The Way - Day 014 (Luke 14)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Luke 14:1-24
Jesus had plenty of encounters with the so-called religious people of His day and they often judged Him based on their own man-made traditions. They were not necessarily concerned with God's written law but rather the things which they had added to it. Such is the case at the beginning of Luke 14 when Jesus is being "closely watched" as He enters the house of a Pharisee to eat on the Sabbath (14:1). The Pharisees had only invited Jesus so that they might catch Him disobeying one of their rituals. Also in the house was a man who had dropsy, which is a condition where fluid builds up in the tissues of the body and is most likely caused by some type of cancer (14:2). It seems as if the Pharisees had brought Jesus and this diseased man together to observe whether Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath. Knowing the hearts of the Pharisees, Jesus was the first to speak asking them, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" (14:3), but they remained silent. Jesus then took the man and healed him on the Sabbath and said to the Pharisees, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" (14:4-5). By asking this question Jesus was exposing their willingness to have mercy on their own animals while refusing to have mercy on those who were suffering. Obeying human tradition became more important than seeing good happen to others.

Since the people gathered at this meal chose to remain silent to Jesus' questions (14:6), He decided to teach concerning their desire to have the best seats at the table (14:7). Jesus warned against sitting at the best place at a wedding feast in case someone of greater honor had been invited (14:8). Rather than considering himself worthy of honor, an individual should sit in the lowest place and when the one who has invited him sees him he will say, "'Friend, go up higher" (14:9-10). Jesus teaches them that "...whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (14:11). The Pharisees were a prideful group, but Jesus desired His followers to be humble. It appears that the Pharisees were also full of pride because of their generosity in inviting friends and family to a feast (14:12). Jesus teaches them that when they have a feast they should invite "...the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind" (14:13) because these people "...cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just" (14:14).

A man sitting at the table pridefully responded to Jesus' teaching saying, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" (14:15). This Jewish man was probably arrogantly celebrating his view that Jews alone would be given a place of honor in God's kingdom; however, Jesus quickly dispelled this man's wrong view by telling a parable about many people who had been invited to a supper, but made excuses as to why they could not attend (14:16-20). When this was reported to the one holding the feast, he became angry and told his servant to "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind" (14:21). The pre-invited guests to the feast represent Israel, whom God had offered hope and salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, but had rejected Him as the Messiah. When the pre-invited guests did not respond to God's offer of salvation, God decided to go into the "...highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (14:21-22). Those in the "highways and hedges" represent the Gentiles who were invited to the feast after the Israelites had rejected God's invitation. Jesus wanted to be clear that those who reject God's invitation for salvation through repentance and faith will be judged (14:24). Although the Pharisees saw themselves worthy of salvation because of their heritage and good deeds, they would also face God's wrath if they would not receive Jesus as the promised Messiah.
 
Luke 14:25-35
 Large crowds had been following Jesus for quite some time (14:25), but His latest teachings have centered on the high cost of being one of His disciples (Luke 12-14). Jesus was trying to separate those who wanted to live according to God's ways from those who were only enamored with His miracles. Luke 14:25-35 is probably Jesus' strongest teaching yet when He says, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple" (14:26-27). When Jesus speaks of hatred, he is seeking to draw a comparison; in other words, the love a person has for his family should look like hate compared to the love he has for Jesus. Not only did Jesus want His followers to love Him more than anything else, but He also desired them to carry their cross. Bearing one's cross carried the idea of a person's willingness to continue in the ways of God, even if it meant death. Jesus knew that many were only following Him because of what He could do for them instead of worshipping Him as the Messiah. Using two illustrations concerning the necessity of counting the cost and sacrifice (14:28-32), Jesus challenges those who are listening to His voice to carefully assess whether they are willing to entrust their whole lives to Him, wherever it may lead. He summed up His teaching saying, "...whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple" (14:33). This forsaking not only involves one's possessions, but also his goals, dreams, and rights. Jesus was asking for full surrender.

Jesus then says, "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out" (14:34-35). This same imagery had been used by Jesus before (Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:50) and seems to illustrate the necessity of salt keeping its flavor so that it can do what it is intended to do. In the same way, those who follow Jesus must maintain their faith and obedience so that they can remain usable in the hands of God. When a disciple continually fails to love and obey God he becomes useless and reveals his lack of surrender to the ways of God.

Dear God, may those who claim to follow You maintain their usefulness in Your hands.