The Feast
Luke 14:15-24 (NIV)
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At 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 compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Lyrics
VERSE 1
A certain man prepared a table for his guests to feast
He sent the invitations so they knew the time and place to be
When the day had finally come, he sent his servant on a run
To tell them gather in for it is ready
Much to his surprise, when he sent his servant out
The ones he had invited made excuses, turned around
They denied an invitation to a banquet set for them
Choosing not to come, never even looking in
CHORUS
Come and join the table of the Lord
Do not hesitate but enter in His house through open doors
Is there any reason not to come and follow Him?
Follow back His servant, to a feast that never ends, that never ends
VERSE 2
When the servant had returned and told Him of the news
He sent him out again into the streets and alleys, no excuses
Bring the poor, the crippled, blind, and lame are welcomed here
The servant did as asked inviting all both far and near
“Sir,” the servant said, “What you ordered has been done
But there is still some room around the table for more to come”
Then the master told his servant, “Go to roads and country lanes
Compel them all to come for the invited will not taste”
CHORUS [2X]
Come and join the table of the Lord
Do not hesitate but enter in His house through open doors
Is there any reason not to come and follow Him?
Follow back His servant, to a feast that never ends, that never ends
Dive Deeper
“Did you sweep and mop the floors?”
“Are the plates set on the table? Did you set out the silverware?”
If you have ever hosted or attended a party, you can imagine the work it takes to have people over for a meal. While the extravagance of the feast may vary, there is still some level of effort that must be reached in order to have food ready for those whom you invited. Now I want you to take a moment and imagine your favorite meal. Imagine preparing it (or buying it, for those who may not like to cook as much) and the excitement you feel to share it with others. You prepare the food; you place it on the plates and then you look up and notice… HARDLY ANYONE HAS ARRIVED!?! You check your watch frantically thinking that you may have accidently prepared the food to early, but you are actually right on time, everyone else is late. You are curious as to why this is because you sent the invitations out a long time ago; everyone knew of the feast you were having.
Hmmm…. Where is everyone?
Wondering, you grab your phone and start to call your friends one at a time. As your friends answer, they tell you they made other arrangements, are taking care of the house, have to do some work, got married. One after the next, they are explaining every reason they are not able to attend the feast you have prepared for them.
How would this make you feel?
What would you do next?
You may sit and think I would never stand someone up like that, but we often fail to notice the plank in our own eye as we point out the sawdust in someone else’s. We are all capable of being the people in this story who stood up the banquet master, but we are also able to enter into the feast with Christ’s sacrifice being our invitation. Jesus Christ is the servant who came to show us the way and tell us to gather into the house of His father so we may feast with Him. This feast He speaks of is real and He has already prepared it for us; we must now accept the invitation.
The Master (God) took His first invitation and extended it to all people. Those He originally invited made a bunch of excuses as to why they could not attend the feast and then
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 compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
The Master did not abandon His feast but rather sent another invitation to more people; not just those who were His invited guests. He sent the servant out for the rest and when He returned He sent Him again because there was still room. Christ was sent and Christ sent His disciples to go and preach to the gentiles for they were now also to be invited to the table of the Lord. The invitation was no longer for a select few but was to be given (preached) to all people. We have received the invitation and even though we are lame, crippled, and blind, we are still invited to join Him. If you have not accepted His invitation, know that He is inviting you today for there is still room!
Don’t be like those who had an excuse, come and join the table of the Lord. do not hesitate, but enter in His house, through open doors…
Questions for Reflection
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What does it mean to join the table of the Lord? What is the feast this parable is talking about?
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Is there any reason not to come and follow back the servant to a feast that never ends? Explore these scriptures for more information. (Jn.3:16, Jn. 8:12, Jn. 14:6, Acts 15:7-9, Rom. 11:17-24)
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What is holding you back from joining the table of the Lord? Is there something you are afraid of? What do you have to lose? Pray and answer these questions and then share them with a trusted friend.
Hidden
Features
Biblical Point of View(s):
The Master and the Servant who are throwing the Feast/Banquet
Musical Explanation:
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The feast is the story of the master who hosts a banquet. Each
verse is split into two sections. The first section is the
master (Adam Bannister) explaining his thoughts and actions
while the second section is the servant of the master (Peter Stauffer) who then in return does the same.
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The two vocalists are explaining the story from the perspective of the Master and Servant and sing together on the chorus to symbolize the gathering around the table.
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The Master is symbolic of God the Father, the servant is symbolic of Jesus Christ, and the feast is symbolic of eternity.
How to sing:
This song is to be sung with persuasive positivity. The story of The Feast explains how God’s table in Heaven is meant for the poor, the crippled, and those who may feel unworthy. Therefore, as one is singing, they are not trying to manipulate, but help those who are lost to see the great joy there is in Christ and chair awaiting them at His table. As you listen to/sing this song, envision yourself running through the streets offering those who have no food a seat at the best feast in the world. If they rejected the invitation, would you not try to help them see you were once like them but now have solution to this problem.
