THE DISCIPLE WHO DIDN'T COME TO THE FEAST (Lk 14:15-27)
THE DISCIPLE WHO DIDN'T COME TO THE FEAST
Luke 14:15-27
Context of the Text
The main topic of this passage is Jesus' invitation. Jesus was invited to a dinner at the house of a Pharisee. There, Jesus healed a sick person and spoke about humility (Luke 14:11). Jesus said that if a banquet is prepared, the poor and the disabled should also be invited, even if they cannot immediately repay the favor. Jesus emphasized that God, who sees everything, will repay them all on the last day (Luke 14:12ff). Then, someone who was sitting beside Jesus said that blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God (v. 15). Hearing this, Jesus spoke a parable in this passage.
Three Invited Groups
Who are the people who eat bread in God's kingdom? In this parable, there are three groups of people who eat bread. The first group is the formally invited group to the banquet. Specifically, they are the people who own land, have cattle, and are married. The second group consists of the poor and physically disabled, those who are marginalized and excluded. The third group includes anyone who is not part of the first or second group, such as those who are just passing by.
If we look at the front and back of the text, we can see more detailed descriptions of each group. The first group, who were formally invited, are naturally the people closest to the host. The Pharisees, who invited Jesus to dinner, belong to the first group. Jerusalem, where Jesus lamented that the prophets were killed, and the fig tree that didn't bear fruit also belong to this group. The second group includes the woman who was bent over for 18 years and was healed by Jesus, as well as the man with dropsy, whose body was swollen like the person who fell into the water in Luke 14. The third group refers to everyone else who doesn't fit into the first or second group, including all the tax collectors and sinners mentioned in Luke 15.
It's important to know which group we belong to. If we think we belong to the first group, verse 24 may make us feel uneasy. Jesus says, "For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet." This means that the first group, who rejected the invitation, will not taste the banquet. If we think we belong to the first group, it might feel like we've been left out of the kingdom of heaven. However, if we think we belong to the second or third group, it might make us feel inferior, as if we were not invited or forced to come to the banquet.
The first group to hear Jesus' parable
Which group did Jesus use the parable of the banquet invitation for? He wanted the first group to hear the parable. The second and third groups ended up receiving the feast, but upon closer examination of the parable, it becomes clear that the second and third groups were obligated to attend the feast and were guaranteed a spot. In contrast, the first group, who were formally invited, chose not to attend and became a problem. Jesus wants to provide a feast and bread for everyone in the Kingdom of God. The statement in verse 15, "Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God," is true. If the issue is whether or not to eat bread, then wouldn't the group that refuses to eat bread be the problem?
The first group is the group that Jesus officially invited. They are close to Jesus and know Him well. Guests are usually family or neighbors. It is rare to invite someone you don't know to a feast. It's like sending a wedding invitation to your relatives, but they don't come. You announce a funeral, but the person who must come doesn't show up. People who should be the first to come and share joy or sadness with you don't appear. These are the people who belong to the first group. Parents have no finger that doesn't hurt when bitten by their ten fingers (children). People in the first group are like Jesus' own fingers that hurt Him. Jesus tells the parable in the text to people who are closest to Him, His disciples, but who hurt His heart, in other words, the people in the first group.
If You Are a Follower of Jesus
Take a look at what those who follow Jesus, those who have received His invitation, are doing. They buy fields, they buy cows, and they even get married. Because of these things, they were not able to respond readily to the Lord's call. After giving the parable in this passage, Jesus describes the appearance and qualifications of those who follow Him as if painting a picture.
"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (VV. 26-27).
In Hebrew or the Aramaic language that Jesus used in his daily life, there is no comparative degree. The text uses the word "hate" to convey a strong and definite feeling that one must hate their own life, but a more accurate translation would be:
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple."
The cross may seem like a heavy burden that is far away, but as Jesus expressed it, the cross is in our daily lives. It is in buying fields, buying cattle, and getting married. Jesus says that we must consider him more precious than anything else, even in our daily lives. Being a disciple is expected of us in these moments, and we can only be disciples when we prioritize him. This is what Jesus means when he uses the analogy in the text to address his first group of disciples.