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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 8 March 2024:
Luke 14:1-6 – And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”
The Pharisees read, interpreted, and applied God’s word from a self-centered vice selfless perspective. Jesus challenged the Pharisees with the Golden Rule, and it offended them. Godliness offends the ungodly, in part, because it exposes their own selfish hearts.
Luke 14:7-11 – “… do not sit down in a place of honor…. go and sit in the lowest place…. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Literally, it is hard for people to give others preferred seating, particularly if they are in positions of social status, but Jesus expects that attitude and so much more from His followers — He expects us to give others honor above ourselves and to leave it to Him to give us honor. A Christian who honors himself, who seeks praise for himself or herself is unfaithful. God calls us to embody humility. How is that going for you? True faith should drive you to complete humility. Pride is anti-Christian. We must cultivate humility, for it does not come naturally. One of the many paradoxes of the Christian life is that when God sees your genuine humility, He exalts you. (Review Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 25:27)
“There are two ways to attain high esteem. One is the world’s method: Take every opportunity to promote yourself before others; seize occasions for recognition and manipulate your way into the center of attention. The other way is God’s way: Humble yourself. Rather than striving for recognition and influential positions, seek to put others first. Cultivate humility, for it does not come naturally. One of the many paradoxes of the Christian life is that when God sees your genuine humility, He exalts you.
Proverbs 16:18 warns that if we put our efforts into promoting ourselves, we will be brought down. Jesus told of a man who tried to enhance his own image (Luke 14:7-11). While attending a banquet, he immediately claimed the seat of honor. When the host saw this, he humiliated this man by asking him to move to the least honorable place to make room for a more distinguished guest. Jesus said the wise thing to do is to seek the lowest position and allow others to exalt you if they feel you are worthy.
There is an enormous difference between the way the world honors you and the way God does. Proverbs 25:27 indicates that glory is not legitimate if you seek it yourself. When the world exalts you, you are the one who receives the credit. When God exalts you, others will praise Him for what He has done in your life. If you honor God, He will honor you (1 Sam. 2:30). Strive to humble yourself and bring glory to God. Allow Him to be the One to honor you in the way that pleases Him!” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Luke 14:12-14 — But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.
Again, Jesus reiterates His demand for us to break from all worldly norms and expectations and give our very best (not scraps, hand-me-downs, or things we don’t care about) to the poor, knowing that there will be no earthly return on investment. The value of a gift or offering is determined by how valuable it is to you, and what you give is a demonstration of how much you love. But it also takes faith and hope to give, trusting that God wants you to give and hoping (having complete confidence) that God will provide for your future needs though you gave away what you had. How many different ways do Christians justify not giving? Which homeless deserve your very best, only the ‘responsible’ ones? Christians are called to give abundantly without prejudice, demands, or expectations. See the need, meet the need. See the opportunity to love and do it. Remember, giving doesn’t just involve things, it also involves time and effort. Sometimes it is harder to give time or effort than it is to give money or things.
Luke 14:26, 27, 33 — If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple…. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
These words from Jesus can be confusing, perhaps shocking. How can God, who issues the second greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself,” turn around and tell us we must hate our father and mother?
To understand this statement from Jesus, we need to first review the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” The foundation of all other commandments rests on this one commandment. Before we break any other commandment, we have broken the first commandment. Not only is Jesus the Logos, the Light, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, He is also Love, the Vine upon which branches must be connected to fulfill its purpose, to have any life or love, and to bear fruit. Eternal life is knowing Him (John 17:3). To love is to abide in His love; obedience to Him is our natural response to love, and His chief command to us is to love others as a product of His love.
Our ability to love others is fully dependent on the quality of our love for God. God is love, and to know Him is to love Him; without God there is no love, only artificial, powerless substitutes. We don’t create love but rather radiate or transfer love from the Source, Jesus – “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) The greater we love God, the more we can love others, which God commands us to do in our response to His love – “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:11, 12) What Jesus is saying in today’s verses is that to truly be His disciple, your love for Him must be so great it makes your love for anyone or anything else seem like hate in comparison – if you don’t put Jesus first, you cannot love anyone else as you should. If you don’t put Jesus, who is Life, first, you cannot live the life of joy God intended for you, and if you don’t follow Jesus who is the Way, you only lead others astray.
Luke 14:34, 35 — Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
You were created to be in union with Jesus and to serve Him on earth. If you are not serving your purpose, what good are you?
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Many people listened to Jesus speak, but they didn’t really hear what He was saying to them, and not because it was complicated, but because their pride got in the way and they refused to truly search their hearts. Remember, in Luke 8 they asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, and He explained that those who really wanted to humble themselves to understand what He meant could and those who didn’t really want to understand wouldn’t – “Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” (Luke 8:10). Some people have ears for understanding, and other people have ears for filtering, for selective hearing which favors their prideful, self-centered passions, ambitions, agendas, and egos. Jesus continued in Luke 8 to describe how many people can’t really hear because of their focus on worldly things rather than on God. However, He went on to say that some do hold fast to His word because they have genuine humility “honest and good heart[s]” as well as patience – “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away…. My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:18, 21)
How is your hearing? It is important to note that in Luke 8, as in other accounts from the gospel books, when Jesus spoke to the crowds, his disciples didn’t understand what He meant either. The difference between them and the rest of the crowd is they wanted to understand and they asked Him for understanding as opposed to the others who simply went on their way. If you in any way feel dull of hearing or lacking in understanding, pray that God will increasing reveal His truth to you and expose your heart to you that you may grow in your faith, hope, and love. Also, be patient – The mighty oak doesn’t grow over night.
- Jeremiah 29:13 — You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
- Isaiah 61:3 — …that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 8 March 2024: Today, abide in God’s love, and let His love shine from you to others. Love God by loving others in His Name.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 