NOTES for Luk 14:15-35
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 a great supper, and bade many: |
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; 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. |
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. |
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. |
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. |
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. |
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. |
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, |
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. |
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, 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, |
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. |
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. |
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. |
34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? |
35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. |
Hide
The Kingdom of God comes into this world, but a person must take a step toward it, for it is like a wedding feast to which everyone is invited, but not everyone wants to come. Very much depends on this step; that is why Christ speaks of it in such serious words. He may require everything from a person, even to the point of forgetting himself for the sake of the Kingdom. In order to take this step, the Good News must become more important than the things most important to a person: home, household, family, confidence in the future. (The Aramaic pair "love-hate" here simply means "prefer.")
But a serious step requires a serious decision, perhaps even more serious than the decision of the king or the tower builder in these parables. Christ wants trust, but He does not require madness: a person must soberly "calculate" whether the Gospel is truly more precious to him than all the rest of life, and if so, step toward it.
Topics:
After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan. Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free. | ||
