Go out into the Highways and Hedges - Luke 14:23

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “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 you have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray you have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed 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 here the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you have commanded, and yet there is room”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-three of his book Luke shared how Jesus said the host said, “Go out into the highway and hedges” where we read:

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.

The verse reads, “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, ...” Luke began with the words, “and the lord” or “and the master or one to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding or householder” “said unto the servant” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed to his man of servile condition, slave or bondman”, “Go out into the highways” or “depart, leave and be discharged into the traveled and journeyed roads, courses and by ways” “and hedges” which means “and fences which separate and prevents two from coming together”. Luke shared how Jesus said the master of the house told his “servant” to “depart” to the “traveled roads” and “fenced areas”.

The verse continues, “... and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke added the words, “and compel them” or “and drive, force and entreat the people who are on the traveled roads and behind fences” “to come in” which means “to arise and appear at the feast”, “that my house” or “so the master's home and dwelling place” “may be filled” which means “will be made full”. Luke shared how Jesus said the master told his servant to “entreat” people on the traveled road and behind hedges to come to his feast so his house and feast would be “filled”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus said the “master” or “householder” told his “servant” to go throughout the region, everywhere, and invite all who desired to come to his feast. The “master” desired to have his house “full”, and even as God desires for Heaven to be filled with people, He goes to the ends of the earth to invite them. Those who examine this parable will discover God's willingness to receive all who believe and trust in Jesus to be in Heaven.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus said the host said, “none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".