Luke 14:15-24

When one of them who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’  Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’

“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.’

And the servant said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

“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. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’”


Jesus was attending Sabbath dinner at the house of a prominent Pharisee. He has blasted them for being unwilling to heal on the Sabbath when they would work to save a valuable ox or a beloved child. He has condemned them for seeking the place of honor at the table and only doing good to those who can repay the kindness. He concludes in verse 14 that those who are truly humble will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Most responded with silence, but one man clearly missed the point. He certainly thinks the previous parables were not about him and includes himself as one of the humble when saying that those who eat at the heavenly banquet will be blessed. He was proud to think himself as not too proud to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus follows this statement by telling an absurd story. A wealthy man invites people to a banquet. In these days without calendars and watches, a party planner sent out a pre-invitation. Then when the preparations were ready he would send another invitation. When the man in the parable sends his notice that the party is ready, it is impossible to imagine that anyone would not come. A really nice party could last for days of feasting and fun. In a world where daily life was repetitive and could feel mundane, such a celebration would not be missed.

But when the second invitation is received, all those invited make ridiculous excuses for not coming. The first needs to go check out the dirt in a field he has bought. The second, a clearly wealthy man, wants to see how at his five yoke of new oxen perform. The third has a wife who won't let him come. In this society the man was certainly the head of the house, so this is clearly an excuse. What wife wouldn't want to hit the party of the year?

The servant brings the shocking news back to the master. After all the preparation for an amazing feast, no one is coming! Beyond rudeness and breaching the social mores of the society, a refusal of this nature indicated that you wanted no friendship with the person throwing the feast. This group represents the Jewish leaders and the nation rejecting Jesus. They were pre-invited by the words of the Old Testament and were now the Messiah was telling them the banquet was ready. The master sends out his servant to invite the crippled blind and lame from the streets. This is the notably the same groups Jesus said should be invited to every banquet. This group would be confused at the invitation, knowing that they could not repay the feast. These attendees represent those in the Jewish nation who believed in and followed Jesus - those who mourned over their wretched spiritual state rather than believing they were entitled to salvation because of their Abrahamic ancestry and adherence to legalistic rules and traditions.

But there is still room at the banquet. The servant is sent out again to convince those in the countryside and byways to come to the banquet. This represents those outside the Jewish faith - the Gentiles. The master's house is now filled with a surprising guest list, and none of those originally invited taste so much as a slice of juicy lamb.

The Pharisees were self-sacrificing. They fasted, gave tithes to the temple, and followed minute laws added through the centuries to avoid even coming near sin. In Matthew 23 Jesus compares the weight of this burden as a cumbersome one, impossible to lift. The whole reason behind this was for personal glory on earth as well as the promise of eternal reward. They would not only be in heaven, but they would have the best seat at the table. This is why in Mathew 20 the mother of James and John requests that they sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom. Your work on earth would be rewarded.

People today like religion to be comforting. As long as you do your best and believe something with all your heart, you're good. But Jesus always spoke to shatter false religious hope. He didn't tell his listeners, "Don't worry, we all worship the same God. You're good." No, Jesus said, "No one comes unto the Father except through me." He was tough.

We like to pat ourselves on the back as well. Yesterday the Barna Research Group released a survey examining whether modern day Christians are more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees. (Read an article about it here.) 51% of respondents chose beliefs and actions consistent with the Pharisees. 14% exhibit beliefs and actions consistent with Jesus. In the middle were Christians who show a mix of Pharisaical beliefs and Jesus' teaching. Evangelical Christians were more likely to have the actions of Jesus, but often had the actions of Jesus without the beliefs. Perhaps this is why Christians are branded as hypocritical. Even when practice the right behavior, we may have the wrong motives. Practicing Catholics were more likely to have Christ-like beliefs but Pharisaical actions. Women were more likely to be "Christ-like" than men, maybe because we tend to be more nurturing.

Authentic faith, in word and deed, is much more difficult than finding  and following "religion". Only the transforming power of walking with God, through the forgiveness of Jesus, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit can change us into the image of Christ. No amount of "effort" on our part will amount to anything.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Luke 13:22-30

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?”

And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
 
“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
 
“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”


Jesus' answer to the question is shocking. There will be those who desire salvation that will not find it. We make it seem pretty easy to be a Christian - say a prayer, receive baptism, take communion, be confirmed, or some other combination of tasks and you are in. It is true that salvation is through grace alone, but it also begins a battle against flesh and sin. Those desiring the kingdom of God must fight for it.

Jesus says a time will come when many seeking salvation will find the door shut in their face. It will be too late. They will not be able to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, the owner (Jesus) will say he doesn't even know them, despite the fact that they ate with him and listened to his teachings.

Jesus is exclusive. Christianity is exclusive. Yes, all are welcome. Regardless of nationality, gender, language, socioeconomic status, or lifestyle, you are welcome. But there is only one narrow door into the kingdom of God. There are not many paths to salvation. Good works get you no closer to the right side of the door. Jesus himself taught, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Jesus does not directly answer the question. It doesn't matter how many are being saved, it only matters that you are one of them. Those who heard Jesus' teaching and did not follow him were not more evil than we are. In fact, if we examined most of them we would find them to be quite righteous. But on the one thing that matters most, justification through Jesus Christ, they are found lacking.

Strive to enter through the narrow door.

"Salvation is by grace, by grace alone. Nevertheless, divine grace is not exercised at the expense of holiness. It never compromises with sin. It is also true that salvation is a free gift, but an empty hand must receive it and not a hand which still tightly grasps the world. Something more than believing is necessary to salvation. A heart that is steeled in rebellion against God cannot savingly believe. It must first be broken. Only those who are spiritually blind would declare that Christ will save any who despises authority and refuse his yoke. Those preachers who tell sinners that they may be saved without forsaking their idols, without repenting, without surrendering to the lordship of Christ are as erroneous and dangerous as others who insist that salvation is by works and that heaven must be earned by our own efforts." - A. W. Pink

Luke 10:17-24

The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”

He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.” Then turning to His disciples He said privately, “The eyes that see the things you see are blessed! For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.”


The Seventy returned understandably ecstatic. Even the demons obeyed them under the authority of Jesus' name! Jesus does not reprimand their joy, but he seeks to refocus it. They are to rejoice in their salvation, not in their derived power over the demons. They had witnessed the disciples inability to cast demons out of a boy, but they had successfully commanded the forces of darkness.

 Various interpretations are given of the statement, "I saw Satan fall like lightening." This either refers to Satan's original fall after leading the insurrection against God, or it signifies his loss of power as the kingdom of God came near and his fallen angels were ordered around by a band of regular Jewish men. I grew up in the mountains hearing tales of "snake handling" churches. If your faith is strong, those venomous snakes won't bite, or at least the bites won't hurt. Although Paul survives a snake bite while marooned at Malta, I think this passage is a figurative one. Snakes and serpents likely refers to Satan, the demons, and/or those who would stand in the way of the gospel.

Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and he is our only true source of joy. In good times and bad, in success or loss, we are assured of victory in Jesus. He has power over any worldly or supernatural force conspiring against us. Jesus came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31).  Although it is unlikely we will cast out any demons, as disciples of Jesus we have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).

Jesus' prayer contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God.  Those considered wise were blinded by their own beliefs and self-righteousness from seeing the kingdom of God which was before their very eyes. Humility, not feelings of inferiority but the realization that our worth comes from Christ, leads us to a true recognition of who we are in God and of our dependence on him. Those with the simple faith of a child receive the kingdom of God. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Prov. 3:34, James 4:6). Jesus is the revelation of the one true God.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of you faith, the salvation of your souls.  Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things. 1 Peter 1:3-12

Luke 10:8-16

When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’ When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We are wiping off as a witness against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Yet know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes! But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades! Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

It is significant that Jesus did not send out only the twelve disciples on a mission to heal the sick and preach the gospel. In these verses he is sending out 70 (or 72) men to enter various cities proclaiming the word and performing miracles. We are not apostles of Jesus, there were only ever 12 of them (plus later Mathias and Paul), and they clearly had a special commission. But these  70 were commissioned to prepare the way for the Lord, to lay the groundwork for his coming. Christ does not give us the same power to heal and cast out demons, but we do carry the same commission to preach the message.

And what is the message? "The kingdom of God has come near you." It's as simple and complex as that. The kingdom of God is not far off, accessible only through ritual, available to only a select few. The kingdom has come near to you! You need not seek it afar. No work or merit of your own will bring you to its door. It is here if you will only open your eyes. But even if you will not recognize it, the kingdom is here. There is no PC "What's true for you may not be true for me" nonsense.

When Jesus' listeners heard about a kingdom they likely idealized the notion. A kingdom would bring peace and prosperity. But the truth of a kingdom is that you owe total allegiance to the king. Committing your life to the kingdom of God is agreeing to submit your life entirely to a king - an absolute monarch to whom you give control of every aspect of your life. So many churches operate as democracies where members decide everything from carpet color to theology by a majority vote. Others are dictatorships led by wolves in sheep's clothing. But as Christians we are members of a kingdom where only one ruler makes the decisions. But make no mistake, if you deny the kingdom of God you are not free but still a slave to sin and the kingdom of darkness. You can find peace in his kingdom or punishment for your refusal.

Sodom was known for its destruction for sinfulness in the book of Genesis. From Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 28 we learn that the king of Tyre was associated with Satan himself and a stronghold for idolatry. Amos writes that the people of Tyre and Sidon sold the Hebrew people into slavery. The prophet Jeremiah foretold their punishment at the hands of an angry God. But Jesus says these nations were better off than the Jewish towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum who had received the message and miracles of Jesus and still chose to deny him.

Some scholars interpret the second paragraph of this scripture as implying that there will be comparative punishments in hell depending on the amount of exposure one has received to the gospel. Perhaps this is the case, or perhaps Jesus is speaking allegorically. Either way, we cannot interpret the passage to mean that people are better off without hearing the gospel. Punishment is still punishment, regardless of the intensity. Those on the wrong side on the Day of Judgment will equally yearn for a chance to make a different decision.

When you share the gospel and people reject the message, they are rejecting Christ, not you. But it still feels like rejection. It did then to the 70, and it does now to us. Be encouraged that you do the will of God and fight for his kingdom, knowing that the results are in his hands, not yours. Fully commit yourself to serving him in his kingdom today!

If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to him, then don't begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.

- Kay Arthur

Luke 9:49-62

John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”


It's interesting to note that John answered Jesus. So what is he answering? Jesus has just reprimanded the apostles for their debate over which of them was greatest. John reminds me of my two children. When either of them is in trouble, inevitably the words “But he/she...” will be spoken in an effort to divert my attention. Daily I must remind them to focus on their own behavior.

John either misses Jesus' point or out of shame wants to put the focus on someone else he feels is behaving badly. Jesus tells him not to worry about those who are “on their team". Of course, we are warned in many other scriptures to watch for false teachers and wolves in sheep's clothing. Jesus taught that on the day of judgment many will say “Lord, Lord! We cast out demons in your name!” Jesus will tell them to depart, since he knew them not. But for the most part it is not our job to argue over whether or not other people are “true believers”. If they believe sound doctrine, even if we have our differences and they do “not follow with us” on everything, we need to let it go and make sure our own spiritual houses are in order.

It is not surprising that a Samaritan village would turn Jesus away. He was a Jewish prophet on his way to his holy city. We cannot underestimate the centuries of hatred and mistrust between these two groups. James and John, the “sons of thunder”, respond unsurprisingly, “Let's consume the city and everyone in it with fire from heaven! No really! We don't mind.” Jesus rebukes them, somehow managing to not roll his eyes. His message of universal love and forgiveness will not seek in until later, but when you read John's letters you realize that the power of the Holy Spirit transformed John from a Son of Thunder into the Apostle of love.

There are many who purport to follow Jesus as he goes, but he knows their hearts. To the three in this story, he points out the one thing holding each back. Jesus had set his face to Jerusalem, and only those willing to follow a road of suffering need join his band of followers. The road through Jerusalem would require sacrifices. So he tests and teaches his followers - where is your treasure; where is your heart; to what do you cling?

The first man clings to home and the Son of Man had none. His adult life was a nomadic one. The second clung to family responsibilities. He claimed he would follow Jesus after the death and burial of his father. But Jesus called his followers to leave everyone behind that was not also following. The third just wanted to go say goodbye to everyone. But Jesus tells him that no one who sets his face to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. This may sound harsh to us. When we choose to follow Christ, we must do it wholeheartedly. We must not simply seek to flee the coming wrath. We must be willing to leave everything for him. If you look back you'll start plowing a crooked furrow. The next thing you know, you've run into a big rock or fallen into the creek. Keep plowing! Don't fret over the work you've done, the seeds you've sown, and the ground you've covered. Press on towards the goal God has set before you, no matter the cost.

In other words, the point of all these tough words as Jesus interacts with different people is not to create laws that all disciples or all missionaries have to keep: Thou shalt give all your money! Thou shalt give half your money! Thou shalt go without a bed! Thou shalt go without a funeral for your dad! The point is that Jesus knows everyone’s idol. Jesus knows perfectly what is competing in your heart with affection for him. He looks everyone of us in the face this morning and sees right to our heart.

Let him do that for you now. Don’t take offense. He does this to win us for himself. "Follow me!" is the goal. Being with Jesus is the goal. It won’t be easy. But it will be good. There will be joy even if there is continual sorrow (2 Corinthians 6:10 – "sorrowful but always rejoicing"). Because he will be with us.   - John Piper