“Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent 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 piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.” (Luke 14:16-18 KJV)
In these passages, our Lord Jesus Christ tells the parable of the Great Dinner Banquet, where a man (representing God) prepares a feast (pointing to heaven and salvation) but is rejected by the invited guests (initially, the chosen people Israel and those who heard the message of the grace of God) who prioritize religious and worldly concerns of land (material) possessions, over God’s invitation.
The "great banquet" is the abundance of God’s kingdom and the gift of salvation offered to humanity. It is a feast celebration of grace. The Master’s hail to "Come, for everything is now ready" is the invite to salvation which is already prepared and provided by God through the finished work on the cross of Christ Jesus our Lord.
The invitees’ excuse, to check a field (prioritizing real estate work) display humanity’s common tendency for temporal and carnal preferences. These highlight that superficial, daily, and material concerns keep people from accepting God's offer of eternal salvation. The excuse, while seemed casual and mundane, is in fact a grave rejection of the host. They show a lack of awareness in the importance of the spiritual feast, and rather prefer worldly, carnal, or temporary possession. This parable shows that many, who claim to desire the kingdom of God, will reject it due to their enthrallment of the world.
This, therefore, is our prompt to be alert, being children of God that the Scriptures instruct with a warning, as it is written: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
1 comment:
Amen.
We are under in HIS GRACE.
Invited in HIS unconditional love .
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