Continue with Discipleship-How Serious?

Discipleship may involve hardship and persecution, for Jesus says:  "Whoever does not carry his torture stake and come after me cannot be disciple."  (Luke 14:27)  Yes, a true disciple of Jesus must willing to undergo a burden of reproach such as Jesus faced.  Jesus has even said that he will die at the hands of his enemies.

So the crowds traveling with Jesus need to analyze very carefully what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Jesus emphasizes this  with an illustration.  "For example, he says,  "Who of you wanting to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense to see if he has enough to complete it. Otherwise, he might lay its foundation but not be able to finish it." (Luke 14:28. 29)  Thus, before becoming Jesus' disciples, those traveling with him toward Jerusalem should have firmly decided to carry out the responsibility fully. He underscores that thought with another illustration. 

"What king marching out against another king in war does not sit down and take counsel whether he is able with 10,000 troops to stand up to the one who comes against him with 20,000? If, in fact, he cannot do so, then while that one is yet far away, he sends out a body of ambassadors and sues for peace."  To emphasize his point, Jesus says:  "In the same way, you may be sure that not one of you who does not say good-bye to all his belongings can be my disciple." - LUKE 14:31-33.

Next time: Conclusion of Discipleship-How Serious?

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Discipleship-How Serious?

LUKE 14:25-35

* THE COST OF BEING A DISCIPLE

Jesus had taught valuable lessons while having a meal at the house of a leader of the Pharisees. As Jesus continues  his trip toward Jerusalem, large crowds travel with him.  Why? Are they really interested in being his true followers, no matter what that may require of them?

As they travel along the way, Jesus says something to them that may shock some:  "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his  own life, he cannot  be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)  But what does he mean in saying this?

Jesus is not saying that all who become his followers must literally hate their relatives. Rather he means that they must hate them in the sense of loving them less than they love Jesus, not being like the man in his illustration of the evening meal that turned down and important invitation because he just got married.  (Luke 14:20)  The Jew's ancestor Jacob  is said to have "hated" Leah and loved Rachel, meaning that he loved Leah less than her sister Rachel. - GENESIS 29:31.

Note that Jesus says that a disciple should hate "even his own life," or soul.  This means that a true disciple must love Jesus more than he does his own life., even being willing to lose his life, if necessary. Clearly, becoming a disciple of Christ is a serious responsibility. It is not to be undertaken casually, without careful thought. 

Next time:  Continue With Discipleship-How Serious?

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Conclusion of Invitations to a Meal -Whom WIll God Invite?

"Go out quickly to the main streets and the alleys of the city,m and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.:  After the slave does so, there is still room.  The master then tells his slave:  "Go out to the roads and the lands and compel the  to come in, so that my house may be filled.  For I say to you, none of those men who were invited will taste my evening meal." - LUKE 14:21-24.

What Jesus has just related well illustrates how Jehovah God had Jesus  Christ extend an invitation to individuals to be in line for the Kingdom of the heavens. The Jews, especially the religious leaders, were the first to be invited. In the main, they rejected the invitation throughout Jesus' ministry.  But the invitation would not stop them. Jesus clearly in suggesting that in the future a second invitation would be extended to lowly ones of the Jewish nation and to proselytes. Thereafter, there would be a third  and final invitation to people whom the Jews viewed as unsuitable before God.

Yes, what Jesus is saying truly confirms the words of one of his fellow guests who said:  "Happy is the one who dines in the Kingdom of God." 

Next time: Discipleship-How Serious?

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Continue with Invations to a Meal-Whom Will God Invite?

Then Jesus states another lesson for the Pharisee who invited him-how  to provide a dinner that has real merit with God.  "When you spread a dinner or an evening meal, do not call your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors. Otherwise, they might also invite you in return, and it would be a repayment to you. But when you spread a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; and you will be happy, because they have nothing with which to repay you" - LUKE 14:12-24.

It is natural to invite friends, relatives, or neighbors to a  meal, and Jesus is not saying that this is wrong.  He stresses, however,  that providing a meal for the needy, such as the poor, crippled, or blind, can bring a rich blessing. Jesus explains to his host:  "You will be repaid in the resurrection of  the righteous ones."   A fellow guest concurs, saying:  "Happy is the one who dines in the Kingdom of God."(Luke 14:15)  He sees what  a privilege this would be.  However, not all have such appreciation, as Jesus goes on to illustrate: 

" A man was spreading a grand evening meal, and he invited many. He sent his slave out . . . to say, to the invited ones, "Come, because everything is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I bought a field and need to go out and see it; I ask you, have me excused.'  And another said, 'I bought five yoke of cattle and am going to examine them; I ask you have me excused.'  Still another said, ' I just got married, and for this reason I cannot come." - LUKE 14:16-20.

Those are weak excuses! A man normally examines a field  or livestock before the purchase, so it is  not urgent to look at them afterward.  The third man is not preparing to marry. He is already married, so that should not prevent him from accepting an important invitation. On hearing these excuses, the master angrily tells his slave: 

Next time: Conclusion of Invitations to a Meal -Whom Will God Invite

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Invitations to a Meal-Whom Does God Invite?

LUKE 14:7-24

* A LESSON IN HUMILITY

* INVITED GUESTS MAKE EXCUSES 

After he has healed the man suffering from leprosy, Jesus is still at the house of the Pharisee.  Jesus observes other guests choosing prominent places at  the meal, and he uses this as an opportunity to teach a lesson about humility.

"When you are invited by someone to a marriage feast," Jesus says, "do not recline in the most prominent place. Perhaps someone more distinguished  than you may also have been invited.  Then the one who invited you bot will come and say to you, "Let this man have your place.' Then you will proceed with shame to take the lowest place.' - LUKE 14:8, 9.  

Jesus next says:  "When you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the man who invited you comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, go on up higher.' Then you will have honor in from of all your fellow guests."This is much more than displaying good manners.  Jesus explains: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:10, 11) Yes, he is encouraging his listeners to cultivate humility. 

Next time: Invitations to a Meal-Whom Does God Invite? Continued

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Conclusion of Jesus' Ministry in Perea

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of prophets and stoner of those sent to her," Jesus laments,  how often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her brood of chicks under her wings! But you did not want it.  Look! your house is abandoned to you." (Luke 13:34, 35) The nation is rejecting the Son of God and must face the consequences!

Before Jesus gets to Jerusalem, a leader of the Pharisees invites him to his house for a meal on the Sabbath. Those invited watching closely to see what Jesus might do about a man present who is suffering from dropsy (a severe accumulation of fluid, often in the legs and feet).  Jesus ask the Pharisees and the experts in the Law: "Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or not?" - LUKE 14:3. 

Nobody answers.  Jesus heals the man and then asks them: "Who of you, if his son or bull falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  LUKE 14:3.

Next time: Invitations to A Meal-Whom Does God Invite?

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Continue with Jesus' Ministry in Perea

This illustrates the plight of a person who comes late-apparently when its convenient for him-and finds that the door is shut and locked. He should have come earlier, even if that was inconvenient.  It is like that with many who could have benefited from Jesus' being there teaching them.  They failed to seize the opportunity to  make true worship their chief purpose in life.  Those to whom Jesus has been sent have not, for the most part, accepted God's provision for salvation. Jesus says that they will  'weep and gnash their teeth' when they are thrown outside. Yet, people  "from east and west and from north and south," yes, from all nations, "will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God." - LUKE 13:28, 29. 

Jesus explains:  "There are those last [such as non-Jews and downtrodden Jews] who will be first, and there are those [religiously favored Jews who take pride in being descendants of Abraham] Who will be last." ( Luke 13:30) Their being "last" means that such ungrateful ones will not be in the Kingdom of God at all. 

Some Pharisees now come to Jesus and advise him: "Get out and go away from here, because Herod [Antipas] wants to kill you."  Perhaps King Herod himself started this rumor to cause Jesus to flee the territory.  Herod may be afraid that somehow  he will become involved in the death of another prophet, even as he was in the killing of John the Baptist.  But Jesus tells the Pharisees:  "Go and tell that fox,  'Look!  I am casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be finished." (Luke 13:31, 32) In calling Herod a "fox," Jesus may be alluding to how crafty foxes can be. However, Jesus will not be manipulated or rushed by Herod or anyone else. He is going to carry out the assignment his Father gave him, doing so according to God's schedule, no man's. 

Jesus moves on in his journey toward Jerusalem because, as he says, "It cannot be that a prophet should be put to death outside of Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)  No Bible prophecy said that the Messiah must die in the city, so why Jesus speak of being killed there? Because Jerusalem is the capital, where the 71-member Sanhedrin high court is located and where those accused of being false prophets  would be tried. Furthermore, that is where animal sacrifices are offered. Thus, Jesus realizes that it would be inadmissible  for him to be killed elsewhere. 

Next time: Conclusion of Jesus' Ministry in Perea

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Jesus' MInistry in Perea

LUKE 13:22-14:6. 

* Exertion TO GET THROUGH NARROW DOOR

* JESUS MUST DIE IN JERUSALEM

Jesus has been teaching and curing people in Judea and Jerusalem. Then he crosses the Jordan River to teach from city to city in the district of Perea.  Soon, though, he will be back in Jerusalem.

While Jesus was in Perea, a man asks: "Lord, are those being saved few?" The may know of debaters among the religious leaders over whether many will be saved or only a few. Jesus shifts the issue from how many will be saved to what must be done in order to be saved. "Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, he says, effort, a struggle, is required. Why so?  Jesus explains:  "Many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will be able." LUKE 13:23, 24. 



To illustrate the need for vigorous effort, Jesus says: "When the householder gets up and locks the door, you will stand outside knocking at the door, saying,  'Lord, open to us." . . . But he will say to you,  'I do not know where you are from . Get away from me, all you workers of unrighteousness!" - LUKE 13:25-27. 

Next time: Jesus' Ministry in Perea

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Conclusion of One With the Father, But Not God

Yes, the Scriptures call even unjust human judges "gods."  So how can these Jews fault Jesus for saying  "I am God's Son"? He points to something that convince them:  "If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But If I am doing them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you ma come to know and may continue knowing that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father." - JOHN 10:37, 38. 

In response, the Jews try to seize Jesus, but he again escapes. He leaves Jerusalem and goes across the Jordan River to the area where John began baptizing nearly four years earlier.  This apparently is not far from the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. 

Crowds come to Jesus and say:  "John did not perform a single sign, but all the things John said about the man were true." (John 10:41) Thus, may Jews put faith in Jesus.  

Next time: Jesus' Ministry in Perea

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Continue with One With the Father, But Not God

Why do they not believe that Jesus is the Christ?  He says: "You do not believe, because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  What my Father has given me is something greater than all other things." Jesus then tells them how close his relationship is  with his Father, saying:  "I and the Father are one." (John 10:26-30) Jesus is here on earthy and his Father is in heaven, so he cannot mean that he and his Father are literally one. Rather, they are one in purpose, being united.

Jesus words so anger the Jews they again pick up stones to kill him.  This does not frighten Jesus.  "I displayed to you many fine works from the Father," he says. "For which of those works  are you stoning me?"  They respond:  "We are stoning you, not for fine work, but for blasphemy; for you . . . make yourself a god." (John 10:31-33)  Jesus never claimed to be a god, so why this accusation?

Well, Jesus is saying that he had powers that the Jews believe  belong to God alone. For example,  regarding the "sheep" he said:  "I give them everlasting life,"   which is something humans cannot do.  (John 10:28)  The Jews are overlooking the fact that Jesus has openly admitted that he received authority from his Father. 

In refuting their false charge, Jesus asks:  "Is it not written in your Law[at Psalm 82:6],  'I said: "You are gods"?  If he called 'gods' those against whom the word of God came . . . do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am God's Son?' - JOHN 10:34-36.

Next time: Conclusion of One With the Father, But Not God

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