiah 25:6 6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines. and the New Testament prophesy Revelation 19:9 9 Then the angel said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! The King of Kings (Jesus, the Lamb of God) has prepared a feast for each and every one of us! We dont deserve it, and we cant prepare for it, but He invites us to come just as we are and He will welcome us. Do you think you are also invited to this heavenly feast?

Lets dream a bit about what type of banquet God is preparing for us. What aspects of this banquet are you most looking forward to? Have you ever seen the movie The Perfect Stranger? Want to see a clip of that movie? Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Who remembers what Jesus says in Revelation 3:20?