The Parable about a Banquet^(A)

¹⁵ Now one of those eating with him heard this and told him, “How blessed is the person who will eat^[a] in the kingdom of God!”

¹⁶ Jesus^[b] told him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. ¹⁷ When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ Every single one of them began asking to be excused. The first told him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to go out and inspect it. Please excuse me.’ ¹⁹ Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I recently got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹ “So the servant went back and reported all this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and told his servant, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ²² The servant said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ ²³ Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the streets and the lanes and make the people come in, so that my house may be full. ²⁴ Because I tell all of you, none of those men who were invited will taste anything at my banquet.’”