"And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
In today's lesson Jesus again rebuked the Jewish people and gave them warning that their chosen status had been taken away from them and granted to Gentiles.
In the parable, the "certain man" represents God, the "invited" guests represent the Jewish people, and all the last invited to the feast represented the Gentiles. (A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew)
A thorough study of the Old Testament tells of the many times God offered forgiveness to the people of Israel for their continual disobedience. Through the pleadings of the prophets, the Israelites were given many chances to return to God's grace. Instead of begging forgiveness and returning to God they turned their back on Him just as had been prophesied from the beginning.
By applying the parable in today's lesson, Jesus told the chief of the Pharisees that His Church, after His sacrificial ordeal, would be taken from the Jews and given to all who would come to believe in Him, both Jew and Gentile.
In spite of what some would have us believe, today the Jewish people hold no special favor from God. He took away their chosen status when Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses and instilled the new law of grace through faith.
"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."(Romans 9:30-33)~
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