在今天的故事中，一个主人邀请客人参加欢庆的筵席，但被邀请的人都拒绝了他。他们找借口说还有其他事要做，但是，耶稣的听众们明白，那些借口都是假的。比如说，那时候没有人不试一试牛就买下的。 又，如果一个朋友刚娶了妻子，那主人必定知道，是不会向他发出
邀请的。然而，主人不愿放弃，他派仆人去请其他人进来，而这些人都是很卑贱的，许多人意想不到主人竟连这些人也请进来。
大筵席的比喻警告我们，神的百姓不应把神当作理所当然 (参路 14:1-14)。如果他们轻忽祂的邀请，拒绝丰盛的生命及信心的生活，又或者他们以为不会有别人被邀请，结果就会大吃一惊。神“愿意万人得救” - (提前 2:4) ，但如果祂的客人拒绝祂，坚持偏行己路，他们就不会“尝到天国的筵席”。
让人难过的是，即使是一生知道神作为的人，仍会拒绝祂的邀请。有许多甚至是从基督化家庭长大的人，也离弃了信仰，认为他们没有神也会过得很好。
神仍在邀请我们藉着相信耶稣来到祂面前。祂希望我们接受祂的邀请，当我们接受之后，祂就派我们去邀请他人，不管他们是谁。
神啊，感谢祢邀请我们进入这筵席，与祢一同庆祝。愿我们也忠诚地去邀请那些还不认识祢的人。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
路加福音 14:15-24
15同席的有一人听见这话，就对耶稣说：“在上帝国里吃饭的有福了！”
16耶稣对他说：“有一人摆设大筵席，请了许多客。
17到了坐席的时候，打发仆人去对所请的人说：‘请来吧！样样都齐备了。’
18众人一口同音地推辞。头一个说：‘我买了一块地，必须去看看。请你准我辞了。’
19又有一个说：‘我买了五对牛，要去试一试。请你准我辞了。’
20又有一个说：‘我才娶了妻，所以不能去。’
21那仆人回来，把这事都告诉了主人。家主就动怒，对仆人说：‘快出去，到城里大街小巷，领那贫穷的、残废的、瞎眼的、瘸腿的来。’
22仆人说：‘主啊，你所吩咐的已经办了，还有空座。’
23主人对仆人说：‘你出去到路上和篱笆那里，勉强人进来，坐满我的屋子。
24我告诉你们，先前所请的人没有一个得尝我的筵席。’”
"Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full." — Luke 14:23
In today's story a man invites guests to a celebration banquet, but all who are invited turn him down. They make excuses about having other commitments, but, as Jesus' listeners would know, the excuses are all lies. For example, in those days, no one would buy oxen without trying them out first. And if a social friend had just been married, the host would have known and would not have interrupted him with an invitation to another party. The host refuses to give up, however, and sends his servants to invite others whom most people would not expect to be invited.
The parable of the great banquet is a warning that God's people must not take him for granted (see Luke 14:1-14). If they ignore his invitations to full life and faithful living, or if they expect no others will be invited, they will be in for a surprise. God "wants all people to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4), but if his guests refuse and insist on going their own way, they will not "eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
Sadly, God's invitations are still turned down by people who have known about him all their lives. Many even who have grown up in Christian homes turn away, thinking they are doing just fine without God.
The Lord still invites us to come to him by believing in Jesus. He wants us to accept his invitation, and when we do, he sends us out to invite others, whoever they are, to come.
Lord, thank you for inviting us to celebrate with you. May we also faithfully invite others who do not know you. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
