Friday Follow-up

Banquet at the World's End

The joint interpretation was difficult to figure out. I need the Hayward family members' help.
So, I studied the story itself.

Characters involved:

• owner of the house
• servants
  
• invited guests
• alternate attendees

Act 1: The Banquet
          invitation sent out
          RSVPs returned
          feast ready
Act 2: The Excuses
          post-purchase inspection of field
          purchase of five yoke of oxen (denotes extravagant wealth)
          just married
Act 3: The Guests
          misfits
          homeless
          wrethced

Then I looked at the three sides of the Art Station to match any of the above characters, acts, excuses, guests. Again, I failed to make many meaningful connections.
One commenter mentioned 'a lot of joy'. I also saw the laden table and a lame person. Another version lists those who were brought in as the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame.
The banquet was not postponed or called off just because those invited had other last minute priorities, i.e. rejected the opportunity. Instead, the servants were ordered to find any who looked like they needed a square meal and bring them in, and do it quickly, with urgency. They were the kind of people who would not feel comfortable entering a banquet hall, so they must be forcibly persuaded. The servants are told to bring, "all you can lay hands on."
There is a strong message here: How proactive am I in reaching out to those who are truly needy?

At the beginning of this series we noted that Jesus' parables responded to a question He was asked. In this case the question was: "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" From what follows, the answer was, Yes. However, that was not surprising to His Jewish listeners. The real surprise came in who gets into the Kingdom.

One commenter questioned the significance of using doors for this project. Perhaps it was to emphasize the point of entering the Kingdom, not missing out on the Banquet at the World's End.