Luke 14

Jesus showed us right thinking

1 And as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat food on the sabbath day they were carefully watching him. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before him that had edema. 3 And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they were silent. And taking him he cured him and let him go; 5 And answered them, he said, Which of you having an ass or an ox fall into a pit and will not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And they were not able to reply to him against these things.

• Jesus showed the Pharisees in a very practical way that they were wrong.
• The Pharisees applied God’s principles harshly—without compassion.

7  And he told those having been invited a parable, noting how they were choosing the best seats, saying to them, 8 When you are invited by any man to a wedding feast, do not recline in the best place; lest a more honorable man than you is invited by him; 9 And he that invited you and him comes and says to you, Give this man place; and with shame you take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and recline in the last place; so that when he that invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher: then you will have honor before those that recline with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled; and he that humbles himself will be exalted.

• 1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time

He will recompense mightily

12  Then he also said to the one that invited him, When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors; lest they also invite you and it becomes a repayment to you. 13 But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 And you will be blessed; for they cannot repay you: you will be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. 15 And when one of them reclining with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed are those that will eat food in the kingdom of God.

• Isaiah 25:6 And in this mountain will the LORD of hosts make to all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

• Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things and I will be His Father and he will be My Son.

16  Then he said to him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many: 17 And sent his servant at suppertime to say to them that were invited, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one mind began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I need to go and see it: Please have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try them out: 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 lord. 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 here the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

• Revelation 22:17 the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

22  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you commanded and there is still room. 23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you, That none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper.

• Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you will see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

25 And great multitudes went with him: and he turned and said to them, 26 If any man comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first, and count the cost, whether he has sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all those seeing it mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

• Jesus is talking about discipleship, not salvation.
• God is worthy of our all. Everything we have enjoyed in life has come from Him.
• But He only requires that we believe for salvation (John 3:16).

• Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not first sit down and consult whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation asking the conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you that does not forsake all that he has, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt has lost his savor, with what will it be seasoned? 35 It is not fit for the soil or for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that has ears to hear let him hear.

• Our human minds can only focus on one thing at a time.

• Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye/focus is single, your whole body will be full of light.

• Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come to you quickly, and will remove you candlestick out of its place, unless you repent.

                                                 Luke 15

Jesus is the great Shepherd that left everything to come save lost sinners

1 Then all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to him to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and eats with them. 3 And he spoke this parable to them, saying, 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep that was lost. 7 I say to you, that in the same way there will be joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety-nine just persons that have no need of repentance.

• Ezekiel 34: I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock …and feed them on the mountains of Israel by the rivers, 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their fold will be on the high mountains of Israel: 16 and I will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick…

• Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

8  Or what woman having ten pieces of silver if she loses one piece, does not light a candle, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece that was lost. 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.

• The word ‘repent’ means to turn back to God.

Our heavenly Father longingly watches for us to return to Him

11  And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided to them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 and when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in need. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he longed to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate: and no one gave to him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have enough food and extra, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants. 20 So he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.

• In God’s heart there is always the empty spot of a child lost when we are out of fellowship with Him. No number of other children can take the place of the missing one. The place remains empty until the child returns. When God allows circumstances to press a little hard it may be that He’s missing us awfully much at the moment. (someone ?)

22  But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring the fatted calf, and kill it; let us eat, and be merry 24 for this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. 25 Now his older son was in the field: and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the children, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, Your brother came; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and in health. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: then his father came out and begged him. 29 But answering he said to his father, Behold, I served you so many years, and never transgressed your commandment: yet you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends: 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who devoured your living with harlots, you have killed the fatted calf for him. 31 And he said to him, Child you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It is right to be merry and rejoice: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

• Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

                                               Luke 16

God brings those who follow Him into everlasting dwellings and true wealth

1 Also he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward that was accused of wasting his goods. 2 And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship; for you can no longer be steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What can I do? For my lord takes away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I’ll do so that when I am removed from the stewardship they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors to him, and said to the first, How much do you owe my lord? 6 And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said to him, Take your statement, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him, Take your statement, and write eighty. 8 And the lord praised the unrighteous steward, because he acted prudently: the sons of this world are more prudent in their generation than the children of light. 9 And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the riches of unrighteousness; so that when you fail, they will receive you into everlasting dwellings. 10 He that is faithful in the least is also faithful in much: and he that is unjust in the least is also unjust in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will cling to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.

• The liquid measure for the oil was 9 gallons plus 3 quarts per measure and the dry measure for the wheat was 14 bushels per measure. This was a lot of oil and wheat owed.

• James 1:11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

God knows what is in our hearts

14  And the Pharisees, being money lovers, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said to them, You are those justifying yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for what is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her that is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

• The Pharisees were divorcing their wives for trivial matters.
• There are legitimate reasons in scripture for divorce.
• The ‘tittle’ is a tiny Hebrew punctuation mark.
• God made heaven and earth by His word (Genesis 1, Psalm 33:6, 9).

• Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

19  There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, living merrily in luxury day by day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who laid at his porch full of sores, 21 and desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died and was buried; 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

• The rich was in hell because He had not sought God during his life.
• Luke 12:16-21 tells of another rich man that had no thought toward God.
• God has delivered us from the hell that our sins have earned us through His perfect Son’s death on the cross for our sins.

• 1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.

• John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I give him will be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life.

25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great yawning abyss fixed: so that those desiring to pass from here to you cannot; neither can those that would come from there, cross over to us,. 27 Then he said, I ask you then, father, that you would send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brothers; that he may testify to them, so that they not come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said to him, If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead.

• Jesus revealed amazing truths.
• Hell is real. Jesus spoke of it more than anyone.
• He made it (John 1:1-3).
• Spirits do not wander the earth after death but are either comforted with Abraham in God’s presence or in the flames of hell.
• There is no crossing back and forth between the two places.
• And people who will not listen to God’s word spoken through His prophets will not listen to anyone about these things.

• 2Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

• Psalm16:11 You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

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SUMMARY: Luke 14-16

• Jesus showed us right thinking
• He will recompense mightily
• Jesus is the great Shepherd that left everything to come save lost sinners
• Our heavenly Father longingly watches for us to return to Him
• God brings those who follow Him into everlasting dwellings and true wealth
• God knows what is in our hearts