This poem is a slightly different version to the one Jesus tells in Luke 14:15-24.
A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he asked his supervisor to tell everyone who had been invited “Come for everything is now ready”
The supervisor sent messengers to those who had been invited, but each had problems.
The first person said “I can’t read, so I don’t know where the banquet is to be held. Can you read the invitation for me” but the messenger said he couldn’t stay any longer because he had to go to a meeting about falling educational standards.
The second person said “I suffer from agoraphobia and I haven’t been outside this house for years. Could you sit with me for a while and then come with me” but the messenger said she couldn’t stay any longer because she had to go to her pastoral care course.
The third person said “I haven’t eaten for days because I have no money. I can’t walk – will you carry me?” but the messenger said he couldn’t stay any longer because he was the chair of a poverty action group and he had to go to a committee meeting.
The messengers went back to the supervisor and told him that the guests had not come. Then the supervisor became angry and said to his messengers “Go out into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the educated and the professional, the articulate and the wealthy.” and the messengers said, “Sir what you said has been done.”
Then the supervisor said to them, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that the master’s house will be full. I tell you not one of those who were invited will get a taste of this banquet.”
Then the supervisor went to find the master to tell him that all was ready, but he could not find him, for the master was no longer at the feast!
© 2010 – JJ – A member of the Church Family – Published by All Saints Church with permission.