The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
April 11
Luke 14:7-35
Commentary by Nick Boork
April 11
Luke 14:7-35
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April 11 - Luke 14:7-35
So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Let's look at Jesus conditions for being one of his disciples. In order to understand what Jesus taught about hating father, mother, spouse, children and even one's own life you have to have the right perspective! Jesus is not teaching us to hate our family members. That would be contrary to God's commandment to love one another. Sounds like another contradiction in the Bible doesn't it? However, this is no contradiction but a radical priority comparison. Jesus was teaching that our devotion and heart need to be God first. The book of Exodus chapter 20 records the historical event of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God. They were written in a list in the priority of importance. The first four commandments were to do with our relationship with God. The Almighty God, the Creator, revealed Himself to Moses saying I am the Lord your God.
1. You shall have no other gods before me…
2. You shall not make an image of God to worship…
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
4. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and dedicated to the worship of God…
In other words, the God of the Old Testament, Who gave the 10 Commandments was now standing in front of them in the person of Jesus Christ because Jesus said He and His Father were one. This is why Jesus said if anyone wants to be my disciple he has to hate father, mother, spouse, children and even his own self. In comparison with our love and devotion for Almighty God all the other relations in our lives need to be prioritized after our relationship with our Father God. Why? Because any relationship that takes the place of God becomes an idol and will ultimately control us, our time, commitment, devotion and what we do with our lives. Some people want to have Jesus in their life but they don't want Him as Lord of their lives. But to be Jesus disciple we need to put God first in our lives. Jesus said we need to count the cost of becoming His disciple. Why? Because it does cost us something. You have to be committed to go all the way just like someone that plans to build a tower or start a business.
You have to be committed to finish not just start. Also, in the same way a king needs to take seriously the battle that is ahead of him. Can he defeat the king coming against him with 20,000 soldiers when he only has10,000? The answer is no! So, the Lord says he will send a delegation asking terms of peace. What are the terms of peace with God? Total unconditional surrender! This is why the Lord followed this parable saying in verse 33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
I used to do a lot of street evangelism. One of the signs I had made was mounted to a piece of pvc pipe. The sign was 24” X 24” and looked like a flag. It read; “Jesus terms of peace Total Surrender” I got quit a few double looks as I lifted this sign up at busy street corners preaching the Gospel. But really, this is what it takes to follow Jesus as Lord and I have found that when my attitude is humble surrender to God and His will for my life it’s then that His peace fills my soul. Peace with God comes through surrendering our will to do His.
What’s the Bottom Line?
1. Jesus was not teaching us to hate our family members.
2. He was revealing the level of our commitment and the priorities of our relationships and the radical difference there should be between our relationship with God and family members.
3. The 10 Commandments reveal the priority of God in our lives. The first 4 have to do with our relationship with God.
4. Jesus could make this demand of 100% commitment because he was God in the flesh.
5. Peace with God comes through total surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.
So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Let's look at Jesus conditions for being one of his disciples. In order to understand what Jesus taught about hating father, mother, spouse, children and even one's own life you have to have the right perspective! Jesus is not teaching us to hate our family members. That would be contrary to God's commandment to love one another. Sounds like another contradiction in the Bible doesn't it? However, this is no contradiction but a radical priority comparison. Jesus was teaching that our devotion and heart need to be God first. The book of Exodus chapter 20 records the historical event of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God. They were written in a list in the priority of importance. The first four commandments were to do with our relationship with God. The Almighty God, the Creator, revealed Himself to Moses saying I am the Lord your God.
1. You shall have no other gods before me…
2. You shall not make an image of God to worship…
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
4. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and dedicated to the worship of God…
In other words, the God of the Old Testament, Who gave the 10 Commandments was now standing in front of them in the person of Jesus Christ because Jesus said He and His Father were one. This is why Jesus said if anyone wants to be my disciple he has to hate father, mother, spouse, children and even his own self. In comparison with our love and devotion for Almighty God all the other relations in our lives need to be prioritized after our relationship with our Father God. Why? Because any relationship that takes the place of God becomes an idol and will ultimately control us, our time, commitment, devotion and what we do with our lives. Some people want to have Jesus in their life but they don't want Him as Lord of their lives. But to be Jesus disciple we need to put God first in our lives. Jesus said we need to count the cost of becoming His disciple. Why? Because it does cost us something. You have to be committed to go all the way just like someone that plans to build a tower or start a business.
You have to be committed to finish not just start. Also, in the same way a king needs to take seriously the battle that is ahead of him. Can he defeat the king coming against him with 20,000 soldiers when he only has10,000? The answer is no! So, the Lord says he will send a delegation asking terms of peace. What are the terms of peace with God? Total unconditional surrender! This is why the Lord followed this parable saying in verse 33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
I used to do a lot of street evangelism. One of the signs I had made was mounted to a piece of pvc pipe. The sign was 24” X 24” and looked like a flag. It read; “Jesus terms of peace Total Surrender” I got quit a few double looks as I lifted this sign up at busy street corners preaching the Gospel. But really, this is what it takes to follow Jesus as Lord and I have found that when my attitude is humble surrender to God and His will for my life it’s then that His peace fills my soul. Peace with God comes through surrendering our will to do His.
What’s the Bottom Line?
1. Jesus was not teaching us to hate our family members.
2. He was revealing the level of our commitment and the priorities of our relationships and the radical difference there should be between our relationship with God and family members.
3. The 10 Commandments reveal the priority of God in our lives. The first 4 have to do with our relationship with God.
4. Jesus could make this demand of 100% commitment because he was God in the flesh.
5. Peace with God comes through total surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll