Day 60, Luke 14
Are you allergic to religion yet?!
There is more allergy testing today, as Luke describes further interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees.
Jesus meets a man with edema (swollen limbs through serum accumulation) and questions the experts in the law whether it is permissible to heal on the Sabbath. The tables are turned from the early days of Jesus’ ministry when these religious leaders asked Jesus questions to put Him on the spot. Now it is they who are in the hot seat. They cannot answer because their power system depends on controlling people. Doing the right thing out of love drives an irreversible hole through their hold on power. (The man is healed, of course).
Then, at the Sabbath meal at the Pharisee’s house, everyone is competing for the place of visibility and honor. Jesus upends the whole hierarchy with God’s perspective and priorities: invite the poor, the outcast, the ones who can do nothing for your standing.
This prompts an exclamation about God’s kingdom feast from one of the guests. The expectation was that the Messiah would overthrow the Romans and hold a great victory feast for His supporters. Jesus sweeps away that myth with the parable of the banquet where the invited guests all make excuses and are excluded, while the beggars and rejects are welcomed.
Luke concludes all these challenges with Jesus’ warnings about the cost of following Him. It may cost you everything, but you have to count the cost and make your choice. You can only follow Jesus by putting Him ahead of anything else. That doesn’t mean you have to reject your family or your life, but it does mean Jesus comes first if it comes to a choice.
Let’s choose Him again: it’s worth it!
Have a great day!
Mark.