by Bill Moseley

Our text has to do with what is called "The Parable of the Great Supper." Jesus begins by saying, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" There are more things to learn from this parable than we have room for in this column, but a few things that are common to men today are there, and it is these that we consider. We urge those  who read this to consult the parable in their Bibles, since we have not the room to cite it all here.

First, there are two things to look at. There is an invitation, and then the response to the invitation. It is a picture of God inviting men into the kingdom of heaven, and the refusal of  those who were invited. Their "reasons" are much like those offered today in turning down the Lord's invitation. At the coronation of Queen Elizabeth invitations were sent
out to certain ones. On the invitation it was clearly inscribed, "all excuses ceasing." In other words, royalty has spoken, and excuses would not be accepted. And so it should be when responding to the Lord's invitation.

In the parable we have three men who come with empty excuses for not attending the great supper, and turning down the King's invitation. They were hollow excuses, and as the parable is studied it is easy to see that the King was not pleased. There are three things to consider in the parable that we should look at, for these same three things often hinder us from, first of all, coming into the kingdom and heaven, and then in serving once we get there.

First, there is the possession of wealth. This is seen in the response of the first man who had bought  a piece of ground and begged to be excused on the grounds that he had to go see what he had bought! The pursuit of legitimate materiality is something the Lord never condemned, for he knew that men needed certain things to prolong their existence in a meaningful way while upon the earth. This is why God encourages honorable labor, and in turn the right to live of the proceeds of that labor. The man we have come to know as the "rich young ruler" had a problem with his wealth. But the greater problem was not the wealth, per se, but rather his attitude toward it. And so it may be for us if we are not careful. Gather your material things in the proper way and amount - but do not let that wealth stand in the way of coming to the Lord and serving him.

The second man in the parable had a problem with commerce, involving labor. He had bought five yoke of oxen and had to try them, and so begged to be excused. Now, the Lord encourages work. Paul said that the man who would not work should not eat (2 Thess. 3:10). Slothfulness is roundly condemned by God. One has but to read several passages that bear on this in Proverbs to learn this. So how is it then that the man in our text incurred the wrath of the one who invited him? Like the first man, it was not his work, per se, that was wrong. But as the first man let his wealth stand in his way, the second man's work was a barrier to entering the kingdom of heaven. How often we hear those professing to be Christians today use their work as an excuse for not serving God! If that is a constant thing with us, we need to make the necessary adjustments and/or corrections in our work schedule!

Then there was the matter of the emotions of human affection that plagued the third man. He said, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." So it is yet - we often let family come between us and service to God. Are we in the habit of saying, "we couldn't come to worship or Bible study today because we had family come to visit?" If so, we need to think seriously on the matter, for in the parable the king became angry at this man for refusing to answer his invitation in a positive way. Family is great - but not great enough to interfere with our service to God.

And so we have the Parable of the Great Supper involving wealth, work and a wife. Read it carefully and ask yourself, "how would I fit in the story that Jesus told? Do I see myself in any of the three men in the parable?" Here is a story easy to be understood. Let us learn from it, and thereby escape the wrath of the king when he invites us to come, and then to serve him!