An Invitation to a Banquet 

A friend of mine gave me a copy of this painting by Joakim Skovgaard which is one of many frescos which decorate Viborg Cathedral in Denmark.  It is a picture representing Jesus’ Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14. The great banquet itself was a reference to the kingdom of God along with all its blessings which Jesus wants all to come into. It shows the servants obeying the Master and going out with the invites. The artist has shown those in the parable who made excuses and refused the invite, i.e. the man who had just bought a field, the man who had just bought some oxen, and the man who had just got married. It also shows the servants going out into the highways and byways to bring in the poor, the lame and the blind
 
What particularly moved me when I first saw this painting was seeing all the servants going out to give the invitations. Although there were those who refused, there were others who did accept, bringing joy to both the Master (Jesus) and the servants
 
As one looks at this picture and re-reads the parable, the heart of Jesus for the lost shines right through it. On hearing of those who would not come, the Master sent his servants out again. They were sent to seek out whoever they could and wherever they could be found. He told them to compel them to come in that His house would be full. This parable, and others like it, tells us that Jesus is asking us, His servants, to take the message of the gospel to whoever and wherever we can. There are so many people who are lost and without God in this area. May we be those obedient servants who, like those in the painting, go out into the streets and lanes of our town with an invitation to come to Jesus. Yes, there will be those who refuse, but there will be those who accept
 
Join me in praying a very short prayer that I pray all the time; “Lord, bring me across people who are open to your gospel”
 
If anyone would like to respond in any way to this blog, then by all means email me at afeastofweeks@gmail.com
 
image: Dave Weeks
 

Dave Weeks was Pastor of Hope Church, but is now retired