Invited to a Great Feast
During my scripture studies, I came across the rarely talked about parable of the great supper. It is found in Luke chapter 14 and consists of 8 short verses.
The parable is about a man who planned a great feast and ‘bidden’ or invited many to come. After everything was prepared and ready, the man sent his servant to gather the pre-invited guests. The man was surprised to hear that they all gave last-minute excuses to not attend as planned. The reasons were varied, but consistent with living busy lives. The upset man had much that he wanted to share, and he didn’t want it to go to waste. He then sent his servant out into the streets to invite the poor and disadvantaged to his feast, but there was still room for additional guests. So, he again sent his servant to invite strangers outside the walls of the city and in faraway places in order to fill his house. In the end, the man stated sorrowfully, “For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”
God has planned and prepared a grand banquet of eternal life for all mankind. Those of us who have made covenants with God, are the invited or bidden guests. However, making covenants with the Lord is much more than a one-time event. It requires our lifelong discipleship and a focus to serve others and live the gospel so that when the time comes, we are ready and willing to attend. This can, at times, feel inconvenient or easy to procrastinate when life becomes busy or complicated. This is why F. Melvin Hammond called this parable the “don’t bother me now, Lord” parable. Even as invited guests, we sometimes forget the value of the feast and allow selfish or temporal things to take precedence.
I admit regretfully that there have been times when I felt annoyed by some of my church responsibilities. It happens when I allow my anxieties for unimportant things, like a clean home or a trip to Costco, to be my focus. Elder Bednar stated in the October 2022 General Conference:
Our short-term preoccupation with ‘the things of the world’ and ‘the honors of men’ may lead us to forfeit our spiritual birthright for far less than a mess of pottage.
This certainly puts things into perspective.
Serving a mission has pulled me away from much of the pottage that used to allure my attention. I must admit that some of the distractions are the very things that I missed most when first I got here. However, over time I have discovered a sense of freedom from them, and I feel greater peace and joy. This was an unanticipated blessing for our service. Who would've thought that a mission could also be a bit of a respite from the world? As I contemplate our summer return to our home in the states, I sincerely hope to keep this elevated focus with its much-appreciated fringe benefits.
Additional scriptures:
D&C 121:34-35
Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men…
D&C 6:36
Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
