At the beginning of this chapter we find Jesus in the home of one of the Pharisees. (They were leaders of the Jewish people.) There had been quite a lot of teaching as well as a miracle (v.4). At the end of the meal one man spoke up and said, 'Well I think it would be wonderful to have the privilege of being with you for ever'.
在本章一開始，我們看見耶穌在一個法利賽人的家中吃飯。(法利賽人是猶太人的宗教領袖。)席間，耶穌給眾人講了一些教訓，又行了一個神蹟(4節)。最後，同席的一個人高聲對耶穌說：「噢，能夠永遠與你在一起，真是好得無比了。」
Jesus replied with another parable which could be summered up like this. Yes it would be wonderful to be with God forever, but the tragedy is that those who are invited to God's table don't always accept the invitation.
這一句話，觸發耶穌講了一個比喻作為回應。耶穌的比喻可以這樣總括說：能夠永遠與神在一起確實是好得無比；可惜，那些獲得邀請去參加神的筵席的人，卻總是用各種藉口去推辭，實在非常可悲。
In the story Jesus told it seems hard to believe that those invited would not come to the feast. What were their excuses?
怎麼有人連神的筵席都拒絕參加？我們實在感到萬分費解。他們究竟有甚麼重要理由，要推辭赴會呢？
I've got something else I want to see (v.18).
I've got something else I want to do (v.19).
I've got something else I want to enjoy (v.20).
我要趕著去看一件珍貴的東西(18節)。
我要趕著去辦一件要事(19節)。
我要首先享受人生(20節)。
Aren't those some of the excuses people use today when they are invited to accept Christ? Human nature hasn't changed very much in 2,000 years, has it?
今天，當我們邀請人去接受基督的時候，豈不經常聽到他們用類似的藉口來推辭？經過了二千多年，人性始終沒有多大分別，你說是嗎？
What did the man giving the feast say? 'I want people to come and enjoy my feast … Go out and get them wherever you can.' And that is what they did.
擺設筵席的主人怎麼說呢？他吩咐他的僕人說：「快出去，到城裡的大街小巷，領人來享受我的筵席」。他的僕人立即出去，積極地邀請人來。
When people refuse to accept Christ, what do we do? Do we give up trying to invite anyone else? Or do we say, 'All right, there are others who will accept' and go after them?
當人拒絕去接受基督時，我們會怎樣做呢？我們是否放棄，不再嘗試邀請其他人呢？抑或，我們會說：「沒關係，我會再去邀請其他人，我相信始終有人會接受的。」然後便再接再勵地去出去邀請人赴會？
Christ wants us to invite anyone, everyone. Who has the privilege of inviting them? You and I do. Are we really doing it? The feast of salvation is waiting for all those who are willing to come. Let's do our part in inviting them.
基督期望我們出去邀請任何人和所有人。誰人有此榮幸，可以代表主人出去邀請人赴席呢？就是你和我了。我們究竟有沒有聽從主人的吩咐，四處向人發出邀請呢？神已擺設了救恩的筵席，等候人前來分享；讓我們加緊努力去邀請所有人去享受這筵席吧！
REMEMBER:
God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
牢記：神不願意一人沉淪，祂只願人人悔改得救。
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