Sermon LXII.
[XCII. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, Luke xiv. 16, “A certain man made a great supper,” etc.
Delivered in the basilica Restituta.3472
1. Holy lessons have been set forth before us, to which we should both give ear, and
447
upon which by the Lord’s help I would deliver some observations. In the Apostolic lesson
thanks are rendered unto the Lord for the faith of the Gentiles, of course, because it was His
work. In the Psalm we have said, “O God of hosts, turn us, and show us Thy Face, and we
shall be saved.”3473 In the Gospel we have been called to a supper; yea, rather others have
been called, we not called, but led; not only led, but even forced. For so have we heard, that
“a certain Man made a great supper.”3474 Who is this Man, but “the Mediator between God
and men, the Man Christ Jesus”?3475 He sent that those who had been invited might come,
for the hour was now come, that they should come. Who are they who had been invited,
but those who had been called by the Prophets who were sent before? When? Of old, ever
since the Prophets were sent, they invited to Christ’s supper. They were sent then to the
people of Israel. Often were they sent, often did they call men, to come at the hour of supper.
But they received those who invited them, refused the supper. What means “they received
those who invited them, refused the supper”? They read the Prophets and killed Christ. But
when they killed Him, then though they knew it not, they prepared a Supper for us. When
the Supper was now prepared, when Christ had been offered up, when the Supper of the
Lord, which the faithful know, had been set forth after the resurrection of Christ, and estab-
lished by His Hands and Mouth, were the Apostles sent to them, to whom the Prophets had
been sent before. “Come ye to the supper.”
2. They who would not come made excuses. And how did they excuse themselves? There
were three excuses: “One said, I have bought a farm,3476 and I go to see it; have me excused.
Another said, I have bought five pairs of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me
excused. A third said, I have married a wife, have me excused; I cannot come.”3477 Do we
suppose that these are not the excuses, which hinder all men, who decline to come to this
supper? Let us look into them, discuss, find them out; but only that we may beware. In the
purchase of the farm, the spirit of domination is marked out; therefore pride is rebuked.
For men are delighted to have a farm, to hold, to possess it, to have men in it under them,
3472 See Serm. xl. (xc. Ben.).
3473 Ps. lxxx. 7.
3474 Luke xiv. 16.
3475 1 Tim. ii. 5.
3476 Villam, Vulgate.
3477 Luke xiv. 18–20.
On the words of the Gospel, Luke xiv. 16, ‘A certain man made a great supper,’ etc.
931
On the words of the Gospel, Luke xiv. 16, ‘A certain man made a great supper,’…