Luke 14:25-35     As Jesus left the Pharisee's home and once again headed towards Jerusalem, He spoke to the multitude that was following Him.  

This is a hard message.. it is perhaps the hardest test of discipleship that must be considered if one will be a true follower of Christ. If we do not do this.. how would we be able to face the persecution that is to come? How can we be ready to die for our Savior? How can we be counted as His disciple?

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."  We try to soften this statement by explaining that Jesus just means we must love Him more than anyone else or more than ourselves.  But.. He doesn't give us that option. He is calling His followers to become disciples.. to learn from Him the most vital lesson of all.  If we want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ we must count the cost.. 

Jesus gives three examples of counting the cost:

Verse 27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."  His listeners knew what carrying a cross meant.  A cross was carried by someone guilty of a crime.  They were the basest, the lowest, the worst of the worse.  Jesus had just taught about being humble.. there is nothing more humbling than baring your sin and guilt and shame to the world.  Jesus would bear a cross for the sins of the whole world.. but He only asks His disciples to bear their own cross for His sake. This is the cost of discipleship.. 

Verses 28-30 talk about a man wanting to build a tower. Would that man not stop first and see how much it would cost and if he had enough money to build it?  He would not want to start the project without being ready to finish it. That would be foolish and he would face "ridicule".  Likewise, to be a true disciple of Jesus we need to be ready to persevere to the end.  Do we have the resources to do that?  Only if we have Jesus as our Master to strengthen us and complete us by His own power and grace. This is the cost of discipleship.. 

Verses 31-32 talk about a king who wants to go to war.  Before he even starts out he will consider the strength of his army and the strength of the enemy's army.  If he is outnumbered he will sent out ambassadors to "ask for terms of peace."  In other words, that king must not let his pride lead him into a war he cannot win, but must humble himself before the one more powerful. This is the cost of discipleship.. 

Jesus concludes this message with "So therefore, no one of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions."  

We are absolutely unable to save ourselves and we need Jesus. We come to Him only by admitting our sin and guilt, humbling ourselves before Him, trusting on His provision to complete His work in our lives, submitting to His rule and reign over us, and giving Him our whole selves.  Completer surrender of our lives, our possessions, our families, our work, and our futures. 

Only then are we "good" salt.. otherwise we are without flavor, without worth, and without life. 

Father in heaven, we have no hope without Jesus Christ. He is the King, the Master, the Savior and we surrender our whole lives to follow Him. We cannot do anything on our own, Lord. He is first in all things according to Your will and word.  Teach us, Lord, what we need to hear. Open our ears and our eyes to Your Truth.  Fill us Spirit of God with understanding we pray, in the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 Luke 14:12-24  As Jesus continued to sit at the table with the leading Pharisees... He had spoken about being humble and not exalting oneself.. and then He said this, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, lest they invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But, when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."  

Jesus goes on to tell a story about a man who planned a big dinner.  He sent out the invitations and when the time came he also sent his servant to gather those invited. However.. every one of them made excuses as to why they couldn't come and this made the man angry.  He then sent his slave out to gather others to fill his banquet hall.. at first he brought "the poor and crippled and blind and lame".. and then he went even further and invited any who he could find on the highways and along the hedges.  The house was filled, but those he had first invited were all excluded from the dinner. 

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees.. those who were filled with pride.. those same ones who had tried to get the best seats just moments before.. those who wanted to be honored and exalted.. those who would invite the "right" people to their dinners.  And the one.. who had invited Jesus.  What was his motive?  What was he trying to prove?  Was the invitation for the purpose of receiving something in return? Then  he needed to change his thinking... let his motive be to help the helpless and to feed the hungry. This is where the blessing will be found.. in humble service to others in need. 

The parable of the dinner had a deeper meaning.. God Himself had invited the people of Israel to come to His table.. but they made excuses.  Because they did not come, rejecting the One who came to gather them.. He opened His Kingdom to those who had no way to "repay" Him.. the poor.. the crippled.. the blind.. and the lame.. the lost.. the hiding.. the wandering.. He invited us. 

Father in heaven, we praise Your holy name.. thanking You for calling us into Your Kingdom and to Your table. We are poor and needy.. and we have no means to repay You for the grace and love that You have lavished on us through the sacrifice of Your Beloved Son.  We come before You with grateful hearts and surrender all of ourselves to Your service.  May we always extend the invitation to those who need to hear about Jesus Christ.. those who are poor and crippled, blind or lame.. those on the highways and in the hedges. Give us ears to hear and to do Your Word we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

 Luke 14:7-24  Jesus shares two parables with the "invited guests" at the Pharisees home.  He had already dealt with their hypocrisy as they tested him with the poor man who had dropsy.  They were watching and listening. 

The first parable came about as Jesus watched the guests "picking out the places of honor at the table."  He tells them to not take the place of honor, "lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited.. "  It would be embarrassing to be asked to move to a lower place.  How much better to be asked to" move up higher".  The point of this parable is in verse 11, "For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted." 

Proverbs 29:23 "A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor."  James 4:10 "Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."  This is a Truth that is found in both Old Testament and New.  It is a Truth that Jesus teaches throughout His ministry.  It is a Truth that turns natural inclinations upside down in a world that prides itself with being greater, smarter, richer, or better than the next guy.  It is a Truth that we must not ignore. 

What does it mean to be humble?  The Greek word used here means to abase or bring low.. to have a lower rank.. to be modest.. to bring down pride.   To be humble is to not elevate or lift up yourself, but to allow God to lift you up Himself.. and this He promises to do.   To humble yourself is to have this "attitude which was also in Christ Jesus who, although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped... He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.." ( Philippians 2:5-8)  "Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name." (v9) 

Father, You alone are great and Highly exalted!  We join with the psalmist in praise, "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable." ( Psalm 145)   We will extol You, our God, O King; and we will bless Your name forever and ever.  Lord God, You are gracious and merciful. You are good to all.  You are righteous in all Your ways.  You provide for us and keep us. You open Your hands and satisfy us. You are near to us when we call on You.  Because of Who You are we bow before You and proclaim Your praise and our thanks. We humble ourselves before You because we are lower than the low, yet You have shown us grace. You have raised us up and called us Your Children in Jesus Christ the Lord.  How can we thank You enough ? Praise the Name of the Lord in Whom we live and move and have our being. Amen! 

 Luke 13:32-35; 14:1-6   The Pharisees try to persuade Jesus to turn back.. to stay out of Jerusalem.. by claiming that Herod was looking to kill Him.  But... Jesus would  not turn back.  He had to get to Jerusalem and He would continue doing the things that His Father has ordained for Him until the last. 

Jesus knew that Jerusalem would be the place of His death.  He knew that He would enter its gates where they would proclaim "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!"  And He knew that they would then reject Him even while He longed for their salvation.  He knew it all and He would not turn back. 

Jesus said that He would continue to "cast out demons and  perform cures" until He reached His goal.  He still had works to do and lessons to teach. He was still giving His listeners a chance to make the right choice so that they might be saved.  

His next stop was at the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees.  As they were all watching Him closely, Jesus was introduced to a man with dropsy.  This man must have been one of the invited ones or perhaps a relative?  How else would he have entered the home of the Pharisee?  So, Jesus asks the question that they wanted to catch Him on... 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" 

They had already condemned Him for doing this before.. so why do this again? They held their breathes waiting and watching.. and " they kept silent.. "   Jesus took the man and healed him.  "And He said to them, 'Which one of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?' "  None could answer Him, because they knew He was right. 

Father, thank You for showing us the kindness and compassion of the Lord Jesus.  He knew the day was coming when He would suffer and die for the sins of all mankind and He knew that many would miss the truth.  He gave opportunities for them.. over and over and over.. to see You.. to hear Your Words.. and they "would not".  So many today are just the same.. they focus on their own ideals and plans and they miss the Truth. They miss Jesus Christ who alone is the way of salvation. Let the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ fill us and overflow from our hearts that we might be moved with such great compassion for the lost.. that we might use every opportunity to lead others to Him. Let Your Kingdom come! Amen.

 Luke 13:22-30   The question asked was, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?"   Good question!  Jesus calls for them to "Strive to enter by the narrow door.. "   Matthew explains this statement a bit more, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way broad the leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) 

"Strive" - to struggle; to compete for a prize.. to contend.. fight, endeavor.  We will not accidentally fall into the Kingdom of God.  We will have to choose the Way, deliberately, thoughtfully, and intentionally.. seeking Jesus.  We strive against our culture and our sin and our own selfish desires. We strive.. we contend with all the lies and temptations that the evil one throws at us. We go against the flow.. and we make a choice to put our faith in the only One who can save us.  It is a small gate and few will find it.. but it is not impossible for God Himself will help us.  Hallelujah!

Jesus gives another parable here.. The head of the household closed the door and goes to bed. His home is secure and his loved ones are safe and sound.  Then comes the knock on the door.. a stranger who wants to come in, but the man refuses.  "I do not know where you are from!" They insist that they know him.. but he does not fall for that and again refuses them entry.  He calls them evildoers. 

This illustration, Jesus goes on, is what will happen at the judgement seat.  They will see "Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God"  but, they will be "cast out".  The evildoers will be thrust out, expelled, ejected.  "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.. "  Utter anguish and despair is the destiny of all those who do not know the Lord Jesus, who did not choose the narrow gate or follow the narrow way. 

"And they will come from the east and west and from the north and south and will recline at the table of the kingdom of God."  Some who were the "last".. the most unexpected..last in worth.. the lowest rank.. the farthest away, but have chosen to strive for that narrow gate.. will enter in to the Kingdom and dine at God's table. But, those who expected to be first, the most important and honored.. great in their own eyes.. will be last.. for they did not chose the narrow way.. they did not chose to follow Jesus.

Father in heaven,  You are our God and there is no other. You have given us Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.. to bring us into Your Kingdom through the narrow way.. Thank You! We strive to keep following Jesus.. to be sealed by Your Spirit and ready for that day when we will sit at the table with the saints of old and the prophets and those from every tribe and tongue and nation who have walked with Jesus in this life and who will sing Your praises through all of eternity!  We can't imagine the greatness of that Day, but we look forward to it with joyful and grateful hearts. Keep us in Your Mighty Hands Father, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Luke 13:18-21  Jesus uses two parables here to describe the "kingdom of God".  In the first He compares it to a mustard seed that was thrown into a garden and grew into a large tree.  In the second He compares it to leaven hidden in the meal until the whole thing was leavened. 

The Kingdom of God  is the central message of the Gospel.  The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples begins with these requests.. that God's name would be hallowed, that His Kingdom would come, and that His will would be done.  Without the fear of God.. knowing Who He is and the greatness of His Name and the Power of His Grace we cannot know His Kingdom that will come.  The Kingdom of God is more than a place.. it is a recognition of the sovereignty of God who created all things, who reigns over all of His creation, and Who has sent His Son to redeem and restore His Kingdom  on earth as it is in heaven,.. And this is His will.. that we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness above all else. 

So, how is this great and wonderful Kingdom like a mustard seed or leaven.  Both of these things are small.. practically unseen.. but they have a powerful effect on the earth.  Jesus tells us that the mustard seed will grow into a tree that provides a place for the "birds of the air".  He says that the leaven will affect the whole lump of dough. These things will act as God created them to be and the Kingdom will also affect the whole earth just as He has planned and purposed.  When we pray for His Kingdom to come we are praying for His will to be done on earth according to His plans and purpose and this will glorify His holy name.  We are asking that others will come to know the Greatness of our God and the Wonder of His reign over all He has created... that they will be made new in the salvation that comes in  believing in Jesus Christ .

How much more vital than those things that the Pharisees worried about.. work on the Sabbath, healing, eating without washing, etc.  God's priority is His Kingdom!  He wants us to belong to Him, to seek Him, to know Him and to help others to seek Him too. 

Jesus is going to keep teaching about God's kingdom during these last days and weeks before He reaches Jerusalem and gives Himself up so that we can belong in that Glorious Kingdom for eternity.  We must allow the message of the gospel to grow like a mustard seed and become a place with others will find Jesus.  We must allow His Word to fill us and expand throughout our land and around the world so that all will see that the Kingdom has come in Jesus Christ and that He is coming again to take us with Him forever and ever, Amen. 

Father in heaven, we hallow Your name and we pray that You will be exalted in all the earth and in every nation . We pray that Your Kingdom will be made known and that many more will come to You and bow before You. We pray that in all things Your plans and purposes will be done.  In the name of Jesus we ask this, Amen. 

 Luke 13:10-17  Luke tells the story of a woman who had suffered for 18 years.. she had " a sickness caused by a spirit and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all."  Still, she came to the synagogue on the Sabbath.  When Jesus saw her He called her over and said, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." 

With a touch, Jesus healed her and she was able to stand up straight.  She "immediately... began glorifying God."  

The official in the synagogue was not pleased.  Healing on the sabbath?  That was "work".  It should be done on any other day of the week in his opinion. He had no compassion.  He had no praise for God.  He only had criticism for Jesus. 

Jesus answered this man and the others with him... "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?"   They had compassion and care for an animal, but not for a "daughter of Abraham" .. a woman who had suffered for so long.. Did she not deserve the same care? How hard their hearts were!

The synagogue leaders were "humiliated". But the crowd rejoiced. 

The lesson is important. Hypocrisy is deadly.  The religious leaders acted as if they were so good.. so much better than anyone else.. yet their hearts were dark and they had no love or compassion.  They missed the whole message that Jesus taught.. that love.. for God and for people is what pleases God and brings Life.  

We must examine our own hearts often.. and ask God to fill us with His Spirit and to overflow our lives with His Love so that we will not follow the paths of these unbelievers, but see God at work and give Him praise! 

A woman bent over for 18 years praised God when Jesus touched her.  When we are burdened by sin and are freed by the the power of Jesus' name.. we also praise Him and give glory to God.  Let us not miss the message He sends.. let us love like He loves.  Help us Father, to surrender all to You.  Fill our hearts with Your great love and compassion we pray. Amen.