Sermon - Trinity II 2022 - Luke 14:15-24

Invitation to the Feast, Eugene Burnand, 1899

Looking back on our attendance records since the 1980’s we observe a consistent decline in baptisms, confirmations, and attendance on Sunday mornings. The fact that we have fewer people in our pews today than we did 20 years ago is not only our problem but it’s the problem Christianity faces throughout our nation. Compared to some churches, like holiness churches such as the Apostolics locally or the Amish or Hutterites nationally whose numbers have generally increased in the past century, we’ve done worse. But compared to the liberal mainline protestant denominations we’ve done much better.

Regardless, we are significantly smaller than we were 40 years ago. Pastor Heath Curtis, the coordinator for LCMS Stewardship who has studied statistics and demographics throughout the LCMS recently said in a presentation to Iowa District West that just as the past decade has been hard, the next decade will likely be much harder. According to demographic predictions, things are going to get worse before they get better.

I suppose you might be thinking that this is a pretty depressing start to the sermon! Maybe it is, but I don’t think so, it’s just reality, and reality isn’t depressing, what’s depressing is knowing reality but ignoring it. It’s just like when you’re chronically sick and feeling miserable but then get a diagnosis from the doctor who says that if you continue on your current path you’ll remain sick and die soon. The diagnosis isn’t depressing; that’s actually a hopeful thing because now you know what’s wrong and can do something about it! What would be depressing is knowing the diagnosis and ignoring it.

So we see the reality, it’s obvious to all of us. But what’s the treatment? Why are there fewer and fewer Christians? Why do people attend services so seldom? Why should they return to Christendom? The parable of the great banquet shows us why people aren’t Christian, why they should be Christians, and thus encourages us to remain faithful and equips us to bring others into the banquet.

So firstly, why aren’t people Christians today? Why don’t they come to church? “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.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’” People make various excuses, and often their excuses sound good and righteous.

The first guy said he bought a field and had to go see it. Nothing wrong with that. It’s not like he stole something or was getting a field by dishonest means. The second guy said he bought some oxen and had to examine them. Again, nothing wrong with this. Like the first guy he’s just working to care for his family. The third guy said he just got married to his wife and had to attend to her. Marriage is a great and holy calling, so again nothing wrong here. These are all good things to be doing. These people are purportedly loving their closest neighbor not only in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Where they’ve faltered however is that they’ve chosen to love this world and people more than God. You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Our Lord said: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” We must love one another, we must love our family, but if our love for one another exceeds our love for God, then we have made one another into an idol. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” But if we fear losing our worldly treasures and people more than the Lord, then that is the beginning of foolishness.

Thus the excuses for missing church and leaving Christianity are many, and often they sound like good excuses. But they’re all excuses nonetheless. It’s a sin against the first three commandments since it fails to hold God above all others, it misuses God’s name by not using His name, and it despises preaching and God’s Word when it doesn’t hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. God warns us against neglecting the physical assembly.

We see that God takes it quite seriously when people refuse His invitation. “The servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the Master of the house became angry… The master said… None of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.” To refuse God’s invitation and to refuse attendance at the banquet means that those people will not be permitted into the banquet feast. They will be condemned.

So the reason given here for why people refuse the invitation to be christian and come to church boils down ultimately to loving this world more than loving God and His banquet; trusting in worldly pleasures more than eternal treasures. But let us not only think about why others have left, but let us also learn to examine our own hearts and see where we experience the same temptations. 

Maybe this is offensive or hurts feelings because it’s so harsh. But as the Proverbs teach us: “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” I consider you to be wise and righteous people, so this admonishment will encourage you towards faithfulness.

Now that we see what causes people to reject Christianity and refuse to attend church, let us turn to what should compel us to attend the Divine Service. “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’” The Lord has prepared a feast! Not just any feast, but the Son of God is our meat and drink indeed! Upon the cross, Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, was sacrificed for the sins of the world and is the true passover Lamb.

From this altar our Lord Jesus feeds us His true body and blood, a feast, a banquet, by which we are filled with righteousness and holiness from above. We partake of this feast by grace, for it is given freely to sinners such as us. And if you feel unworthy of this feast, that’s fine, because we are all unworthy of Jesus’ precious body and blood. Our Lord doesn’t invite the worthy, instead He brings in the poor, crippled, blind, and lame, He brings in the strangers and exiles. He invites sinners to His feast: liars, thieves, cheats, fornicators, prideful homosexuals, gossips, murderers, abortion supporters, and perverts. He says “Come.” “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Leave your sins and wickedness, repent of your foolish evils, and come into the banquet. Here our Lord takes our sin upon Himself and feeds us with righteousness and holiness. 

That banquet feast of abundant forgiveness and free salvation is why all of us are Christians and are here in our Lord’s house today. So be encouraged to continue in this living faith! The next decade is going to be hard. “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers… By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us.” You have passed out of death into life because Jesus laid down His life for you. Because you have true wisdom from on high, the world will hate you. When you face the world’s hatred, scorn, and mockery, don’t fall away but remain steadfast. Remember, you have been brought out of death into life!

Additionally, you have what the world wants. The world wants wisdom, the world wants salvation and forgiveness, the world wants hope; you have it! Remain steadfast and resolute in this great banquet, both for your sake and for the sake of the world around you. See that “still there is room” and that God promises that His house will be filled. Don’t be discouraged or depressed, see this as an opportunity to bring in your family and neighbors, see this as a wonderful time to be faithful and hopeful in God’s free grace.