Many modern Christians are familiar with Jesus' parable in Luke 14:15-24. The NIV entitles it, "The parable of the great banquet". I wish to give it a new name temporarily: "The parable of the great excuses". Although, once we've looked at it in context, we shall see the NIV has the emphasis right after all.
The story is of a man who invited guests to a great banquet and people made their excuses as to why they couldn't come. The owner was furious and sent his servants to bring in any they could find and so the banquet was full, just not with those originally invited.
A word of caution: As always with Luke's gospel, we should ask if this speaks to generations more than to individuals. When the owner of the house says that "not one of those who were invited will get a taste", it sounds a bit strong. Partly, this is the point we're meant to be startled, and this is how parables get our attention. But this anchor the parable in the inclusion of Gentiles in God's kingdom.
But let's look at the excuses:
- “I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.”
- “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.”
- “I have just got married, so I can’t come.”
To modern ears, those excuses sound eminently excusable. As we read the parable, we instantly start to sympathise with them, making excuses for them in our heads. In part, this is because we're putting ourselves in their shoes, and imagining why we might wish to be excused the full cost of following Jesus.
At the same time, they also sound totally unreasonable. It's one banquet. Even if it lasted a few days, trying out some new oxen can wait. It's not as if they're about to go to war for 6 months.
Now there's the thing. I was reading Deuteronomy 20 and realised for the first time that Jesus is (presumably intentionally) echoing this chapter as he tells his parable. Deuteronomy 20 gives instructions when the nation, settled in their new land, needs to go to law. First the priests are to assure everyone that God is with his people, so they need not fear. But then, motivational talk done, the officers address the army and give categories of people permission to go home. Their categories end with anyone who is afraid. In other words, if having heard the priests you don't want to go to war, that's fine. Here are the categories:
- Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it.
- Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it.
- Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.
- Is anyone afraid or faint-hearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.
Someone about to get married, someone who has built a house, someone who has planted a vineyard. These are very similar to Jesus' parable.
Assuming this echo is correct, then Jesus is saying that excuses that are very reasonable in the context of Deuteronomy 20 are not acceptable when it comes to the invitation to follow him.
Why not?
Deuteronomy 20 is about going to war, and following Jesus is not a call to go to war. (I mean, it is, from other perspectives: Cue Ephesians 6, Galatians 5, etc.). But here's where we need the NIV's heading for the parable, not my tongue-in-cheek one: The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to the greatest banquet of all time. Indeed, it is an invitation to the eschatological wedding banquet, the Great Cosmic Banquet to which all other feasts and banquets are merely shadows.
The reasons in Deuteronomy 20 were about missing the chance to enjoy God's blessings because they had gone to war. They might not enjoy the house, the vineyard, the marriage. Whereas the call to follow Jesus is the call to enjoy God's blessings to the full. This is The Great Blessing. So a desire to enjoy some temporal blessing from God is good, but if it becomes an excuse to refuse the call to follow Jesus and so miss the greatest blessing God offers, is not good.
The parable is very clear. Jesus is not calling us to pay a great cost that means we miss out on the best in life. Jesus is calling us to receive and enjoy the best in life. If we think we're missing out and so make our excuses, it's then that we really will miss out.
"Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." (Luke 14:15)
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