Title: Fill My House with Encouragement
15 When one of the diners heard these words, he said, “Blessed is everyone who eats bread in the kingdom of God.” 16 He said to them, “Someone held a great banquet and invited many people. 17 At the time of the banquet, he said to those who invited him. and sent his servant, saying, Come? 18 All of them agreed, saying, "I have bought a field, and I must go out to see it. Please forgive me." 19 The other said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try it. Please forgive me." 20 The other said, “I am married, so I cannot go.” 21 The servant returned and told the master, so the owner of the house was angry and said to the servant, “Go quickly into the city, the streets and alleys, the poor, the sick and the blind. 22 The servant said to him, “Master, I have done as you commanded me, but there is room.” 23 The master said to the servant, “Go out into the streets and by the hills, and compel them to bring them in and fill my house. 24 I tell you, the one I asked for before. No one will taste my banquet.”
1. Words that begin
The Corinthians claimed to be wise, but God declared them foolish. Even wise people those who know and do things that are more important, more valuable, and do things first have a hard time winning the approval of others because they are based on selfish, egotistical judgments. Furthermore, since human beings are finite and relative beings, they cannot know absolute truths that are absolutely important and of absolute value, nor can they become true wise men who put those truths first. That's why James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
2. Jesus Taught with the Parable of the Feast
Jesus, who was invited to the banquet house, said that it is a blessing because it is necessary to ask the poor and the physically handicapped who have nothing to repay the inviter, so that they will be rewarded at the resurrection of the righteous. Hearing this, a certain person who ate with us said, “Blessed is everyone who eats bread in the kingdom of God.” Then Jesus did not miss the opportunity and taught the truth of salvation through the parable of the feast.
A man threw a big banquet and invited many people, but when the time for the banquet came and he sent his servants, everyone who was invited refused them. that it was brought
The Jewish leaders at that time were confident that they would be the first to be invited by God to enter the feast of salvation. They set up the Mosaic Law, which they had received from God, as a proof, and therefore zealously followed the Law. Ordinary Jews under their guidance were also zealously obeying the law in order to enter the banquet of salvation. And the Jews, far from keeping the Law, thought that all Gentiles who did not receive the Law would be destroyed. However, in reality, their obedience to the law was not the inner meaning of the law, but the keeping of the literal and formal meaning of the law. Even among them, they valued the traditions of their ancestors more than the law, and were disregarding the will of God.
By comparing these Jewish religious leaders with the Jews, Jesus was referring to those who were invited first and then declined. Here is a lesson we should pay attention to. Jesus is revealing that the way to enter the banquet of salvation is not to act the law, but to accept God's invitation with gratitude.
When God told them to send servants, or prophets, to those they had already invited, they all declined.
One man asked for forgiveness because he had bought a field and had to go out to see it. Usually, when you buy something, you look at it first, so this excuse is unfair. Even if it is true, the field cannot be exchanged for the grace of salvation. Even among the church members who have already been saved but have not yet entered the kingdom of heaven, there are those who reject God's call in pursuit of wealth.
Another asked for forgiveness because he had to test it because he had bought five yoke of oxen. This excuse is also not reasonable, as it may be tested before buying, or after attending a feast.
In any case, the fact that 'yoke' means a large plow pulled by two oxen indicates that this man is a wealthy man with a very large field of land. Some church members say that if they earn enough to eat, they will obey God's voice as much as they want. But the more wealth you have, the more you seek to match the assortment. What is truly tragic is that even if you turn away from God's voice and possess a lot of wealth, you cannot get an invitation to the feast of salvation. Moreover, all those riches are bound to go away. Proverbs 23:5 says, “How can you pay attention to futility? Surely riches will make wings and fly away like the eagles in the sky.”
Another said he couldn't go because he was married. No, the Jews place great importance on marriage, exempting those who married for one year from conscription even in wartime. Even so, I was able to decline when I was invited, and it didn't take long, so this excuse is also wrong. Moreover, you must not love your wife more than the Absolute God who invites you to the feast of salvation. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” In other words, no matter how important blood relations are in the world, if you love more than the absolute and eternal savior, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Rather, go as part of your love for God the Creator? Leng? It's something to love.
Even today, there are many church members who turn away from the voice of God's love with excuses such as selfish egotism, human relationships, lust for wealth, and worldly affairs. They may claim to be wise, but they are truly fools.
I read the story of two missionaries. It was a time when serious disputes arose over several issues among missionaries in East Africa. Local church members who saw such a situation eventually came to the missionaries. And in a very defiant tone he said, "We think you should go home." Shocked, the missionaries asked, “Why?” Then the local church members said: “You said you came to tell us that Jesus saved us from our sins? But, isn't Jesus saving you? You can't live well together."
All members of the church, whether leaders or not, must bear in mind the confession of the apostle Paul, “I beat my body into subjection, lest, after I have preached to others, I myself will be rejected” (1 Corinthians 9:27). It's possible.
Everyone, I hope you realize that there is nothing in the world more precious than the feast of salvation, and live a life that responds to God's invitation before everything in the world.
Upon hearing the report from the servants, “All of them rejected them,” the master, the God, was angry and gave the servant a command. “Go quickly to the streets and alleys of the city and bring the poor and the disabled.”
The servant faithfully obeyed orders and has led many to the feast of salvation. But there were still vacancies. God's servants did not stop at obeying orders, they reported to God and waited for God's action. Then God said, “Go out into the roads and by the hills, and compel men to fill my house, I tell you, not one of those whom I invited before will taste my banquet.”
God's persistent and amazing love for mankind is being shown. Contrary to the radical exclusivity of Judaism, in Jesus Christ, God is inviting all mankind, from all walks of life and all races, to the feast of salvation. It is Jesus Christ who solved the problem of sin that blocked this invitation from God. Jesus bore the mission of a servant to preach God's call to the point of death, and he entrusted us with the mission of preaching the gospel of salvation.
Everyone, this year, I hope you will obey God's command to “compulsively fill my house.” Bengel made a meaningful statement: “Nature and grace hate space.” The secret of Paul's world-historical missionary work can be found in Romans 5:14. “The love of Christ compels us.” The love of the Lord that compelled Paul made him unable to learn without preaching the gospel. May we also be conscious of the love of the Lord that compels us, and we all compel people to fill the house of God.
3. Conclusion
Of course, there are too many people around us who refuse to enjoy the eternal feast of heaven because of the things they must leave. Even though they have already received the grace of forgiveness of sins, there are church members who disobey God who invites them to the feast of eternal salvation because of their egotistical mindset and greed. We earnestly pray that all of us will work out our salvation with fear and trembling following the work of the Holy Spirit, and that He will compel everyone to fill the house of God.
(Pungseong Methodist Church. Book: Complete New Testament Commentary Series/ Interpretation of difficult scriptures/ Prosperous prayer/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Understanding Paul’s Humanity/ Sermonbook 18. 426-3051)