Let’s read of the parable surrounding the verse you asked about.  We read in Luke 14:16-24, “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” 

Just prior to this, the Lord had presented a parable about the kingdom of God.  The Pharisee that the Lord was speaking to remarked, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”  In other words, what a wonderful thing it would be to sit with the Lord at His table and enjoy the blessings of the kingdom.  The Lord then proceeds to give a parable about how many who were invited to this great feast of a master, refused to come.  He prepared a great dinner for them to enjoy and sent His servant to invite them to “Come; for all things are now ready.”  We can readily see how this represents how Christ loves the people and had invited them to come and to accept His rich provisions for their present relief and comfort, and for their eternal salvation.  What a generous invitation, yet one after another, they all refused to attend and receive the blessings prepared for them. 

Let’s look at each of these excuses to decline the gracious invitation and see if we recognize ourselves in any of them.

  • “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it.” – How unlikely is it that someone would spend their money to purchase land without seeing it first?  Pretty unlikely!  This excuse speaks of someone who allows the treasures of this world to prevent them from coming to Christ.
  • “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them.” – How unlikely is it that someone would buy work animals without knowing if they were capable of performing the tasks required of them?  This speaks of someone who would allow his work, his desire for gain, to prevent them from coming to Christ.
  • “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” – So many people put their family before the Lord, not knowing that putting Christ first in their lives only gives them more love and concern for their loved ones.  This speaks of someone who allows his family and friend concerns to prevent them from coming to Christ.

In a dispensational lesson, this group of rejectors represent the nation of Israel whom the Lord loved and longed to save.  We see the anguish of heart the Lord experienced over Israel in Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”  (Read also Luke 19:41-44). 

While some did respond to the Lord’s loving invitation, many others did not.  There was still room at the banquet table, so the master sent his servants out to “compel” others to come.  These were the so-called undesirables in undesirable places.  Those who were lame, the poor, the unwanted…these are the ones who are now being compelled to come in unto the banquet.  The word “compel” is also translated “constrain” in other places in the Bible.  The proper meaning of the expression is, “Use the most powerful persuasion with them.”  The Apostle Paul uses a similar thought when he wrote, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, WE PERSUADE MEN…” (2 Corinthians 5:11).  When we are speaking to others about their need of salvation, we should not stop when we hear their feeble excuses.  As the Lord leads, may we persist in speaking of their great necessity.  In one sense, we should take no excuse, because there is no excuse for rejecting the Lord Jesus.  May we, in love, speak urgently to those who are not saved.  May we look to the Lord for His guidance in showing others of His great love, or their great need, and the Lord’s great desire to fill His house.  (CC)  (655.4)