15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “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. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
In response to Jesus’ teaching about not exalting ourselves and doing things on earth for reward in heaven, one of the guests responded, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Perhaps he considered entering into the kingdom to be enough and didn’t think rewards were something to focus on. This attitude is not uncommon even today. And yet, Jesus repeatedly encouraged us to think about our rewards in heaven as part of our motivation for living right on earth. He may still have thought that everyone would get into the kingdom because of their heritage as Jews. Jesus then told a parable about a king who held a banquet to which many had been invited. The invited guests gave various excuses for why they were not able to attend when the feast was ready. The king’s response shows that their excuses were of less significance than his expectation that they attend. So he opened up the invitation to those who were poor, crippled, blind, and lame. The first group was privileged and felt their own matters were more important than attending. When the servant had brought in all those from the streets, there was still room. The servant was sent out with a wider radius to compel people to come and fill the house and enjoy the feast. But those who had been invited would no longer be allowed to participate. Jesus came to invite the Jews into the kingdom they had been promised but they rejected it. As a result, the invitation has been thrown wide to all people from all corners of the world. Those who reject Jesus’ offer may think their excuse is reasonable but there is no decision more important because your entire destiny rests on your response.
The crowds continued to follow Jesus as He journeyed towards Jerusalem. He turned to them and made clear the cost of discipleship. Your love for Jesus needs to be so great that by contrast, your love for your family members pales into a distant second place, so far back it could be considered hatred. Jesus was on His way to face His death. Every disciple should deny his life and be associated with Jesus in His death even if it includes shame in the eyes of the world. We must follow Jesus regardless of the consequences. There is clearly a cost associated with discipleship and following Jesus. Each one of us should carefully consider the cost before making that decision. Jesus gave two examples of people who faced shame and ruin by not counting the cost carefully before embarking on a course of action. We must set aside anything that would get in the way of following Jesus completely. Where have you not adequately counted the cost of following Jesus? What do you need to do to make sure you are all in?
Salt is useful for seasoning food but if it has lost its taste it’s not even useful for the manure pile. If we do not follow Jesus with the commitment He requires, we will not be useful to Him in reaching or impacting the world.
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Haman’s Evil Plot: Esther 3-4