Invitations to Humility, Hospitality, and Discipleship: Luke 14

Luke 14 confronts us with the upside-down values of God's Kingdom – the last shall be first, the humble exalted, and the excluded welcomed. It challenges our societal norms of status and self-promotion, comfort and convenience, entitlement and exclusivity. Above all, the call to discipleship resounds with clear and compelling urgency, demanding total commitment and fearless surrender to follow Jesus, the greatest invitation of all.

Verses 1-6: Healing on the Sabbath

Once again, Jesus heals on the Sabbath – this time, a man suffering from dropsy, silencing the Pharisees who watched Him closely.

Verses 7-14: Lessons on Humility and Hospitality

Jesus observes guests choosing places of honor at the meal and advises them to take the lowest position instead. He then encourages the host to invite those who cannot repay him – the poor and disabled, promising blessings for such generosity.

Verses 15-24: The Parable of the Great Banquet

Jesus tells a parable about a man who invites many guests to a great banquet. All invited guests make excuses and decline the invitation, so the host invites the poor and outcast instead, illustrating the rejection and acceptance of God's Kingdom invitation.

Verses 25-35: The Cost of Discipleship

Addressing large crowds, Jesus stresses the cost of discipleship, using the metaphors of building a tower, waging war, and salt that has lost its taste.

In Luke 14, Jesus confronts religious leaders' hypocrisy, teaches on humility and generosity, and underscores the costs and demands of discipleship. This chapter provides profound insights on Kingdom values that contrast sharply with societal norms, emphasizing humble service, generous hospitality, ready acceptance of God's invitation, and unwavering commitment to following Jesus.

Humility and Exaltation
Generosity and Recompense
Invitation and Excuse
Discipleship and CostHealing on the Sabbath
Lessons on Humility and Hospitality
The Parable of the Great Banquet
The Cost of DiscipleshipJesus
The Pharisees
The Man with Dropsy
The Invited Guests
The Poor, Crippled, Blind, and Lame
Large CrowdsThe House of a Prominent Pharisee
The Road

1. How does Jesus' healing on the Sabbath challenge religious traditions?

2. What does Jesus' advice to the guests at the Pharisee's house teach us about humility?

3. How can we apply Jesus' instruction about whom to invite to our feasts in our daily life?

4. What does the parable of the great banquet reveal about God's invitation and human responses?

5. How do Jesus' teachings on the cost of discipleship resonate with your personal experiences of following Him?

6. What implications does the idea of choosing the lower position have for our interactions with others?

7. How might inviting the less fortunate to our table change our perspective on generosity and hospitality?

8. How does the parable of the great banquet challenge societal norms and expectations?

9. How do you understand Jesus' requirement to "hate" family and life in the context of discipleship?

10. How does the metaphor of tasteless salt shape our understanding of Christian influence?

11. In what ways can we exhibit humility as depicted in Jesus' advice to guests at a feast?

12. How might the generosity shown in inviting those who can't repay influence our attitudes towards giving?

13. How do the excuses made by the invited guests in the parable reflect common attitudes towards spiritual matters today?

14. In what areas of your life have you experienced or are experiencing the cost of discipleship?

15. How can the metaphor of unfinished construction work inspire you to plan and count the cost in your walk with Christ?

16. How can Jesus' discourse on salt losing its flavor motivate us to maintain our distinct Christian values?

17. How do we reconcile Jesus' statement about hating family with His other teachings on love?

18. How can Jesus' teachings in this chapter guide our interactions with those considered least in society?

19. How does this chapter influence your understanding and response to the invitation to God's Kingdom?

20. How do we ensure we are not like the tasteless salt in our Christian walk?