Luke 14:18 - Invitation to a Great Supper Meaning
Luke 14:18, from the parable of the Great Supper, states, "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused’" (ESV). This verse is part of a larger parable Jesus tells during a meal at the house of a Pharisee leader [10]. The parable itself is found in Luke 14:16-24 and illustrates responses to an invitation to a "great supper" [1].
The context of this parable is a dinner Jesus attends where he observes the guests choosing places of honor. He then teaches about humility and inviting the poor, crippled, lame, and blind to feasts, rather than friends or rich neighbors [10]. Following this, one of the dinner guests remarks, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" (Luke 14:15 ESV). Jesus responds to this statement with the parable of the Great Supper [9].
The "great supper" in the parable is widely interpreted as representing the Gospel dispensation or the kingdom of God [9, 11]. Some scholars connect it to the messianic banquet, a symbol of salvation and God's ultimate accomplishment [11]. The prophet Isaiah also speaks of a feast on Mount Zion for all peoples, which some commentators compare to this "great supper" [8]. The invitation to this supper signifies the call to salvation and fellowship with God [3].
The parable describes a man preparing a "great supper" and inviting many guests [1]. The invitations would have been sent out in advance, with a second summons issued when the meal was ready [7]. This second call, when "all now ready," points to the "ripening preparations for the great Gospel call" [6]. Historically, the initial invitation was extended to the Jewish people, and more generally, to those within the sphere of professed discipleship [8].
However, the invited guests "all alike began to make excuses" [1]. The first guest claims to have bought a field and needs to inspect it. Other excuses follow, involving newly purchased oxen and a recent marriage (Luke 14:19-20). These excuses, though seemingly mundane, represent a rejection of the host's generous invitation. The host's anger at these rejections leads him to send his servant to invite the poor, crippled, blind, and lame from the city streets, and then later, people from the highways and hedges, to fill his house (Luke 14:21-23). This signifies the extension of the Gospel invitation beyond those who initially rejected it, to those considered outcasts or Gentiles [8].
The concept of a "supper" or "feast" holds significant theological weight in the New Testament. The Lord's Supper, for instance, is a central act of Christian worship, commemorating Christ's sacrifice and fostering communion among believers and with Christ [2, 3, 4, 5]. It is also called "eucharist," meaning "giving of thanks" [4]. The imagery of a great feast also appears in Revelation, contrasting "the wedding feast of the Lamb" with a "great supper" of God's judgment [12]. This highlights the dual aspects of God's plan: grace and judgment, reward and punishment [12].
The parable in Luke 14:16-24, particularly the excuses in verse 18, underscores the human tendency to prioritize worldly concerns over divine invitations. It serves as a warning against neglecting the call to God's kingdom due to earthly distractions, and simultaneously illustrates God's persistent desire to gather people into fellowship with Him, even those initially overlooked or rejected by society.
Sources
- Luke “Luke 14:16 (Rotherham) — But, he, said unto him—A certain man, was making a great supper, and invited many;”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Lords Supper — The words which thus describe the great central act of the worship of the Christian Church occur but in a single passage of the New Testament-- (1 Corinthians 11:20) + Its institution .--It was instituted on that night when Jesus and his disciples met together to eat the passover, (Matthew 26:19; Mark 14:16; Luke 22:13) (on Thursday evening, April 6, A.D. 30). It was probably instituted at the third cup (the cup of blessing) of the passover [see on [821]Passover], Jesus taking one of the unleavened cakes used at the feast and breaking it and giving it t”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Communion — Fellowship with God (Gen. 18:17-33; Ex. 33:9-11; Num. 12:7, 8), between Christ and his people (John 14:23), by the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1), of believers with one another (Eph. 4:1-6). The Lord's Supper is so called (1 Cor. 10:16, 17), because in it there is fellowship between Christ and his disciples, and of the disciples with one another.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Lord's Supper — (1 Cor. 11:20), called also "the Lord's table" (10:21), "communion," "cup of blessing" (10:16), and "breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42). In the early Church it was called also "eucharist," or giving of thanks (comp. Matt. 26:27), and generally by the Latin Church "mass," a name derived from the formula of dismission, Ite, missa est, i.e., "Go, it is discharged." The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19, 20, and 1 Cor. 11:24-26. It is not mentioned by John. It was designed, (1.) To commemorate t”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Communion of Saints — According to the prayer of Christ -- Joh 17:20,21. Is with God. -- 1Jo 1:3. Saints in heaven. -- Heb 12:22-24. Each other. -- Ga 2:9; 1Jo 1:3,7. God marks, with his approval -- Mal 3:16. Christ is present in -- Mt 18:20. In public and social worship -- Ps 34:3; 55:14; Ac 1:14; Heb 10:25. In the Lord's supper -- 1Co 10:17. In holy conversation -- Mal 3:16. In prayer for each other -- 2Co 1:11; Eph 6:18. In exhortation -- Col 3:16; Heb 10:25. In mutual comfort and edification -- 1Th 4:18; 5:11. In mutual sympathy and kindness -- Ro 12:15; Eph 4:32”
- Luke (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Luke 14:17: supper-time . . . all now ready--pointing undoubtedly to the now ripening preparations for the great Gospel call. (See on Mat 22:4.)”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 14:17: 14:17 Come, the banquet is ready: The invitations would have been sent much earlier; the guests were summoned when the meal was ready.”
- Luke (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Luke 14:16: a great supper--(Compare Isa 25:6). bade many--historically, the Jews (see on Mat 22:3); generally, those within the pale of professed discipleship.”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 14:15: Then said he unto him,.... That is, Jesus, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions express it; he said to the man that was so affected with the happiness of such that shall share in the provisions of the Messiah's kingdom; a certain man made a great supper: by which is meant not the Lord's supper, which was not as yet instituted; nor the supper of the Lamb, which will be at the end of the world; but the Gospel dispensation, which was now taking place, and the provisions of it in the word and ordinances: and which is called a "supper"; because made in the end of ”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 14:1: 14:1 in the home of a leader of the Pharisees: In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is frequently seen dining.”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 24:30: 24:30 As they sat down to eat: The meal is a symbol of the messianic banquet and of the salvation that God is accomplishing (Isa 25:6-8; Luke 14:1-24). • Then he broke it and gave it to them: This action recalls the feeding of the 5,000 (9:16) and the institution of the Lord’s Supper (22:19).”
- Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 19:17: 19:17-19 Gather together for the great banquet: This feast upon the flesh of the armies gathered together to fight against Christ is contrasted with “the wedding feast of the Lamb” (19:7). The enemies that form for battle are quickly destroyed (19:20-21; see also 14:17-20; 16:16-21). Two feasts—the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7-8) and the “great supper” of God’s judgment (19:17-18, 21)—provide two perspectives on the end of time. They illustrate the two sides of the Good News: grace and judgment, reward and punishment (cp. John 3:16-18).”