God Will Call Three Times

The title of this blog is inspired by three parables in Luke. You will recognize the different time periods of God's calling to the Human Family.

In Luke, chapter 14, verses 7-24, Jesus tells three parables. I’ve been looking at these three parables for a few hours, now. I’ve read some commentary on them and have observed the lessons the authors of the commentary point to. However, I can not seem to make myself agree with any one commentator. I see visions from my own life I would like to apply these parables to. So, I will. But, first excuse me; this is possibly the longest post I have written to date. I apologize for this. However, I would not have kept pursuing it if I were not going to bring something valuable to you.

I do not intend to promote only my understanding of these parables. I do have a few ideas of my own. So, what I intend to do, is to borrow some lessons from the commentators and blend in some of my understanding with application from my life. Let’s begin with verses 7-11…

7When 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. 9If 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. 10But 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. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Vicki, my wife and I were completely bran new to a particular church. We chose to attend this church because of its reputation for academic Bible study.

When it was time to go to the sunday school class we decided to attend, we were early. Vicki and I chose a table in the middle of the room. We removed our coats and placed them over the chairs we intended to sit in. We sat our Bibles on the table in front of the chairs. As people began to come into the room, Vicki and I separated and were talking to people. She and I both kept an eye on our belongings. Then, we both saw an elderly woman walk up to the table. She looked at my things. Made a deliberate move toward the chair, removed my coat and placed it at the table behind her and shoved my Bible to the center of the table. Vicki began to approach her and I raised my voice saying, “It’s o.k.” One of the men at the table was about to address her when he realized what was happening. I said, “No, don’t worry about that”.

From those first five verses, verses 7-11, I see some similarity. The man who was seated at the table we were about to sit at, was one of the teachers in the church. This teacher is very educated and respected there. He was about to address the woman. This would have caused her humiliation. (By the way, we never did see this lady in sunday school class after that day). My thoughts went to the idea of placing self before others. I began to make assessments of this type of behavior and considered this woman to have a lack of understanding of the character of Christ from whom she should be following as an example. I also placed consideration on her spiritual condition. My thoughts were, “She does not display love on others in the way Christ said, we “must love one another”. And, then, the idea of her reward, if this is any indication of what the rest of her life is like. She is likely to be humiliated and not be in a good place when the Host of Host places her in the place reserved for her.

12Then 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. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

In verses 12-14, Jesus tells the host to not merely invite people with whom the host is familiar. Because these people may feel a sense of obligation and in turn, invite the host to their homes. Then, the reward the host receives is to simply be returned the favor. However, if the host will invite those whom he normally does not spend time with and has not made a relationship with and whom he can expect nothing in return from, then the host displays effacement and not self promotion. The host then has the opportunity to befriend these people. How opportune would this be for a Christian? We would give ourselves the open door to share the Gospel Message. Now, in today’s standard of civilization, I do not recommend we open our homes in such a way. However, I know we can find ways to reach out to those whom we do not regularly encounter and are strangers with. Then, there is the opportunity for sharing the Gospel.

Four points from http://www.xenos.org/teachings/nt/luke/gary/luke14-1.htm

1. Self-promotion views higher roles as positions of greater power and privilege over others (POSTMODERNISM’S INSIGHT INTO HUMAN NATURE).
2. Self-effacement views higher roles as positions of greater service to others (Mk. 10:42-45).
3. Self-promotion takes advancement into one's own hands ("ITCH" to keep climbing; PUSHING, POLITICKING, THREATENING, CALLING IN FAVORS, etc.).
4. Self-effacement puts advancement into God's hands (1 Pet. 5:6; NOT LAZY OR PASSIVE—BUSY SERVING AT YOUR POST; SCHAEFFER’S “EXTRUSION”).

The Parable of the Great Banquet

15When 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."
16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At 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 I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't 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. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

http://books.google.com/books?id=DixbpWbCEE8C&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=Biblical+Custom+Invitation+to+a+banquet&source=web&ots=stHRIv7Ghi&sig=GZZ6PhJuT2pRysXMUlqIzLEhU8M&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA118,M1

Wow! What a long link!

The following custom was taken from the above link on the ‘Cultural Dictionary of the Bible’.

“Double invitations to banquets were common (See Luke 14:16-17). During the time between the first and second invitation, those invited checked out the reputation of the host, the rest of the guest list and sought other information needed to decide whether to attend or decline when the time came.”

If this is your shin-dig, you are going to be insulted. But, this party is being staged by the Lord.
Are you going to check out His credentials and see whose name is written in the Book of Life before you decide you are going? Well, believe it or not, people do that. I am often hearing of what a person says they think God will do and not do in the way of imposing judgment. Then, the line that always seems to take me aback; “If this is what God is like, I don’t want to go to Heaven!” We’ve all heard this nonsense. So, I would say this portion of the parable is to represent the Jewish community. They took a look at Jesus and said, ‘No thanks. That is not my God.’

Isaiah 54:2 reminds us that God is planning something very big. He is making room for many, many guest and will not be put off.

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

So, after whatever Jews decide to accept God’s invitation, there are the Gentiles. The servant is told to go out into the streets and bring those who can not have a relationship with this wealthy, dignified, person because their status is something far below His standard. They have not prepared to ‘fraternize’ with such high society folk as this. How out of place they will be! Except, in the kindness and generosity of this Master, their status is just as even as those whom had first been invited. (Those lame, crippled, blind and poor are the Gentiles whom could not come on their own as God had not been keeping a relationship with these. Obviously, the time period is beginning with Pentecost. Prior, not many Gentiles were coming to the Lord)

The servant has gathered up as many as he can find, and now there is still room. With a sense of urgency in the Master’s voice, He demands that the servant go out to the entire world to ‘make them come in’.

Who are these people? I think they are those who have chosen a different master. This Master is saying, ‘They belong under my roof! Go and make them come!”
So, what we are witnessing here is three groups of persons. None of them chose to seek the Lord. And the Lord invites in a pattern that expresses a sense of urgency. The first, group to be invited was one who was simply asked to ‘come’. The second group was sent for with the words ‘bring in’. And the third group was sent for by a servant who was told to ‘compel’ the guest.

The lesson, of course is that God has been patient with us who just do not value the relationship God has made available. God has made this relationship available first to the Jews, then the Gentiles and now to those who go after all forms of idolatry. Time is getting short, there are those whom God came to, the Jews whom have received Christ, there are those Gentiles whom God came to whom received Christ. And now, we Christians are being told ‘Go and compel them to leave their gods and be my people’.