Luke 14:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In the parable of the invited guests to the King's feast, none offered such justifications: one acquired oxen, another purchased land, and yet another married; they were reprimanded nonetheless. While these tasks may be essential, they do not excuse neglecting God's call, as all that we truly need is subordinate to Him. We must honor God first, then attend to our other obligations. Which servant, I ask, would prioritize his household duties over serving his master? It is paradoxical to extend such trust and deference to earthly masters, who possess only a nominal authority, while neglecting the reverence owed to the true Lord, who reigns over all, including those in positions of power.

The Pharisee, perhaps, fixated on earthly matters, dismissed the notion that the Virgin bore God, as it transcended the confines of nature. Likewise, all those who pride themselves in worldly wisdom, focused on the material, failed to acknowledge Jesus, who restored creation.

They pursue trivial matters, paying no heed to the divine hopes presented by God. Surely it is far more beneficial to experience the joys of heaven than to cling to earthly possessions.

Those who, as I mentioned, turned down the invitation for the sake of land and the physical continuation of life can be understood as those leader figures among the Jewish synagogue—wealthy individuals, ensnared by their lust for riches, driven solely by their love of gain. The sacred Scriptures bear witness against them on this matter. Those in prominent positions, unlike the common populace, did not heed Christ’s call when He urged them to “Take My yoke upon you.” They spurned His invitation, rejected the Gospel, stayed away from the banquet, and showed contempt for the great supper through their stubborn disobedience. The failure of the scribes and Pharisees to believe in Christ is made clear by His words to them: “You have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves do not enter, and you hinder those who want to enter.”

Moreover, a person who enters into marriage often focuses on temporal matters rather than on divine concerns; this is not to condemn marriage, but to emphasize that virginity is esteemed above all—where the unmarried and the widow dedicate themselves to the Lord’s affairs, seeking to be sanctified in both body and spirit, whereas the married individual is concerned with how to please her husband.

To engage in reconciliation with the married, just as with the widows, we acknowledge the perspective that several groups—Gentiles, Jews, and heretics—are denied access to that great banquet. Hence, the apostle instructs us to steer clear of greed, as it bars entry into Christ's Kingdom; we are obstructed by immorality, deception, insolence, and avarice. For every greedy or impure person, who is effectively an idolater, has no share in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

The Jewish people, by adhering strictly to bodily rituals of the law, impose a burden on themselves. Therefore, as the prophet proclaims, let us break their chains and cast off their bonds. We have embraced Christ, who offers us the gentle yoke of His humility. The five pairs of oxen can symbolize the Ten Commandments or the first five books of the Old Testament—of which Christ remarked to the Samaritan woman, "You have had five husbands."

Heresy, much like Eve, seduces the steadfastness of faith with enticing tricks and entices with deceptive allure, disregarding the pure magnificence of truth. Guests make excuses to decline the invitation to the feast. Though the Kingdom is open to all, it is our own will that restricts us; the Lord graciously beckons everyone, yet we are hindered by our own sloth or sin.

Those estranged from the Kingdom, as well as the one who purchased a field, evoke the memory of those who were consumed by the flood in Noah’s time. And he who opts for the stringent burden of the law in lieu of the grace offered and he who excuses himself through marriage—of such it is stated, "If any man comes to Me and does not hate his father, mother, and wife..., he cannot be My disciple." If the Lord renounces His Mother for your sake and asks, "Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?"—why would you choose to elevate someone above your Lord? The Lord does not encourage neglecting the nature He has created, nor does He demand servitude to it; rather, He calls us to acknowledge the divine design, honoring the Creator without forsaking Him due to familial love.

After sharing the parable of the royal wedding feast, where the king sent his servants to invite those who were chosen, only to have them decline due to their attachments to worldly affairs, He lamented, “If any man comes to Me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this, He teaches that anyone wishing to enter His kingdom must first forsake all that captivates their heart to the world, for they cannot attain the kingdom they seek.

Furthermore, to emphasize the necessity of deeds accompanying faith, the Lord recounted how the king, upon entering to observe those seated at the banquet, noticed one man lacking the wedding garment and commanded, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). Though they may call themselves Christians, they are excluded for their lack of actions that reflect their faith. The Apostle, aware that one cannot simultaneously love both what belongs to God and what pertains to this world, wrote to Timothy, his beloved disciple, stating that “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:4-5).

In encouraging Timothy, he reassured him that his hard work would yield fruit, saying, “It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (2 Timothy 2:6). To others, he noted, “The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). Such ones who allow themselves to be swayed will face the grim pronouncement: “Cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13).

Surely, he would feel elation at receiving such an invitation, promise to attend humbly, change his attire, and hurry to the gathering, lest he be late for the celebration hosted by the mighty. While the wealthy man sends out his invitations, the humble man eagerly accepts; however, we are invited to partake in the feast of the Almighty—and still, we decline. Yet I believe your own hearts must provide an answer to you. Perhaps you are reflecting, "We do not intend to refuse, for we are joyous at the prospect of this feast of profound renewal; we long to attend." If your spirits are truly speaking this, it holds true—provided you do not cherish worldly matters more than the eternal, or find yourselves more preoccupied with physical concerns than spiritual ones. Thus, the justification of those who decline becomes evident; as immediately follows, "The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee, have me excused." What does a field signify if not a temporal possession? Therefore, he who focuses solely on the external aspects has chosen to concern himself with that earthly acquisition.

This reveals why they, ensnared by worldly desires and vanity, renounced the call, asserting, “We are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know how it came to be” (John 9:28-29). Others refused the call, justifying their rejection by claiming to have purchased five yoke of oxen, representing their devotion to the pleasures derived from the five senses, which are symbolized as their five spouses. We possess two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and the instruments of taste – the tongue and the palate – along with the ability to touch both outwardly across the surface of our bodies and inwardly to our hearts and souls. Those who are caught up in sensual indulgences and unable to embrace the spiritual and heavenly teachings of the Savior when called replied, “This is cruel; who can listen to Him?” (John 6:60). Furthermore, some not only dismissed the invitation but considered it inconceivable to attend because of their wives' attractiveness. The Savior illustrated through this their inability to come, highlighting the unyielding nature of carnal desires and sins. Collectively, these three types of deniers represent all those who cherish money, glory, and flesh, who, when called by the Gospel’s plea for repentance and the communion of Divine Mysteries, turn away—some due to their attachment to material possessions, while others remain enslaved by their carnal desires. Let us also reflect on the subsequent words that follow:

It is noteworthy that it's not merely described as a servant, but rather "that servant," indicating a more profound connection to humanity as favored by God (Theophil.). He was sent specifically to the Jews who were called first, particularly addressing their spiritual leaders and representatives, announcing, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," representative of the Messiah’s reign (Matthew 4:17); "go, for all things are ready." Yet, they began to make excuses, refusing to engage with this kingdom. Their justifications (verses 18-20) stemmed from worldly, temporal, and sensual desires, leading them to disregard the call of God’s coming kingdom and to forfeit the blessings of participation therein. Such were the spiritual leaders and representatives of the Jewish people in Christ's time; they disobeyed His voice, turned away from His teachings for their earthly pursuits, and ultimately rejected Christ.