Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15)
Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (Luke 14:16-20)
Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, (Proverbs 9:1-3) God has prepared something so wonderful for all of us to participate in, salvation and a relationship with Him through His Son, Christ Jesus. He's done EVERYTHING that needs to be done and that is required! All we have to do is accept His invitation. Yet, we make so many excuses as to why we won't come, why we won't accept Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and religious lawyers. (Luke 14:1-3; see THE GOSPEL: Everyone is Worthy of Special Treatment) He is describing how God has prepared everything for first the Jews, but they refused to accept His invitation with all kinds of excuses.
How does God deal with the Jews rejection of His invitation to receive salvation through His Son? So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” (Luke 14:21-24)
God had such a wonderful and awesome plan for the Jews, to use them in a way that not only they would be blessed, but that the whole world would be blessed through them. (Genesis 22:18) Yet they repeatedly refused to do things God's way. But when God makes a promise, He keeps it! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: ...After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity;(Jeremiah 29:4, 10-14)
The Jews are still God's chosen people, but He has used their disobedience and repeated rejection to demonstrate so much of His love, grace and mercy, righteousness and justice. ...even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. (Romans 9:22-24, 30-32 NLT)
I know what enthusiasm they [people of Israel] have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. (Romans 10:2-4 NLT) I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! ... Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. (Romans 11:1, 11-12 NLT)
And that's what God did, He made salvation available to ALL people, while still keeping His promise to the Jews. When the Jews, who were originally invited to the great supper began to make excuses, then the Master invited the rest of us, and still there is room. “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding. (Proverbs 9:4-6)
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