Luke 14 begins with Jesus joining a group of Pharisees to share a meal on the Sabbath. There was a man suffering from an unusual condition and Jesus asked the Pharisees if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath. The group stayed silent and Jesus healed the man and sent him on his way. Jesus then pointed out to the Pharisees work that any of them would do on the Sabbath if it was needed. An observation that Jesus made about the group at the luncheon was that the guests picked the places of honor at the table. His response was to speak on selecting a low place at the table so that the host will invite you to move to a better seat, rather than need to ask someone at a higher seat to move down. Jesus then said, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) He then went on to talk about inviting those who could not return the invite, for such will receive their reward at the resurrection. Next, Jesus tells a parable of a great banquet. The man preparing the banquet sent his servant to go out and gather those who had been invited. Those invited made excuses as to why they could not come. In his anger, the owner of the house told his servant to go out and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. With still more room for guests, the owner of the house had the servant go out to the countryside to invite still more to join. The parable concluded with, “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (verse 24) Jesus then spoke to the crowd about weighing the cost of being a disciple. He utilized a few different analogies to help the crowd recognize the importance of considering the commitment and cost required to follow Him.
To follow Jesus,
there’s costs and rewards;
the price is our trust,
where grace is outpoured.
To truly follow,
we must set aside;
our own agendas,
by His, choose abide.
Called to be humble,
extend dignity;
choose give not to get,
setting others free.
Dear Heavenly Father, than You for sending Your Son to show us the way to follow after You. Thank You Jesus for modeling how we ought to live. Forgive us for the times that we have lacked humility or have not considered the costs of our actions. Teach us to trust and follow after You in all things and at all times. Lead us to love those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your goodness and grace, and trust You to lead us in the ways we are meant to go. Amen.
© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” – Matthew 20:16
Revelations In Writing 