15 When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” 16 But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 21 So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Omar Dewan

Last year my wife Valerie and I had our “international honeymoon”. Our first destination was the Japanese city Sapporo. I distinctly remember walking around at night time and eating some yummy vanilla ice cream as we walked into random streets and alleyways. What appeared to be quiet and tiny streets were actually buzzing with activity – we found that there’d be lots of people hidden in tiny rooms and houses, which actually functioned as small restaurants or quiet bars.

So I imagine that the servant in the Parable of the Great Banquet would have had a HUGE task in going out to the roads and country lanes and compelling people to come to his master’s banquet – and getting enough people to come so that his master’s house would be absolutely full!

There are many things I could reflect on in this parable, but for today my first reaction was to give thanks that Jesus is unrelenting in bringing people from the farthest corners of the world into his kingdom. In Jesus we have a God who left the heavenly realms to enter our world as a servant, in order to save us from our spiritual darkness through his death and resurrection. How exciting is it that we can look forward to the day where we, as followers of Jesus, can join God in his great banquet!

That exciting day also prompts me to think about those around me who don’t yet know Jesus. I continue to have spiritual conversations with mum, dad and brother – but there are also many other non-Christians in my circles, like work colleagues. In seeking to be like Jesus, I’m challenged to consider: How am I following his example of “going out to the roads and country lanes”? How am I calling the many non-Christians that I know of to God?

It sure can be a daunting task – but as I try to fulfil it the best I can, I am comforted by Jesus’ promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Omar is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.