Luke 14:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The call is not merely for those in the roads and hedges to be invited, but to be made to come, despite faith ultimately being a personal choice. This is why it was said, "Compel," highlighting that the belief of the Gentiles, once enshrouded in profound confusion, signifies the tremendous might of God. For if the authority of the one who preached were minimal, and the truth of his message lacking, how could those who worshipped idols and engaged in disgraceful acts be swayed to genuinely recognize the true God and pursue a spiritual life? To emphasize the remarkable nature of this transformation, I have termed it coercion, as if to suggest that the Gentiles were reluctant to abandon their idols and carnal desires, yet through the authentic preaching, they were urged to forsake them. Alternatively, the miraculous signs could have served as powerful motivators, leading them toward faith in Christ.

Furthermore, he who sends this servant does not simply ask for an invitation or encouragement; he urges them to come in with a sense of urgency. Nevertheless, faith remains a voluntary choice, and those who embrace it willingly become pleasing to God, receiving His abundant gifts.

So, how are individuals compelled? This is intentional, as it reflects the dire need of the Gentiles who are burdened by unbearable oppression, ensnared by the devil's grip, caught in the inescapable snare of their transgressions, and profoundly unaware of the true God. Hence, their calling must be strikingly urgent, as if by force, so that they may turn toward God, embrace sacred truths, abandon their former misconceptions, and escape from the power of evil. Christ affirmed, "No man can come to Me except My Father who sent Me draw him." The notion of 'drawing' signifies an act of divine power that only God can execute. The blessed David similarly addresses God, proclaiming, “With bridle and scourge Thou wilt curb the jaws of those who do not draw near to Thee.” Observe how the Almighty, like a skilled guide, gently leads back to Himself those who are determined to stray, for He is good and merciful, desiring that all people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

The Lord illustrates this protection of His vineyard, declaring, “I have fenced it in and trenched it.” Furthermore, the apostle notes that the Lord abolished the division that disrupted the unity of His stronghold. Thus, He seeks both faith and understanding, searching within the fluctuations of our senses, as it is written: "Let your waters be dispersed in your streets."

After sharing the parable of the wedding feast, where the king prepared a banquet for his son and invited the guests, who ultimately declined due to their worldly affections, He expressed sorrow, declaring: ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple’ (Luke 14:26). This illustrates that anyone wishing to enter His kingdom must first detach himself from worldly allurements.

The Lord further instructed us not to solely depend on faith absent of works, as exemplified in the parable where the king, upon entering the banquet hall, noticed a man without the proper wedding attire and commanded him to be cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13). While some may claim the title of Christianity, they risk exclusion without the evidence of their faith through deeds. Similarly, the Apostle Paul, aware that one cannot equally love what belongs to God and what pertains to the world, wrote to Timothy, his spiritual son, stating: ‘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 Tim. 2:4, 5). Encouraging Timothy to remain steadfast in hope that his efforts would bear fruit, he reminded him: ‘The hardworking farmer ought to have the first share of the crops’ (2 Tim. 2:6). Moreover, he penned to others: ‘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 Cor. 7:32, 33). Such individuals who are caught up in these concerns may face a grave proclamation: ‘cast him into the outer darkness; in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Matthew 22:13).

Those who turn away from this worldly existence are akin to those emerging from the hedgerows to partake in the feast.

It's important to note that in this invitation, the term is not simply ‘invite,’ but rather ‘compel them to enter.’ Some are invited yet remain reluctant to attend; others accept the invitation, and for some, it cannot be said that they are merely invited but are moved to come. Those who are invited but don't wish to participate are the ones who receive understanding but fail to express it through their actions. Conversely, those who respond to the invitation demonstrate their received grace through their works, while others may feel an obligation to come despite their reluctance.

There are individuals who recognize their duty to perform good works yet are hesitant to act on it. They acknowledge their responsibilities but do not pursue them earnestly. For these individuals, as previously mentioned, misfortunes tend to afflict their earthly desires. They seek temporary glory but find it elusive, and when they attempt to navigate the surface of worldly ambitions, they are consistently thwarted by opposing circumstances. In these moments of struggle, they often remember what they ought to be to their Creator, prompting those who had previously placed their pride in worldly affections to return to Him with remorse.

Many, seeking to attain temporal success or recover from prolonged afflictions, often realize through their sorrows that they should not have depended on worldly pleasures. Feeling regret for their desires, they redirect their hearts toward God. Concerning them, the Lord declares through the Prophet: “Behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will fence her path, and she shall not find her paths; and she shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but not find them; then she shall say, ‘I will return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now’” (Hos. 2:6-7).

For every believer, the true spouse is God, as they are united with Him through faith. However, the soul that is bound to God often pursues its own desires, with the mind—despite its belief—being subjected to unclean spirits, tormented by the allure of worldly accolades, indulged in earthly pleasures. Yet, the Almighty God often gazes mercifully on such souls, adding bitterness to their moments of enjoyment. Thus, He proclaims, “Behold, I will hinder her way with thorns.” Our paths are obstructed by thorns when we feel pain from the wicked desires we entertain. And “I will block her paths, and she shall not find her way,” signifying that our journeys are hindered when our earthly pursuits meet with formidable resistance.

We do not find these paths because our negative inclinations prevent us from attaining what we wish. They “shall reap their lusts, and shall not comprehend them; and they shall seek them and shall not find them,” as the soul, in its quest to satisfy its desires, cannot locate the very spirits it has yielded to in its pursuits. Yet there is hope, as the passage continues, speaking of the benefits derived from such hardships: “and she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was kinder to me then than it is now.’” This bears witness to how, once the paths covered in thorns reveal their obstruction and desires remain unfound, the soul returns to the love of its first husband, recognizing that often, when faced with unfulfilled desires in this world, we turn our thoughts to God.

We begin to cherish the One we once disregarded, and He, whose commandments once felt burdensome, appears sweet in our memories. The sinful soul, which sought to be unfaithful yet could not fulfill that desire, resolves to become a devoted spouse. Hence, brothers, what can we say about those who return to their first love, compelled by the disappointments of this world, and find correction in their earthly desires, except that they are indeed moved to enter in?

It is through the word, not through punishment, that the mind is convinced; and the mind awakens desire, which then submits and embraces the truths of faith. ‘Whosoever will,’ declares the Lord, ‘follow Me.’ Yet the Gentiles were without knowledge of the true God, lacking the Divine Law, the words of the Prophets, and the Holy Scriptures that the people of Judea had to direct them to faith in Christ. They were subject to various forms of iniquity, enslaved to their passions, and revered immoral figures, such as drunkards and wrongdoers. Thus, to convert such individuals, special efforts were necessary to enlighten them with the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, it is essential to persuade and lead their thoughts with strong convictions, similar to how the Apostle Paul engaged with the Areopagites; to illuminate their souls with the brilliance of a holy life, as exemplified by the radiant existence of the apostles; and to capture their hearts with miraculous works, as the disciples of Christ did among the Gentiles. This notion of ‘that my house may be filled’ reveals the depth of God’s compassion and mercy for all humanity, desiring that all who believe in the mystery of godliness inherit His divine kingdom. Likewise, God, having disclosed His will, also swiftly reveals His righteous judgment concerning those who are called and those who choose not to believe in Him.

He illustrated this sentiment through the parable of those invited to the feast, of whom none were deemed worthy to partake in the bountiful banquet; instead, it was given to the poor and humble—those whom the Pharisees held in contempt and could never bear to see at their tables.

In this parable, the servant sent by the feast-giver (God) to invite those summoned, with the call, ‘Come, for all things are ready,’ represents Jesus Christ (hence the reference to the servant as τόν δοΰλον). The feast itself signifies the period of His incarnation (Galatians 4:4). Even prior to this, the feast-giver extended invitations to many, and the servant first addressed those initially called: the Jews. These were the ones who declined the invitation to the feast. Additionally, since the second group of invited servants are also Jews, it is notable that they are found ‘in the streets and alleys of the city,’ while the third group of invitees are located ‘in the roads and hedges,’ signifying those outside the city. Thus, those who rejected the invitation represent the leaders of Judaism, such as the scribes and Pharisees, while the first group that accepted consists of the common people, and the second group, the Gentiles. The refusal of the invitation by these individuals stemmed from their preoccupation with worldly desires and the overpowering influence of sensual pleasures. (A similar parable, though with differences, is recorded in Matthew 22:1-14).

Angered by the disrespect and lack of response from these guests, the host instructed his servants to venture through the streets and alleys to summon the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. After this effort, with still more space available, he sent the servants to call even the homeless wanderers resting by the hedges and along the roads. The moral of the parable was unmistakable to those listening. A heart attached to worldly matters—whether caught up in financial pursuits, the gathering of riches, or the simple pleasures of a self-satisfied existence—cannot truly yearn for a feast in the heavenly kingdom. People often marginalized in society, such as the outcasts, the downtrodden, and sinners, are more inclined to embrace the invitation than the religious elites who take pride in their scholarly knowledge and outward displays of piety. "For I say unto you," the Saviour stated to direct this lesson more pointedly towards them, "that none of those who were invited shall taste My supper. And so, 'many are called, but few are chosen.'" This parable illustrated the very mission of Christ. He invited all to partake in the feast of His message, yet most of those originally addressed by His preaching chose to reject Him, ensnared by the vanity that enticed them. The prominent leaders of the people, particularly the upper class, clearly turned away from the gospel. Conversely, those who were suffering, all the impoverished, the disabled, the tax collectors, and sinners—who were the marginalized of society—readily opened their hearts to the new gospel proclaiming a kingdom that offered hope for a better existence. When the scribes and Pharisees eventually turned against Christ, He chose to remain in the company of tax collectors and sinners, who gathered around their divine Comforter.