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The Great Banquet
(Matthew 22.1-10)
15After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, “The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God's kingdom!”
16Jesus told him:
A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. 17When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, “Everything is ready! Please come.”
18One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, “I bought some land, and I've got to look it over. Please excuse me.”
19Another guest said, “I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me.”
20Still another guest said, “I've just now married, and I can't be there.”
21The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry he said, “Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or paralyzed or blind or lame.”
22When the servant returned, he said, “Master, I've done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people.”
23His master then told him, “Go out along the back roads and make people come in, so my house will be full. 24Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!”
Parable of the Great Feast
15Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
16Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
The parable of the great banquet
15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.’
16Jesus replied: ‘A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.”
18‘But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, “I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.”
19‘Another said, “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.”
20‘Still another said, “I have just got married, so I can’t come.”
21‘The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”
22‘ “Sir,” the servant said, “what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.”
23‘Then the master told his servant, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” ’
