I Cannot Come!

I have been asked more than once, why we are going through the Gospel of Luke during Lent. Why not Matthew, Mark, or John? Luke is the most thematic of the Gospels and was written by a Gentile physician and missionary.

Luke gives us a picture of Jesus as the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are available to bring all of us into eternal life! And there is one more thing, according to one theologian, Luke’s gospel has more meal-time scenes than any others. Since I chose Luke, I guess that says a lot about me! HA!

In Luke 14, Jesus has been invited into the home of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath. By now, the religious leaders aren’t inviting Him to discuss theology but instead trying to trap him into saying or doing something that could lead to His arrest. Jesus, aware of what they were attempting, questions them about healing on the Sabbath, and when they are silent, proceeds to heal a man.

Knowing the Pharisees and religious leaders love the place of honor at a Table, Jesus goes on to teach them about what it means to have humility, taking the lowest seat and letting the host move them to the place of prominence.

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been sitting in the corner watching the facial expressions of these men as He taught?

After that, Jesus told the Parable of The Great Feast. The custom in that day was to send two invitations to a party, one to announce the event, and then another to tell the guests everything was ready. I'm not going to read Luke 14:15-23, but rather a paraphrase of a song that was written years ago and is a poignant reminder of Jesus’ invitation to come:

A certain man held a feast

On his fine estate in town.

He laid a festive table,

He wore a wedding gown,

He sent out invitations

To his neighbors far and wide,

But when the meal was ready

Each of them replied:

I cannot come,

I cannot come to the banquet,

Don’t trouble me now,

I have married a wife,

I have bought me a cow,

I have fields and commitments,

That cost a pretty sum,

Pray hold me excused

I cannot come.

The master rose up in anger

Called his servants by name, said

Go into town, fetch the blind and the lame

Fetch the peasant and the pauper

For this I have willed:

My banquet must be crowded,

And my table must be filled.

When all the poor had assembled

There was still room to spare,

So the master demanded:

Go search everywhere.

Search the highways and the byways,

And tell them to come in

My table must be filled

Before the banquet can begin.

There are multiple layers of meaning to this parable.

Like the banquet, God’s first invitation came from Moses and the Prophets to the Jewish people, and the second from His Son, Jesus.

The Jewish people refused to accept Jesus, and so the host invited everyone, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, saint or sinner, blind or lame, to come to the banquet.

What does this Parable mean for us today? First of all, Jesus has invited YOU to the table! Have you accepted His invitation to follow Him? Second, are you willing to “Go First” to follow His example? What does it mean for us, as a church and individuals, to celebrate the people who are forgotten, hopeless, and homeless at our table? As we inch closer to Easter, think about who you will invite!

Pastor Pam

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