15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said nnto him, Blessed ia he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said he unto him, A cer- tain man made a great supper, and bade many :
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come ; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said onto him, I have bought a piece of land, and I must needs go ana see it : I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said. I have bought five yoke of oxen, ana I go to prove tiiem : I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have mar-
ried a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 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 hitiher the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the bUnd.
22 And the servant said. Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto- the ser- vant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that iny house may be filled..
24 For I say unto you. That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
The verses before us contain one of our Lord's most instructive parables. It was spoken in consequence of a remark made by one who was sitting at meat with Him in a Pharisee's house. " Blessed," said this man, " is he {hat shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." — ^The object of this remark we are left to conjecture. It is far from unlikely that he who made it was one of that class of people who wish to go to heaven, and like to hear good things talked of, but never get any further. Our liord takes occasion to remind him and all the company, by means of the parable of the great supper, that men may have the kingdom of God offered to them, and yet may wilfully n^leet it, and be lost for ever.