The House of Israel and the House of Jesus

There are two prominent images that are contrasted in our text from Dr. Luke's Gospel today: the imagery of house (House of Israel and House of Jesus, 13:35a and 14:23b) and the imagery of banquets (Banquet of the Ruler of the Pharisees and the Banquet of God, 14:1 and 14:15-16). Jesus says to unbelieving Israel that their house is left “desolate” or “forsaken” (13:35a) for rejecting Jesus and His Kingdom, but he says that the Kingdom that will continue to come powerfully in Him and be manifested will eventually be a full house (14:23b; cf. Parable of the Mustard Seed, Luke 13:18-19). The contrasts in our passage are between the House of Israel that is mostly full of unbelief (except for a small believing remnant) and the House of Jesus that will be filled by the grace of God.

The banquet imagery is used by Jesus to teach about the fellowship of God with his people, the great festive joy of being in God's presence and supping with him in His Kingdom. However, many who have been invited to the banquet feast of God are not accepting the invitation; rather they are rejecting his gracious invitation with many excuses. However, those who were not initially invited are being invited now and are accepting joyfully this special invitation to a great and eschatological Kingdom Banquet (“Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (13:30).