耶稣又对邀请他的人说：“你设午餐或晚宴，不要请你的朋友、弟兄、亲戚或富裕的邻舍，恐怕他又回请你，你就得了报答。

你摆筵席的时候，总要邀请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的，那你就有福了。因为他们没有什么可以报答你，义人复活的时候，你必定得着报答。

一起吃饭的人中有一个，听了这些话，就对耶稣说：“在 神的国里吃饭的人有福了。”

耶稣对他说：“有一个人大摆筵席，请了许多客人。到了开席的时候，他打发仆人去对所请的人说：‘请来吧！样样都准备好了。’

众人一致推辞，头一个说：‘我买了一块地，不得不去看一看，请原谅我。’

另一个说：‘我买了五对牛，要去试一试，请原谅我。’

又一个说：‘我刚结婚，不能去。’

仆人回来把这些事告诉他主人，家主就发怒，对仆人说：‘快到城里大街小巷去，把贫穷的、残废的、瞎眼的、瘸腿的，都领到这里来。’

仆人说：‘主啊，你所吩咐的已经办了，还有空位。’

主人就对仆人说：‘你出去到路边篱畔，勉强人进来，好把我的屋子坐满。我告诉你们，先前请的那些人，一个也不得尝我的筵席。’”

讨论问题：

1. 为什么当所请的客人决定不不来赴宴的时候，那个主人就发怒呢？

2. 那些被请了但是决定不来赴宴的人所给出的理由是否合理？为什么？

3. 为什么耶稣对邀请他的人说，“不要请你的朋友、弟兄、亲戚或富裕的邻舍”？

4. 你是否曾经遇到过邀请的客人到时候却没有出席？如果有的话，你是怎么处理的？

5. 你是否曾经邀请过贫穷的、残废的、瞎眼的、瘸腿的来吃饭？

Then Jesus spoke to his host, “Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner,” he said. “do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back.

But when you give a big dinner, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can’t walk, the disabled and the blind. Then you will be blessed. Your guests can’t pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead.”

One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God’s kingdom.”

Jesus replied, “A certain man was preparing a big dinner. He invited many guests. Then the day of the dinner arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, ’Come. Everything is ready now’

“But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said ‘I have just bought a field, I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’

“Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me’

“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

“The servant came back and reported this to his master. “Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can’t walk, the blind, and the disabled.’

“’Sir’, the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done. but there is still room.’

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my dinner.’”

Discussion Question:

1.  Why did the master became angry when those invitees didn’t want to come?

2.  Were the excuses provided by the invitees reasonable? Why?

3.  Why did Jesus told the host not to invite the friends, brothers or sisters, or relatives, or rich neighbors?

4.  Have you ever had a case that your invited guest did not show up? If so, what did you do?

5.  Have you ever invited any of those who are poor, also those who can’t walk, the blind, and the disabled to a dinner?