Read the Passage: Luke 14

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Luke 14

Healing (14:1–14)

In this passage, Jesus attended a meal with several Pharisees and lawyers on a Sabbath day. At this dinner a man was present who had dropsy. This condition, which is referred to as edema today, entails the body unnaturally retaining fluids in its tissues due to an underlying health issue. When Christ saw this man, He asked the religious leaders, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Luke 14:3). The Pharisees and lawyers, however, did not answer Jesus, for while the Scriptures do not prohibit it, their tradition held that healing on the Sabbath was wrong (cf. Luke 13:14). As He had done earlier when confronting the synagogue ruler (cf. Luke 13:15–17), so here Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and lawyers for their sin. In each these cases, Christ pointed out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, as they were willing to care for their animals on the Sabbath, yet they willfully neglected fellow mankind.

In Luke 14:7–14 Jesus gave two teachings to those present at the meal. First, Christ spoke the parable of the ambitious guest, which focuses on humility. This parable, the substance of which was taught by Solomon at Prov. 25:6–7, was more than an encouragement to be humble; indeed, it prescribed the mindset and personal character needed for salvation. Second, Jesus exhorted compassion by instructing his host to not just invite the powerful and wealthy to dinner, but to invite the poor and needy. Observe that Scripture often uses paradoxical language in describing salvation: die to live (cf. Luke 9:23), decrease to increase (cf. John 3:30), be last to be first (cf. Matt. 20:16), be weak to be strong (cf. 2 Cor. 12:10), be poor to be rich (cf. Luke 6:20), be submissive to be free (1 Pet. 2:16), be humble to be exalted (Luke 14:11), lose your life to save it (cf. Mk. 8:15), and be buried to rise (cf. Gal. 2:20).

Parable (14:15–24)

The main point of Jesus’ parable of the ambitious guest was to confront the pride of the religious leaders and to exhort humility. In response to this teaching, someone at the dinner table proclaimed, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15). While the purpose of this declaration is not given in the text, this may have been an attempt to protect the reputation of the religious leaders. In response to this, Christ gave a parable about a great supper in order to teach that one’s position or ethnicity does not guarantee inclusion in the kingdom of God. Moreover, in this story Jesus taught that some Gentiles—that is, those whom He described as “the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind” (Luke 14:21)—would be included in the kingdom of God. Like the parable of the ambitious guest, the parable of the great supper addresses the sinful pride of the religious leaders.

This parable, which is similar to (but distinct from) the parable of the marriage feast (cf. Matt. 22:2–14), begins with an invitation to attend a great banquet. Yet, despite this generous invitation, the invited guests began to make insincere excuses as to why they could not attend the meal. To elaborate: one guest had just bought some land and desired to see it; another had purchased a team of oxen and wanted to test them; and a third had just recently been married (cf. Deut. 24:5). These explanations, however, were artificial, as few people would buy land without first viewing it, few people would purchase oxen without first testing them, and few people who had been recently married would turn down a social engagement and a free meal. These excuses angered the master of the house, which led him to invite a group of marginalized people to his great banquet, and to shut out the guests who were originally invited.

Teaching (14:25–35)

In Luke 14:25–35 Jesus gave two related teachings concerning counting the cost of discipleship. First, in Luke 14:25–27 Christ taught that those who follow Him must be willing to give up all things, including close relationships, to be a disciple. In Luke 14:28–33 Jesus illustrates this principle by pointing out that in other areas of life this is how mankind naturally acts. For example, Christ notes that no one would begin building a tower without first considering its cost, and no one would go to war without first assessing the strength of one’s enemy. In the same manner, no one should follow Jesus without first considering the cost. Second, in Luke 14:34–35 Christ makes the same point by referring to salt that has become impure, either through dilution or contamination. Such salt is not useful as a preservative nor as a flavor enhancer. Similarly, a Christian without Christ will be both foolish and ineffectual.

Application Questions:

1. Why did Jesus accept dinner invitations from those whom He knew had rejected Him and the gospel message?
2. Is the moral law about Sabbath-keeping still in play today? If so, what activities are required or prohibited?
3. Do you find humility to be challenging? In what ways have you seen other believers display humility?
4. What is it about the gospel invitation that offends people and causes them to reject Jesus’ offer of salvation?
5. What has following Jesus cost you? When you first came to Christ, did you understand the full cost of discipleship?