Banquet or Burden? How You See Church Reveals Your Heart
Text: Luke 14:15-24 In the name of Jesus. Amen. In today's Gospel from Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable about a man who prepared a great banquet. This was a banquet prepared not with leftovers, not with paper plates, and not with warm soda, but with the finest of food, the richest of wine, and a host who spared no expense. It was a meal of pure gift. And so, when everything was ready, the call went out: "Come, for all is now ready!" But they all began to make excuses. One bought a field. Another, oxen. Another just got married. They were polite enough: “Please have me excused.” But under the veneer of civility and polite excuses was a cold-hearted rejection. Now, as we consider this parable, it is essential to understand that it is not primarily about ancient banquets or first-century manners. It’s about the Gospel. It’s about the Divine Service. It’s about you and me—and the dangerous foolishness of justifying why we refuse the Lord’s gracious i...
