Sharing meals and having feasts was an important part of Jewish life, and it became important part of church life, as well, as seen in Acts 2:46. In the East, eating together is a mark of friendship and a sign of commitment to one another. Jesus was a guest at a Sabbath meal and saw things of concern and addressed them throughout chapter 14 of Luke. What I would like us to focus on first is the Parable where Jesus is now the host.

• Banquet invitation.

^{Luke 14:15} When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” ¹⁶ But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant^[b] to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ ²³ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you,^[c] none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

This next passage is right after the Triumphal entry of Jesus. The triumphal entry was important because it was fulfillment of Jesus presenting Himself as the promised King. This entry was before the Passover meal that would take place that coming week. See now how the familiar parable refers to not just a man but a king’s invitation!

^{Matthew 22:2} “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³ and sent his servants^[a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. ¹² And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The invitation to dine with the Lord had been known for some time. This invitation is promised over and over in the scriptures of the Old Testament. The hour was not given but the invitation was given so that preparation would be made for the individual to attend. The excuses were of no real importance and could wait. The word excuse in Greek means to beg off, refuse, avoid, or reject. So, you see the excuses were really refusal and rejection of the invitation to the salvation supper that is offered. The invitation was originally for the Jewish people, God’s people, when the rejection took place (which God knew would happen as seen in the Old Testament as well) the invitation is offered to all. The invitation to dine and join the salvation banquet is now open to all of us. Let us see who heeds the invitation: 

The sinful woman (sinner)

^{Luke 7:36} Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, ³⁸ and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

The tax collectors (outcasts and lost)

^{Luke 5:29} Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ^30 [a]And their scribes and the Pharisees ^[b]complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

^{Luke 19:1}Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up ^[a]and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, ^[b]make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶ So he ^[c]made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all ^[d]complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

⁸ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

• Banquet for the followers.

After heeding to the invitation, followers or disciples of Christ experience a dining with the Lord that is more intimate and very needed. Jesus even tells them how important this is and that there must also take place cleansing when they are to dine with Him. Jesus utilizes feasting with His followers as a crucial time to fellowship and learn from Him. This is to allow them to be in His presence, soak in His words, and enjoy just being resting with Him.

This passage comes after the Lord has sent out His 70 something followers, 2 by 2, to go and tell others about Him and use His authority to heal and proclaim the kingdom of God is near (remember the servants sent out with invitations)…

^{Luke 10:38} Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at ^[a]Jesus’ feet and heard His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

⁴¹ And ^[b]Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Did you catch that in verse 42? BUT ONE THING IS NEEDED! Mary is at the feet Jesus, in His presence, in a state of awe and worship, and soaking in His teachings; this is what He says is needed! You see what Martha was doing was service, but it was serving from the flesh, evidence that she had not done that one needed thing. This is evident from her being distracted and then frustrated that her sister wasn’t helping. She was so consumed by it that she didn’t even see the good part, and that was Jesus was right there in her home! In His sufficient grace, during Martha’s weakness, Jesus rebukes and corrects her. 

Let us look know of what takes place after dining with Jesus. In this passage, Jesus and his disciples are to taking part in their last earthly meal together, which is the Passover.

^{Luke 22:7} Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be ^[a]killed. ⁸ And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”

⁹ So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”

¹⁰ And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. ¹¹ Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹² Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”

¹³ So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

You see here that the disciples ask for direction from the Lord on how they might prepare for dining with one another (see the difference in Martha’s preparation and these disciples). They take those directions and obey them. As they dine together Jesus reveals to them what is to happen. He teaches them about the importance of communion in remembrance of Him, rebukes them from comparing each other or thinking one is higher than the other, and even reveals the dark areas of what some would do in the hours of His persecution. You see intimacy and relationship here! As they begin to end the Passover, Jesus takes time to teach them further. The need to reflect and see the need for Him to cleanse them. John 13 is the one passage I see so often taken out of context. Everyone focuses on the service for one another but rarely is the cleansing discussed.

^{John 13:1}Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

² And ^[a]supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶ Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

⁸ Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

¹² So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you ^[b]know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

 ^{Galatians 6:1}Brethren, if a man is ^[a]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load.

• Banquet for the church.

We have looked at the banquet for the ones who have been invited, we have discussed what now dining with Jesus as followers of Him looks like, now let us see the feast that is prepared to us as the church, as the Bride of Christ approaching her grand wedding festivities. As a church first there is a warning given in Revelations that warns the church that does not dine with Him, and that church is known as being the “lukewarm” church.

^{Revelation 3:14} “And to the ^[i]angel of the church ^[j]of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither ^[k]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.^[l] Therefore be ^[m]zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²² “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

Laodicea was a city in Asia minor, known for its wealth. Jesus uses this depiction to compare the appearance of well being that does not profit for nothing when it comes to their spiritual state. Though the church has means financially and appears to be doing well by appearance, does not mean He is in it. The good news is that even among this lukewarm church that doesn’t allow Jesus in. Jesus exclaims that to the ones He loves, He will chasten and rebuke them to repent and return to Him. That they should hear His voice at the door, and open it so that we may dine with Him!! The ones who open and choose to be overcomers through Christ Jesus, He grants them to sit with Him on His throne!! This is so important that He heeds for the churches to hear His warning, submit, and obey.

Let us look at the hope of Jesus’ return for the faithful church, a church ready to take part in the marriage supper of the Lamb!

^{Revelation 19:1}After these things I ^[a]heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to ^[b]the Lord our God! ² For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” ³ Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” ⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” ⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both^[c] small and great!”

⁶ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the^[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.