When Jesus accepted an invitation from a leader of the Pharisees to share a meal on the Sabbath, he came under careful scrutiny. The invited Pharisees and legal experts appear to have been intent on watching Jesus in an effort to find fault with him. Also among those at the house, perhaps in the courtyard, was a man with dropsy. This man must have been seriously afflicted, with very noticeable swelling of his legs, feet, hands, and arms. He does not appear to have been a guest or a resident of the home, for he left before those invited started to eat. Possibly he had heard that Jesus would be eating at the Pharisee’s house and decided to go there, hoping that Jesus would cure him. (Luke 14:1, 2, 4, 7)

Jesus asked the Pharisees and legal experts whether it was allowable to heal on the Sabbath or not, but they said nothing. He then took hold of the man, cured him, and sent him on his way. Aware that the Pharisees and the legal experts did not consider it lawful to perform a cure on the Sabbath, Jesus endeavored to correct their wrong view with a question, asking them who among them would not immediately rescue a son (donkey, according to other manuscripts) or a bull that had fallen into a well on the Sabbath. His question left them with nothing to say in rebuttal. (Luke 14:3-6)

Observing that the invited guests were choosing the most prominent places on the couches arranged around the table, Jesus used the occasion to teach, seemingly drawing on the admonition set forth in Proverbs 25:6, 7. (See the Notes section.) When, for example, one is invited to a wedding banquet, Jesus recommended that one not occupy the most prominent place. The person choosing the foremost position risked having the host request that he move for a more distinguished guest and being embarrassed and disgraced upon having to recline in the lowest place. The individual selecting the lowest place, however, would more likely be honored in front of all the other guests, with the host asking that he move to a higher place. Jesus then made the application that persons who exalted themselves would be humbled, whereas those who humbled themselves would be exalted. (Luke 14:7-11)

The Son of God also used the opportunity to convey an important lesson to his host. Instead of just inviting friends, brothers, relatives, or wealthy neighbors for a meal or banquet, with the probability that they would reciprocate in kind, Jesus exhorted his host to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind who were in no position to arrange a feast for others. This would result in his experiencing the superior happiness that comes from giving and the assurance of repayment when the upright are raised from the dead. (Luke 14:12-14)

Jesus’ mention of the “resurrection of the righteous” prompted one of the invited guests to say, “Fortunate [is] anyone who will be eating bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15)

In response, Jesus related a parable. A man prepared a banquet for many guests. He sent out his slave to tell the invitees to come, for all preparations had been completed. They, however, declined the invitation, offering excuses for not being able to come. One invitee did not want to come because he had just bought a field and needed to leave to look at it. Another one begged off so that he could try out the five yoke of cattle he had just bought. Still another one said that he could not come because he had just married. Upon hearing his slave’s report about the invited ones, the master became angry and instructed his slave to go out quickly into the squares and the streets of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. After following through on his master’s instructions, the slave told him that there still was room for more guests. The master then directed him to go out into the roads and the walled or fenced lanes or paths, compelling people to come to the banquet. He wanted his house to be filled with guests. The master then expressed his determination that none of those originally invited would have a taste of his banquet. (Luke 14:16-24)

By means of this parable, Jesus revealed that those first offered the opportunity to be part of the kingdom of God would fail to seize it. As God’s people, the Jews were fully aware of the promise extended to them that, if obedient to the law, they would come to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:5, 6) As evident from the Pharisee’s expression about the kingdom of God, they knew about the prospect of becoming sharers in future blessings and privileges. Yet, when Jesus made his appearance as the promised Messiah and the people had the opportunity to become part of the realm where the Almighty is Sovereign and Jesus is the one whom he appointed as king, they acted like those who excused themselves from acting on the invitation.

They generally believed that afflicted persons suffered on account of their sins. Therefore, the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame could well represent those among the people who were not regarded as the usual recipients of divine favor. It was, however, the tax collectors and others with an unsavory reputation as sinners who repented and acknowledged Jesus as their king.

In time, the invitation to become part of God’s realm went to non-Jewish peoples in widely scattered regions They proved to be like persons on the roads and the walled or fenced lanes and who had to be compelled to come to the banquet. They would have considered themselves undeserving of the inestimable privilege being opened up to them, requiring that they be persuaded that their sins would be forgiven and that they would be welcomed as approved into the realm where the heavenly Father reigns through his Son.

The parable also indicated that failure to respond would lead to loss. None of those originally invited but who rejected the opportunity would be among those to partake of the food.

Notes:

At meals or banquets, couches were arranged around three sides of a table. The side left open provided access for the servants, who would bring the food and serve those eating. The foremost place on a couch was the first position, with no one else being in front. Furthermore, each couch had its own ranking of importance.

When partaking of food, the host and his guests would recline and support themselves on their left side. They would then eat food with their right hand.

Proverbs 25:6, 7 (NRSV) reads, “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”