Frameworks:
Luke's Gospel, chapter 14
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
v.1-13
Jesus at a Pharisee's House
v.15-24
The Parable of the Great Banquet
v.25-35
The Cost of Being a Disciple
v.1-13
Jesus at a Pharisee's House
v.1
(on a Sabbath
he's invited to eat at a Pharisees house) One
Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee,
he was being carefully watched.
v.2
(but there was
a sick man there with a growth) There
in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of
his body.
v.3
(Jesus asks
the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath) Jesus
asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal
on the Sabbath or not?”
v.4
(they said nothing
so he healed the man) But
they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him
and sent him on his way.
v.5
(again he asks
them about caring for their family or animals on the Sabbath)
Then
he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls
into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull
it out?”
v.6
(still they
said nothing ) And
they had nothing to say.
v.7
(he observed
them taking places of honour at the table) When
he noticed how the guests picked the places of honour at the table,
he told them this parable:
v.8
(be careful
at a wedding he says) “When
someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place
of honour, for a person more distinguished than you may have been
invited.
v.9
(you may be
asked to move down the table) If
so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you,
‘Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have
to take the least important place.
v.10
(instead take
the lowest place and trust the host to move you up) But
when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your
host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.'
Then you will be honoured in the presence of all the other guests.
v.11
(the proud will
be humbled, the humble will be exalted) For
all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted.”
v.12
(don't invite
people o the basis of them inviting you back) Then
Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do
not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives,
or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and
so you will be repaid.
v.13,14
(instead invite
the poor and needy and let God reward you) But
when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame,
the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay
you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
v.15-24
The Parable of the Great Banquet
v.15
(one refers
to feasting with God in the eternal kingdom) When
one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus,
“Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of
God.”
v.16
(Jesus tells
of a man preparing a great banquet) Jesus
replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited
many guests.
v.17
(at the right
time he calls the guests to come) At
the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who
had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.'
v.18-20
(but they all
make excuses) “But
they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have
just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.')
“Another
said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way
to try them out. Please excuse me.' “Still another said, ‘I just
got married, so I can't come.'
v.21
(the master
sends his servants to bring in the poor instead) “The
servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner
of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly
into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor,
the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
v.22
(but there are
still spaces) “‘Sir,'
the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is
still room.'
v.23
(just bring
in whoever you can find) “Then
the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country
lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
v.
24 (those invited
won't get a second chance) I
tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of
my banquet.'”
v.25-35
The Cost of Being a Disciple
v.25
(as he travelled
to Jerusalem, large crowds accompanied him) Large
crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
v.26
(he taught,
a disciple needs to put me first, even above his family)
“If
anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a
person cannot be my disciple.
v.27
(if you don't
take the path of death you can't be my disciple) And
whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple.
v.28
(You need to
think about this. if you were building a tower, wouldn't you work
out the cost before you started) “Suppose
one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and
estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete
it?
v.
29,30 (if you
start the foundations but them give up you will be ridiculed)
For
if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone
who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build
and wasn't able to finish.'
v.
31 (or a king
going to battle, won't he weigh up the odds first) “Or
suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't
he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand
men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
v.
32 (if he's
outnumbered he'll sue for peace first) If
he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still
a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
v.33
(similarly disciples
need to let go everything to be my disciple) In
the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have
cannot be my disciples.
v.34
(if you want
to be my salt, you've got to remain salty) “Salt
is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty
again?
v.35
(if you don't
then only expect to be thrown out) It
is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown
out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”