If a friend tells you, “I am having a dinner party, and it will be a grand event. I really want you to come.” Then many of us, if we are close friends, will feel obligated to go. But life is so busy. It seems there are always many things we must do. Not every close friend will make it to that dinner.

Yet, when the details change, so does the way we see the request. If your friend told you, “I am dying and I do not know how much time I have. Please, find a way to be there. This is my final request.” If we fail to attend that dinner, then we may never forgive ourselves. For we know that weight of death and of friendship. If we love our friend, then we will not fail to move heaven and earth to fulfill this final request.

When we read of the banquet in our Gospel today, it is important to remember that this is just the case. Many of you may have thought it was the first situation, a friend is throwing a party; but I tell you it is truly the second, for we are the ones who are dying.

But there is still time. This is the final, ultimate request of our heavenly Father, who sent His only Son into the world to die for us. That we might have life. It is at His table that we are requested to eat. He offers us the bread of life.    

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

And He did. He publicly was crucified. Yet publicly He was seen alive, sometime later. As Saint Paul says:

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

God asks us to eat this bread of life, from His table. Yet still so many will says “I am too busy.”

As we read in our Gospel:

“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.” (Luke 14:16-20)

They were each busy with the concerns of this world and this life. They turned away from the offered seat at his table, and so he offered those seats to any who are willing to come and to eat, as he had bid.

In our Epistle, we read:

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16)

“[Therefore], let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” (1 John 3:18-20)

 

We are told often to follow our hearts, but we must remember that God is greater than our hearts. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows the things we cannot know, and with that foresight He begs us, come unto His table, come unto His feast. Eat and have life.

“For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” Sayeth Jesus (John 6:55-58)

So:

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”

And that wife is the church and all those who believe on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world.

“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

“Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb […] These are the true sayings of God.”

I tell you that you are called, and many more, as well, to the dinner of the Lamb. Unto this great table, which will lead to eternal life.

You may say, “But I am no saint. I am a sinner”. And what did the Apostle Peter say when Christ called him, saying “Follow me.” Peter replied, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8)

But the Lord has answered why he call us, who are sinners. Because “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Amen.

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Deacon Nick Acker