I’m probably very late to the party with this, but I’m doing some work around the parable of the great banquet in Luke’s gospel (Luke 14:15-24) that must be read in conjunction with the account of Jesus at the Pharisee’s house that precedes it. I’m studying it as it forms the foundation of TEAR Fund’s next focus that runs across Lent and Easter.

The thing I’ve noticed that I’m probably very late on, and I imagine has already been noted by plenty of others, is the Trinitarian nature of the parable. In it you have Jesus as the story teller, the Son by which we encounter the truth of God revealed (that revelation of the nature of God being the point of the parable). Then there is the master, who can represent the Father whose Kingdom the banquet points to. Lastly you have the servant who easily represents the Spirit. The servant is tasked with going out, inviting, and compelling the people to come in – compelling, because by their nature those who end up being invited won’t consider themselves worthy and will turn down the invitation. It is the responsibility of the servant to convey the grace and generosity of the master and draw the people in.

It’s a banquet that uses the Trinity to give importance to the marginalised. Beautiful.