Bailey's Banquet

Part 6 (iii)- The Parable of the Great Banquet

Bailey is strangely inconsistent here.

He condemns the Essenes, Enockers and the Targummers for failing to be inclusive of the Gentiles.

Yet he fails to be inclusive of those with outstanding obligations (land, oxen, a newlywed). Were they not just being the "good stewards" that he has been promoting thus far? After all this is just a dinner with- "A man".

Bailey fails to mention the contrast Jesus brings with the following passage (Luke 14;25-33). Seems to me this is the point of the parable. But this passage doesn't get mentioned. Bailey only provides half of the parable. Bailey is stuck at the wrong dinner.

Bailey fails to recognize, that this dinner with the Pharisee's is just dinner with "a man". But the contrasting dinner with Jesus- is worth giving everything up for. Dinner with Jesus is worth the "cross"!

The part that Bailey mentions is directed to the Pharisees. The part that Bailey doesn't mention is directed to His followers. The part that Bailey mentions is a condemnation of the Pharisees. The part that Bailey doesn't mention is Jesus's preparation for those that the Pharisees could not "make twice as much a son of hell" (Matthew 23:15) as themselves.

Again, I don't see these as "implausable excuses"(315). I see them as stewardly. Did not the law refuse to allow a newlywed to be a soldier? That he might enjoy his wife (Deut. 24:5) for a year. Bailey and his sources say this is rude. That this is rude language. Makes me think that Bailey is way more rude than Mark Driscoll.

Does Bailey not see the parallel here with Deuteronomy 20:1-7? Is not the passage that Bailey fails to mention- addressed by the verses following this parallel? Again, does Bailey not know his Torah or is he just playing dumb?

A final disagreement here. Where does this "man" suggest they be "dragged in"(318) to his banquet?

And when is anybody dragged, kicking and screaming into God's Banquet? Doesn't happen.

His grace is irresistable. Come and say grace at His banquet...