15 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!"
It was a commonly held belief among the Jews that only the Jews would be invited to the heavenly feast. Christ tells a different story. His parable includes the Gentiles.
16 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'
Guests were pre-invited. Apparently, no one declined the invitation. The expectation was that all would come. According to John MacArthur, the pre-invited guests refer to the people of Israel, who had been told by the OT to be ready for the arrival of the Messiah.
18 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.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' 20 Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'
Once the guests were notified that all was ready they began to make excuses. All of the excuses seemed valid on the surface but digging deeper the insincerity could be exposed.
21 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.'
The master upon hearing becomes angry and orders the servant to go out quickly and bring in the poor, maimed, lame and blind. These were people the Pharisees of Jesus’ day saw as unworthy.
22 And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' 23 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.
There was still room. Beloved…God wants none to perish but all to come to eternal life in His Son. The highways and hedges here, again, according to MacArthur, refer to the Gentile nations. He also says that the word compel means not by force or violence but by persuasion.
24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"
Those who refused or disdained the invitation were shut out of the banquet. Their excuses may have seemed good and reasonable to them but there is truly no excuse for turning down the Kingdom of God when Jesus offers it, given that our eternal destiny rests on our response.
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.—2 Corinthians 6:2
He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.—John 1:11
34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"—Luke 13:34-35
