In 14:15-24 we have the Lord’s teaching about the acceptance of God’s invitation. “One of those reclining at the table with Him, hearing these things, said to Him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (v. 15). Then the Lord said to him, “A certain man was making a great dinner and invited many; and he sent his slave at the dinner hour to say to those who had been invited, Come, for it is now ready” (vv. 16-17). This great dinner is different from the marriage feast in Matthew 22:2-14. That marriage feast is for the reward of the kingdom. This great dinner is for God’s full salvation. God, as the certain man, has prepared His full salvation as a great dinner and sent the first apostles as His slaves to invite the Jews (Luke 14:16-17). But because they were occupied by their riches, such as land, cattle, or a wife, they refused His invitation (vv. 18-20). Then God sent the apostles to invite the street people—the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. Because of their poverty and misery, they received God’s invitation (vv. 21-22a). Yet God’s salvation still had room for more; so He sent His slaves to go out further to the Gentile world, as the roads and hedges, to compel the Gentiles to come in and fill up the room of His salvation (vv. 22b-23; Acts 13:46-48; Rom. 11:25).
In this parable the Lord’s intention was to let the Pharisees know that God had invited them to His great feast, but they had all asked to be excused. Each one of them denied God’s invitation. That made it necessary for God to go to those of the lower class—to the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. After that, because there was still room in God’s salvation, God sent His slaves into the Gentile world to gather more people into His feast. Therefore, eventually those who had first been invited by God—the Pharisees, the scribes, and the lawyers—will not be able to enter into the kingdom of God.
This parable is an excellent parable concerning salvation. In order to be saved it is not necessary for us to do anything. We simply need to answer God’s invitation. To be saved all we need to do is come and receive what God has prepared for us. As long as we answer His invitation and accept what He has prepared for us, we shall be saved.
God’s economy, however, includes more than salvation, It also includes the reward of entering into the blessing of the kingdom age. Hence, to be saved is one thing, and to receive the kingdom reward is another thing. This is the reason for the Lord’s teaching in 14:25-35.
Verses 25 and 26 say, “Now great crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and moreover, his own soul life also, he cannot be My disciple.” The tone here is very different from that in 14:15-24. For salvation there is no need for us to do anything. This means that for salvation there are no terms, no conditions. We simply need to answer God’s invitation and receive what He offers us and we are saved. But there is more to God’s economy than just being saved. After we are saved, we need to enter into the coming kingdom to receive a reward. Therefore, to be saved by grace is one thing, and to be rewarded according to our following of the Lord is another thing.
We all need to see the difference between salvation and reward. It is significant that chapter fourteen, after an opening word concerning the breaking of the sabbatical regulations, goes on to speak concerning God’s salvation and God’s reward. God’s salvation is for us to enjoy the jubilee today, and His reward is for us to enjoy the jubilee in the coming age.
We have seen that the New Testament jubilee is of three stages: first, the jubilee in the present age, the age of grace; the second, the jubilee in the coming age, the age of the kingdom; and third, the jubilee in eternity, in the new heaven and new earth. Enjoying the jubilee today is a matter of salvation. However, enjoying the jubilee in the coming age is a matter of reward. The enjoyment of the jubilee in eternity in the new heaven and new earth will be the full taste of God’s full salvation.
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