Luke 14:15-35
It’s interesting to weave today’s two separate sections into one. That is, the first ten verses talk about the great banquet, where those who were initially invited made excuses for not attending and were then excluded from the banquet altogether, while …the poor and crippled and blind and lame… enjoyed the feast. The second eleven verses speak of discipleship and counting the cost of being Jesus’ disciple. So let’s put these two sections together and imagine that the disciples of whom (to whom?) Jesus is speaking are those who are already at the banquet.
That is, the banquet consists of four groups: those who were invited and did not attend (those who reject Jesus); those who were already present at the banquet (committed disciples); the poor…and lame who were brought into the banquet (new converts); and those on the outside whom the master of the house is still seeking to fill his feast (the unchurched). Jesus has something to say to each of these groups. I will ponder this the rest of the day and encourage you to do the same – especially what Jesus is saying to those of us already present at the banquet. Interesting…
See also: July 21 / Luke 14:15-24; July 22 / Luke 14:25-35
You are right, Fred. These two sections are very interesting to read together, and they complement each other. I’m not sure I am on the right track here, but here are some thoughts.
To me, the parable of the Great Banquet is about being called as a disciple into the Kingdom of God that exists now. This Kingdom of God coexists with the secular world and consists of the people of God going about doing God’s will in this world in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The people of the Kingdom of God are connected to God and to each other spiritually and communally – just like being at God’s banquet with other believers. In my mind, this banquet is in our hearts; and God, of course, is the Master of the Banquet. I think the parable is pointing out that there can be only one Master of our hearts if we want to be at the Banquet. There can be no co-masters of our hearts. The people who were invited but declined, had other masters (business, family, etc.) that were at least as important to them as the Master of the Banquet. We can also imagine what the Master would say if a banquet guest asked if he could leave for a while to hang with his friends outside, but he will be back for dessert!
The second parable is about the cost of being included in the Kingdom of God. There is a cost to being a disciple. The parable points out that any intelligent person will determine the cost of a project and compare that to the project’s worth before taking on the work required. We know the project’s worth, so what is the cost? Jesus says that the cost of discipleship is to “hate” our families and our own lives, and renounce all! That definitely gets my attention and is quite shocking – which is why Jesus must have said it that way. I believe He is telling us the cost of discipleship in a figurative way, not in a literal way. This seems like much the same message as He gave in the parable of the Banquet – that in order to be a disciple in the Kingdom of God, a person must have just one Master of his/her heart. To the extent that our hearts have more than one true master (whether family, business, self-indulgences, wealth, etc.), we will not be disciples in the Kingdom. I believe that I can love my family as much as I could possibly love them, but I can only have one Master in my heart if I am going to be at the banquet.
We have a gracious and forgiving God who will joyfully help each of us to focus our hearts in the right way. All we have to do is ask.
Awesome, Lou! I had suggested that we ponder a blending of these two sections – you did some serious pondering! Frankly, I had my own pondering, but I only had a few minutes this morning in which to post before we were traveling from St. Petersburg to Daytona. We are now “at home” for the next five days, relaxing.
As for my pondering, while I do not disagree with anything that Debbie or Lou posted, in answering my own question I find myself in that second group – really enjoying being at the banquet, but also humble at having been invited by such a loving and gracious host, one who is fully deserving of our “respect” and who has the full respect of all the other attendees who are also sharing this feast with me. And as I look around at these other attendees, I recognize how much love I have for each of them, how I am humbled again to be included in such a crowd. With it all, I’m just happy to be part of this fabulous banquet!!