Luke 14:21

Being angry. As the servant recounted one after another the flimsy excuses, the anger of the gracious host mounted. Originally, the men had all accepted his invitation, and on the strength of their acceptances he had gone ahead with preparations for the feast. But now that preparations were complete, and the food all ready, there appeared to be a conspiracy to embarrass him (see on verse 18). Furthermore, he had been to considerable expense in preparing for the feast.

To be sure, God, who prepares the heavenly feast, does not become “angry” in the sense that human beings do. Nevertheless, in view of all He has done to provide the blessings of salvation for lost humanity, it must deeply grieve His great heart of love to have men lightly esteem His gracious invitation to righteousness and divine favor. All the resources of heaven have been invested in the work of salvation, and the least men can do is to appreciate and accept what God has provided.

Go out quickly. It is quite evident that the host does not wish to see his costly provisions wasted. If his best friends choose not to avail themselves of the tokens of his good will, he will gladly invite strangers to do so. Note further that his action is in harmony with the counsel Jesus gave immediately prior to this parable (see verses 12-14), counsel that seemed unwelcome to the guests at the feast Jesus was now attending and that led one of them to change the subject (see on verse 15).

Streets and lanes. That is, the broad streets and the side streets or lanes. The gospel invitation was first given to the Jewish people, here represented as residents of a “city.” The leading citizens of the city, who had declined the invitation, were the Jewish leaders, some of whom were now gathered with Jesus at a feast in the home of a Pharisee (see on verse 1). The guests who declined the invitation represented the religious aristocracy of Israel. Now the gracious host turns from his chosen friends to the strangers of the “city,” the neglected and sometimes despised members of society. They were residents of the same “city” as the invited guests, and therefore Jews. But some of them were publicans and sinners, men and women whom the religious aristocrats of the nation considered outcasts. Nevertheless, they were hungry and thirsty for the gospel (see on Matthew 5:6).

Poor, and the maimed. The Jews commonly supposed that persons suffering either financially or physically were in ill favor with God, and thus these classes were often despised and neglected by their fellow men (see on Mark 1:40; 2:10). God, presumably, had cast them off, and society therefore considered them outcasts also. In this parable Jesus denies that such persons are despised by God, and declares that they should not be despised by their fellow men, even when their sufferings may be due to their own misdeeds or unwise course of action. The poverty stricken and physically defective here seem to represent primarily those who are morally and spiritually bankrupt. They have no good works of their own to offer God in exchange of the blessings of salvation.