The Great Supper

The Great Supper.

(The Gospel History, Section 108)

And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. But he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper; and he bade many: and he sent forth his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. And the servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame. And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Commentary by J. R. Dummelow

Lk 14:15–24. The great supper (peculiar to Lk, although Mt 22:1–14 presents many points of similarity: see on that passage). Here the ‘certain man’ is God, the many bidden are the rulers of the Jews, the servant who invites them is Jesus Christ. When the rulers refuse the invitation to the feast (i.e. to enter into Christ’s Kingdom), the poor, the maimed, the blind, and the lame (i.e. the despised classes of the Jewish nation) are invited. They joyfully obey, and yet there is room, because the kingdom of Christ is meant to embrace all mankind (v. 22). Then Christ, through His Apostles, goes out into the highways and hedges (i.e. into heathen lands), and compels the Gentiles to come in.

15. Eat bread in the kingdom of God] The mention of the ‘resurrection of the just,’ with which, according to Jewish ideas, the reign of the Messiah would begin, reminds this Jew of the great feast, which the Messiah would then hold: see on Mt 8:11.

18. The excuses show careless unconcern, not hardened wickedness. Business occupations, family ties, and various distractions, are pleaded as excuses for not taking God’s summons seriously.

23. Compel them to come in] Our Lord does not here (as has often been supposed) sanction religious persecution. ‘He said “Compel them,” not commanding force to be used, but indicating that in the case of Gentiles a more urgent and persistent kind of preaching must be used, seeing that they were under the power of demons, and sleeping in the deep darkness of error’ (Euthymius).

24. For I say] Here Christ drops the parabolic form and speaks in His own person. ‘For I (Christ) say unto you, that none of the Jewish rulers who have rejected My invitation shall taste of My supper, i.e. of the blessedness in store for the saints of God.’

The Great Supper

(The Saviour of the World, Vol VI Book IV Poem LXVII)

Not all Christ’s words were wholly lost,
One turned to Him with grave accost,
A man that with Him sat at meat:
“Happy the man who hath his seat
At God’s high table, where He deals
To them He loves divinest meals!”
And Christ made answer with a tale
Which shewed what virtue should avail!

“Wouldst know how God doth spread His board

And chosen guests invite

To His great harvest-supper? See,

Full many have the right

Of entrance to His happy halls

On that high festal night.

“For many had been bidden long,

And lest they should forget,

His servants ran to bring them word,

That nought these men should let:

To house by house came messengers,—

At no door gladly met.

“One man, by invitation called,

Was sorry, he had bought

A pasture field his beasts to graze,—

See it, he must and ought;

The messenger he sent away

With poor excuses fraught.

“Another busy man must needs

Five yoke of oxen prove;

‘For if I put it off,’ said he,

‘Who shall the dealer move

His bargain to forego, should I

Seek favour from his love?’

“A third man said, ‘I cannot come;

I have a wife just wed,

And who would bid a husband forth

From nuptial board and bed?

Go, tell thy lord that in my place

Some other may be fed.’

“The servant came, downcast of mien,

And told his lord these things:

In anger, he cried, ‘Nevermore

Kind invitation brings

These men unto my house! Go forth;’—

He went as he had wings,—

“‘Go forth to city streets and lanes,

Bring whom you chance to find,

The halt, the lame, the reprobate,

The destitute, the blind;

So shall my supper furnished be

With guests to suit my mind!’

“The servant ran the city through

And hailed men on their way,—

‘My lord doth bid thee eat with him

At his high feast to-day!’

Some hungry folk right joyful came,

But many turned away.

“The servant said, ‘lord, it is done.

Yet is there room to spare:’

‘Go,’ said the lord, ‘to highway, hedge,

To distant hamlets fare,—

Compel those strangers to come in,—

My good things they shall share:

For none of those first bidden may,

To come before me, dare.’”

St. Luke xiv. 15–24.

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