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Friday 22 April 2016

Luke 14.15-24: Rude!

The banquet theme continues. After a bland comment from a fellow diner, Jesus launches into a parable.


In the culture of the day, the guests in Jesus' story behave with shocking rudeness. The way is was done was to send out invitations twice; after the first one was accepted, a second went out saying, basically, "Come now, the food is getting cold." Etiquette dictated that you would immediately respond, and follow the messenger straight to the party. To make your excuses at this stage was, well, inexcusable.

And yet, three times over, this is what happens. The different guests suddenly decide they have more important things to do than attend a party they had already said they would come to. No wonder the host is angry. You just don't stand up a rich and powerful man like that.

Jesus' point is that this is precisely what Israel has gone to God. They said they would be his people, they said they would come to his banquet, but now the moment has come, they find excuses.

The host in Jesus' story then makes sure that his banquet is full somehow or other. "Go and get the people who never get invited," he tells his staff. So the outcasts are called in. Even then there's still room (quite a party, this!) so out go the servants again to the highways and byways, and drag people in.

Think how this sounds to the ultra-orthodox pharisees. Intent on purity, committed to righteousness, they find themselves characterised as rude, thoughtless and ignoring of God's invitation. They find themselves excluded in favour of the great unwashed. They find themselves banned.

Jesus is burning his boats with this parable. He is declaring the pharisees as his enemies. They will never support him after this.

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