Luke 14:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

NIV: " ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

NASB: And later the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

CSB: "‘Master,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’

NLT: After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’

KJV: And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

NKJV: And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’

This is a beautiful verse when understood in context. For several chapters, Jesus has been describing the characteristics of the kingdom of God. In this chapter, He's the guest of a Pharisee who is throwing a banquet (Luke 14:1). He is showing that in God's kingdom healing is welcome on the Sabbath, grasping for honor leads to shame, and when you bless those who can't reciprocate, God will reward you (Luke 14:5, 11, 14). Now, He tells a parable about a man who has planned a great feast and eagerly anticipated the arrival of his guests. To his consternation, all of them make excuses and refuse to come (Luke 14:16–20). The feast is ready, but he has no one to eat it. So, the man sends his servant throughout the city to find the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind: people that culture assumed were cursed by God (Luke 14:21).

The parable is a story about the kingdom of God. God invited the civil and religious leaders of the Jews to eternity with Him in heaven. They promised they would come. But they got distracted by the blessings of the world. These leaders were supposed to bring the people with them to God's kingdom. Instead, God went directly to the people and invited them. Yet even these grateful guests do not fill the room. The banquet's host needs more guests.

Mercifully, there is still room in the kingdom of God. In fact, there is always room for more to come to faith. Luke 13:23–30 explains that the kingdom of God is limited only because a limited number of people will follow Christ. In that teaching, when the Jews do not respond, Jesus invites the Gentiles (Luke 13:29). In this parable, He invites people who live and beg in the hedges that line the road outside of town (Luke 14:23).

Luke 14:15–24 is the last of three lessons Jesus gives about how humble and marginalized people can be more qualified to be honored in the kingdom of God than some religious leaders. A good life can distract anyone from their need for salvation. Those who suffer or have no homes are more likely to look forward to eternity in paradise with the Father. Luke will go on to present the cost of accepting an invitation to God's kingdom as well as its ultimate value (Luke 14:25–35). This parable resembles the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1–14.

A Pharisee invites Jesus to a formal dinner. There, Jesus teaches lessons using invitations and feasts as a theme. These emphasize humility and the importance of not making excuses. After the dinner, Jesus warns that those who seek to follow Him will experience hardship. Believers should "count the cost" and understand what aspects of this world they may have to give up.

Luke 14 continues Jesus' doctrinal march to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke 14 and 15 contain the second grouping of one miracle and a series of discussions about the kingdom of God and salvation; Luke 13:10–35 is the first. Next will be a collection of warnings about rejecting God's kingdom (Luke 16:1—17:10) and two more sets of lessons about the kingdom and salvation, each beginning with a single miracle (Luke 17:11—18:34; 18:35—19:27). After this comes Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.