ST LUKE
CHAPTER 14
Jesus again heals on the Sabbath—He teaches humility, and gives the parable of the great supper—Those who follow him must forsake all else.
1 AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
7 ¶ And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
12 ¶ Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
15 ¶ And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made [ Planned. ] a great supper, [ A banquet, or a wedding feast. ] and bade [ Invited or called for the first time. ] many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time [ The feast was now ready. ] to say to them that were bidden, [ Those who were called or invited the first time and had accepted the invitation. ] Come; [ This was the second invitation and formal announcement that things are happening. ] for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
21 so that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. 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 hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
26 If any man come to me, and hate ["hate",
is used as a contrast too love - if we love Christ then we must hate
(forsake or abandon) everything that gets in our way of following him.
If one's family members are opposed to Jesus, then the disciple must
abandon family and follow Jesus per v. 33. Naturally, if the entire
family is composed of disciples, then there is no need to "hate",
or abandon, them for Jesus. Clearly, the disciple is not to be filled
with hate for family in the sense of enmity and abhorrence. They are
to sever the ties of love that bind them to their families and leave them because
their love for Jesus is stronger, and so by comparison "hate" their
families.] not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and
brethren, and sisters, yea,
and his own life also,
he cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he
sendeth an ambassage,
and desireth conditions of peace. [vs 28-32 If you are
going to enter into the kingdom of heaven, you have to fully commit.
Anything less, and you'll not succeed.]