PARABLE

PARABLE.

.....For the day's delay. Purely internet!!!

David

15 When 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.” 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 make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:15-24)

This illustration of the guest list at a feast is both an encouragement, and a warning, for those who desire to be a part of the kingdom of God.

On the encouraging side, we don't have to be spiritual superstars in order to enter the kingdom. God looks not at our position, our clothing or our spiritual gifts, but at our heart attitude towards Him.

The kingdom is accessed through the application in our lives of the 'golden rule', agape loving (a love involving action, not just mental assent) of both God and others.

As we saw from the Parable of the Sower last week, perseverance is required.

Our heart attitude, as demonstrated through our actions, is the invitation that enables us to attend the feast, to enter the kingdom of God.

The warning, on the other hand, was directed, at the time, to the religious people of the day.

While we all see the problems of the Pharisees, we are often blinded to the reality that these characteristics are the potential downfall in leadership of any generation.

Let's look briefly at the 'woes', a list of warnings from Jesus that we need to guard against today.

We must be so careful to only teach Biblical truth, not denominational theology.

Verse 14 is excluded from the NIV, but it talks about taking advantage of 'widows' ie. the easily beguiled - and the saying of long prayers!

We can travel away, looking better than we are in reality, for at home people know us better.

Do we make additional rules in an attempt to earn holiness by human means?

Do we major on the minor?

Are we really what we portray ourselves to be? We need to be honest with others.

Of course we are not like the Pharisees! But are we?

Two additional warnings precede these 'woes'.

Do not dress to distinguish yourself from those you lead.

Do not use a title. Walk in humility.

..... with a look at the examples contained in more kingdom parables.

This parable warns us about a number of characteristics that are prevalent in the church today. For 'religion' so easily takes the place of 'Jesus'.

Man has a natural pride, and a desire to for position, to look good within his community. Whether it is titled pharisees or bishops, flowing robes or dog collars, Jesus is against it all! Radical? Yes! Change required? Yes! Will it happen? Yes - in the mature bride for whom Jesus is returning.

IMAGES AND ART: Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Edicule

This structure preserves the location of Christ's tomb. Though the cave here was carved away by a Muslim ruler 1000 years ago, a clear history remains that this has been the revered location of the tomb. Al-Hakim's efforts to destroy the tomb (and Christianity) in 1009 were not the first.

Earlier the Roman emperor Hadrian erected a large platform of earth over the whole area for the construction of a temple to Venus. Jerome adds to Eusebius' statement that a statue of Jupiter was on the site for 180 years (140-320 A.D.) When Constantine converted the empire to Christianity, he had the pagan temples dismantled, the earth removed and a church built over the spot.