Day 27: Sabbath healing, parables including the prodigal son, and discipleship tested
chronological assignment for October 27: Luke 14-15
For more information about this study, see my introduction.
I follow two Bible reading plans yearly, one chronological and one with a daily Old Testament and New Testament reading. I publish those daily readings and prayer here. At the start of 2023, I started summarizing the books of the Bible, and those summaries can be found here.
In this chronological study, as we follow various clues in the Gospel writers’ accounts, we depart from daily assigned reading in the chronological plan that I follow, which usually assigns most or all of whole chapters. Since we look at smaller segments consisting of particular verses from all the accounts about the events of Jesus’ life and ministry, sometimes we find ourselves behind and sometimes we find ourselves ahead of the daily chronological assigned reading plan.
Like yesterday, our assigned reading, on October 27, exactly matches our study for today, Day 27, as we cover Luke 14 and 15 in both.
LUKE 14:1-6 : healing on the Sabbath
From the end of Luke 9 to the beginning of Luke 19, it is quite difficult to reconcile Luke’s timeline with any of the other Gospel accounts. He seems to use this long section in his Gospel to recount a lot of Jesus’ teaching, which we find elsewhere in other accounts. There are at least two ways I’ve resolved this in my mind. First, I remember Luke’s account is based on interviews of eyewitnesses. It was obviously important to him to recount the content of the teaching, not necessarily the timeline of the teaching. What should matter to us is that the teaching occurred at all. Hearing multiple accounts of the same teaching with largely the same content does increase the validity of each account. Second, it occurs to me that Jesus might have repeated the same teachings numerous times because they were that important. One author places a teaching at one point and another at a different point because it is possible they actually happened at both points. At times you’ll notice that I try to consolidate these different episodes of Jesus’ teaching on the same topic. Other times I simply recognize we are repeating similar concepts because the episodes or content is too difficult to address in one place.
Instead of separating Luke’s accounts into the other Gospel writers’ accounts, we are reading them in bulk just as Luke wrote them.
“It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?’ But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. And He said to them, ‘Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?’ And they could make no reply to this” (Luke 14:1-6).
Another Jesus healing on the Sabbath to aggravate the Pharisees story! What unique insight can we glean from this one? Note this story line: “they were watching Him closely. And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy.” Do you suppose they put this man in front of Him on purpose to test Him? Jesus has had this conversation multiple times, but He asks again, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” Jesus allows us to be thoughtful and reasonable. He wants them to reason this out and He gives them an opportunity to do so. They are more interested in catching Him in some wrongdoing than being reflective or learning anything from Him. So He does what is morally right to do, given that it is in His power, and heals the man. And He presents a scenario to them that they could likely answer if their motivations were correct, but they can make no reply. They are too hard-hearted to admit He is reasonable and right.
I was thinking about this scenario when I was reading in Acts. In chapter 10, Peter sees the vision in which God tells Him that no food is unclean. He then is summoned to Cornelius’ house to explain the gospel to Cornelius and his relatives and close friends, all Gentiles. They receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized. Chapter 11 starts, “Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them’” (Acts 11:1-3). Note their accusatory tone. Doesn’t it sound like the Pharisees? It is a focus on rules without love or compassion. Jesus taught that everything is about love for God and love for one another. The rules should fulfill these objectives and not be used as excuses not to be loving or merciful. Jesus’ entire ministry on earth was about demonstrating this fact. The Jews had become so distorted and burdened by the intricacies of the Law, they were not motivated by love but by following rules. These early Christians demonstrate the same mistake. The good news is they were quickly corrected. Peter was convicted by the vision God sent Him. He was then open to Gentiles receiving the gospel. He was able to explain this all to his brethren and their response was appropriate: “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life’” (Acts 11:18).
I also read an article: https://stream.org/christians-like-rules-too-much/. Christians can be guilty of becoming pharisaical too, emphasizing rules over love. This article helps put our focus in the right place: our actions are borne out of our love for God, gratitude for our salvation, and love for one another.
LUKE 14:7-15 : parable of the guests
“And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give your place to this man,” and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 14:7-11).
Such a great reminder that we should be humble at all times. Jesus, our example, was the epitome of humble in everything He did on earth. This parable calls other verses to mind. Proverbs 27:2, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.” Both James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 quote the Old Testament when they remind, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE” (Proverbs 3:34). I could actually go on and on with verses that teach us that God hates pride. One website I found listed 22 verses. It makes complete sense to the gospel though. We cannot accept Jesus’ saving grace on our behalf unless we humble ourselves and admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. The proud will never take this step.
I recall C.S. Lewis’ thesis that pride is the root of all sin. Makes sense to me when I ponder it. When I see my flesh rise up and end up regretting some action or attitude on my part, I realize it is usually my pride welling up.
“And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 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’” (Luke 14:12-14).
More eternal perspective. We constantly think in terms of our life on earth. Jesus wants us to think about eternity and for us to store up our treasures there (Matthew 6:20). He wants us to be free of thinking about what we can get from relationships. He wants us to be purely motivated, by a love for others, including the least of these (Matthew 25:40). In God's beautiful economy, He asks to think about and serve others, and then He rewards us for it.
“When one of those 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!’” (Luke 15:15).
This is a true statement. We’ll learn shortly that Jesus warns against the presumption on this man’s part that he’ll be there.
Meanwhile, it is worth reflecting on the feast that awaits those who are in Christ. “‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God’” (Revelation 19:7-9). It is beautiful imagery that we get to contemplate, when we will feast with our Lord in heaven. This may be the first time I’ve noticed, however, that our garments are our righteous acts. It is our faith in Jesus that saves us and assures our invitation to this feast. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms us after we come to faith to convict and empower us to righteous acts that demonstrate our faith and for which we are rewarded in heaven.
LUKE 14:16-24 : parable of the dinner
“But He said to him, ‘A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” 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.” And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” And the slave said, “Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.” And the master said to the slave, “Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner”’” (Luke 14:16-24).
I think it is easy to make the argument that Jesus is talking about the Jews, God’s chosen people, rejecting the gospel of Christ. Jesus first went to His own people but God has always welcomed non-Jews into His family. After Jesus’ resurrection, we know the gospel goes out into the whole world. But let’s look at the reasons people give for not answering the Lord’s invitation. They are all temporal, worldly, earthly. They confirm the theme that we have been discussing that we get distracted by the cares of this life, forgetting it is temporary, and fail to focus on the things that are eternal. Those who only believe we have this one life on earth and fail to realize that we are all destined for eternity will find themselves eternally separated from God.
In an essay Andree Seu Petersen wrote after her father-in-law’s death, https://world.wng.org/authors/andr_e_seu_peterson, she explains Jesus’ statement to “Leave the dead to bury their own dead” that we recently covered in Luke 9. Oh, may we remember the importance and urgency of inviting the lost to the marriage supper of the Lamb. All that we consider urgent on this earth is truly not, in light of eternity.
LUKE 14:25-35 : discipleship tested
“Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, ‘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. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:25-33).
This teaching from Jesus is what we commonly refer to as “counting the cost.” Jesus was very transparent in His presentation of the gospel. He explained there would trials and tribulations and persecutions and even possibly martyrdom. But eternity in heaven with Him is worth it. In a movie about persecuted Christians in Iran that my friend watched, he was struck by an imprisoned woman basically saying that fifty years in prison seems like nothing to her in light of eternity with Christ. The cost we must count is are we willing to give up everything in this life to gain Christ? He may not demand any of it from us, but we have to be willing.
Our women’s Bible study discussion of Luke 14 occurred over two week. On the intervening Sunday, a missionary named Wes Bentley came and spoke at our church about training army chaplains in South Sudan. He shared real testimonies of the persecuted and matyred for Christ in South Sudan and other hard places like Syria. The next day, my friend Jeana texted me: “I didn’t realize the Bible study chapter [we studied last week] was only the first 24 [verses] of Luke 14. [I just] read the entire chapter. How incredible verses 26-33 apply to the sermon yesterday.” She told me of her “tears flowing” reaction, so I went and reread the verses too and had my own “tears flowing” reaction. We sang “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” at the end of that Sunday service and these words from that song are perfect:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.
Oh, the cost, in this life, is high. I do not deny that. I do not deny that at all. Wes told the story of a man named Peter, whose wife left him because she did not want to be a pastor’s wife and she wanted a different life. How often are we guilty of similar feelings? “This is not the life I wanted! I want something different!” And how many mistakes do we make and people do we hurt because we selfishly want something different? We are deceived in thinking this life is what it is all about. Eternity in the Kingdom of God is what it is all about. I reflect in my own life though how patient the Lord has been with me in teaching me this truth and having me slowly lay it all down. I don’t live in Iraq or Syria or Yemen or North Korea or Afghanistan or Iran or South Sudan or China. I live in peace and prosperity in the United States of America. What a gift. But also what a distraction. I thank God for His mercy and grace and patience to allow me to slowly let go of my grasp on all the things of this world. It’s a daily battle. But He is patient. And He continues to refine and transform me.
This audio on exactly this subject https://worldandeverything.org/2019/12/janie-b-cheaney-lives-of-eternal-significance/ is worth the patient listen to the very end.
“Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:34-35).
Salt preserves. Salt makes food taste better. We, as Christians, are supposed to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). Is the world better because we are in it? Are people drawn to Christ because of what they see in our lives? Are we participating in preserving lives for eternity?
Jesus taught about the cost of discipleship after He taught about humility, about serving those who can’t pay us back, about His invitation to all after the initially invited refuse their invitation. Then He tells about our need to be willing to sacrifice everything for Him. Then He reminds us that we are salt. He is continually trying to get us to turn our focus outward, on others, particularly the lost, and on eternity, not getting distracted by the things of this world. Then He tells us the parable of the lost sheep, in Luke 15.
LUKE 15 : parables of lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son
“Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So He told them this parable, saying, ‘What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance’” (Luke 15:1-7).
This parable might be difficult for those of us who are not farmers or shepherds to understand. The man already has ninety-nine sheep. Is he really that concerned over a single one that is lost? But evidently he is. This one sheep is very valuable to him, so much so that he will trust that the other ninety-nine will be fine without him as he leaves them together in the open pasture to find the one that is lost. This demonstrates the value of a single life.
Think about the angels watching from afar. They see ninety-nine sheep that are safe. And they see one that is lost, vulnerable. They know the ultimate fate of that sheep if he or she is not rescued. So when they see that one rescued, they rejoice! And they cheer on the shepherd to go save another one. We should be similarly celebrating when a lost sheep is rescued from destruction and brought safely into the fold, and we should be ready to surround that sheep with warmth, protection, and fellowship.
When we reflect on this parable, we do usually reflect on the value of the one, as we should. But I’ve really been struck by the imagery of the ninety-nine. It is not that the shepherd does not value the ninety-nine. His hope is that they will be safe because they are all together. They can huddle together for warmth and they can provide a united front against an enemy. Any sheep that wanders off from the flock alone becomes vulnerable. The shepherd relies on them to stay together and to protect one another so that he can go save the one. My thinking on this does break down somewhat because our Shepherd’s strength and power are unlimited, but bear with me a little imagination. We know our Shepherd is focused on the lost. He desires that we care about and focus on the lost. Sometimes He just needs us to support and take care of each other so He can place His focus on the lost. He does not need us wandering off alone, getting ourselves into trouble so He has to expend resources helping another sheep. He loves us. He desires to help us. But maybe we exasperate Him just a little bit when we don’t stick to the plan and He needs to help us more? Our society tells us to focus on ourselves, protect ourselves, take care of ourselves. In spiritual leadership, we see and hear it all the time. When people are stressed and struggling, they tend to retreat instead of pressing into fellowship. The Lord desires us to be in fellowship, for our own good and for the good of all the sheep in the flock. Please know that when you wander off, the remaining sheep in the pen feel your absence. We desire to feel the warmth of your wooly, snuggly body and it is a little less warm when you’re gone.
‘Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!” In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents’” (Luke 15:8-10).
I appreciate how Jesus uses things that maybe we think aren’t that important to point it what is really important. We may criticize these parables at face value. Really? Rejoicing over recovered lost sheep and coins? But we know His parables do ring true because we do fret when we lose things that are important to us and rejoice when we find them. So how very much more should we rejoice when a human being is saved from eternal separation from God in hell? It shows how the different players in the Kingdom are and should be focused. Satan is focused on the saved because he is trying to destroy our eternal security. The triune God is focused on saving His children from destruction, “not wishing for any to perish” (2 Peter 3:9). We should share in His focus.
It is no coincidence that these parables came after Jesus talked about the cost of discipleship. The lost are outside the fold, outside the warmth and safety and fellowship. And we have to go find them, regardless of the cost in this life, because we know we are safe for eternity.
It is also no coincidence that the parable of the prodigal son follows these teachings.
“And He said, ‘A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.” So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.’” So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” And they began to celebrate’ (Luke 15:11-24).
What I love about this story is that as soon as the prodigal moves toward the father, the father RUNS to him. That is what our Heavenly Father does for us. And this is the third parable Jesus tells about the rejoicing that occurs in heaven when the lost are saved, because they have a true understanding of the eternal consequences. They also speak to how we can sometimes react and feel about the unsaved being saved. Sometimes we're the older brother.
‘Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.” But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, “Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.” And he said to him, “Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found”’” (Luke 15:25-32).
May we rejoice when the lost are saved instead of being jealous and bitter.
Dear Lord, save us from our self focus and help us to focus on You, Your children, and what You care about. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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