hanks

5. Why is the host urgent about his invitation in 14:21-23? The host wanted his house completely full, so, he sent his servant to bring more guests until this occurred. In the same way Jesus not wanting any to perish, purposely extends the time of grace so that we might all have every opportunity of being saved. But, as in the parable many turn down the invitation to the banquet because it was inconvenient; we have work duties, family responsibilities, financial needs, or whatever. Not realising that God’s invitation is the most important event in our life, no matter how inconvenient the timing is. We should also remember that our Lord Jesus finished the work of redemption on Calvary, and the gospel invitation goes out on the basis of that completed work. A time will come when it will too late to get into the banquet. I think the central lesson to be learnt from this parable is that we are to accept God’s gracious invitation. And the time to do it is NOW!

4. The host commands his servant to invite the poor and outcast both inside the town and outside in the rural areas. Who do these two groups probably represent? The great banquet will be held! But now the guests would be those living in the streets and alleys of the town. The servant was sent into that part of the town where the underprivileged people were living: the poor, crippled, blind, and lame, the very people already mentioned (14:13). This first group represented the street people, the beggars, and the outcasts who live in the slums. To the Jews these would be the outcasts, the riffraff, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and sinners. When this was done the servant reported that there was still room for more guests. So, he was instructed to invite guests from out of town, from the roads and country lanes. Probably foreigners and those who were called the untouchables, living along the highways in some kind of shelters. This second group represented the Gentiles. These people are the ones that are not even allowed to live in town. They are the worst of the worst. We now have guests from outside of the confines of Judaism.

3. Why is the host angry? (14:21) One can easily understand the host’s anger. Think of all the preparation that must have gone into planning such a great banquet. Since this was to be a huge banquet there must have been a huge amount of work involved in getting everything ready for the guests; especially preparing the food for such a gala event. And the expense involved. Never mind the embarrassment it must have caused the host by being snubbed in front of the whole community. This could even be a plan to disgrace the host. John MacArthur writes that it is so insulting to the host that it can even be seen as a declaration of war! To arrange such an event shows that the host must have been a wealthy and considerate man who cared for his community. It was a tremendous act of generosity and kindness which was initially accepted and then turned down, showing that they had not been sincere, and it is a horrible breach of social ethics.

2. How credible are the invited guests' excuses for not coming? (14:18-20) Who do the invited guests in the parable represent? Considering that they had all initially accepted the invitation to attend, these excuses are not very credible or convincing – more likely intended to disgrace the host. This huge banquet was to be the highlight on the social calendar, normally anyone receiving such an invitation would be highly honoured, and would not want to miss this occasion at all. Think of the bragging rights! The three excuses given are examples of those used, and these show them as rude and deliberate attempts to insult the host. The guests in the parable represent the Jewish nation. Who believed that God had called them to be His people, and they accepted the first invitation that came from Moses and the prophets. The second invitation that came from God’s Son they rejected. The excuses offered are similar to the Jewish rejection of this second invitation in the parable. The reaction is one of insults and hatred coming from the Pharisees, the leaders, and the people.

1. What did the pious guest in 14:15 believe about the feast in the Kingdom of God? Jesus had just spoken about God rewarding at the resurrection of the righteous (14:14), and this guest became excited assuming that he and the other people there would be present in God’s kingdom. He believed that he was one of the righteous, and that this also included the Pharisees and the scribes, who were considered to be the elite of the righteous. The Jewish people thought of their future kingdom as a great feast with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets as the honoured guests (Isa 25:6). Jesus responded by warning them that many of them would not be present in the Kingdom of God. In their places would be many outcasts and Gentiles.

7. List in one column the character flaws you see exhibited in 14:1-14; in a second column list the virtues that Jesus wants to flourish in their place. Hypocrisy – sincerity Dishonesty – honesty Indifference – compassion Unkind – loving Indifferent – caring Greed – generous Selfishness – selflessness/unselfish Ignorant – knowledgeable Proud – humble Unfeeling – passionate Immoral – moral Considerate – disrespectful

6. What does Jesus' invitation recommendation have to do with the evangelistic and social strategies of our local congregations? How should it affect our strategies? Jesus warns us against getting into the habit of inviting only church members, their family and their friends. Instead, we have this great opportunity to put our Christianity into practice – to love those who are unlovely, and who cannot repay us. Normally the marginalized and outcasts would never be invited to a church banquet, but we are to put these needy people at the top of our guest list. Remember some of them will be there at Jesus’ banquet (14:21). We will be doing this for the Lord’s sake, blessing others by caring, and loving them. We put God’s Word into practice when we don’t think of receiving but rather what it means to truly serve others. When we serve others from unselfish hearts we would be laying up treasures in heaven (Mat 6:20) and as Jesus said we would become rich toward God (12:21). However, getting a reward must not be our motive, if our hearts are right, God will see to it that we are properly rewarded.

5. What was the host's probable motive for inviting Jesus to dinner? What dinner invitation strategy does Jesus recommend? Why? (14:12-14) Besides trying to trap Him doing or saying something they could hold against Him; it was also about enhancing their status by inviting a person that was currently in the limelight – receiving so much attention. Jesus noticed at once that the local celebrities had been invited to this meal. The underprivileged people in the community were not invited. Jesus recommends that hospitality should not only be shown to friends, family, and neighbours, because they will invite us back and so will repay us for the invite. Instead, we should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, then we will be blessed. Meaning that we will then receive eternal blessing from God because these poor will never be able to repay us. God’s reward in heaven is vastly superior to being invited from people on earth. It’s about performing good deeds not for personal gain or temporary reward but for the sake of God and eternal reward.

4. In what ways do we try to garner public approval by our actions? How does verse 11 apply to our lives and actions? We have this desire for importance, greatness, renown, prestige, honour, power, or whatever. This self-promotion can assume many disguises and take many forms. We step on others for promotion in the work place, we live in the best houses, drive the best cars, wear the best clothes, the list goes on and on. It is when we look down on other people that we know we are being controlled by pride. Pride which God detests: “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished” (Prov 16:5). It is only when we humble ourselves that we will be exalted (14:11). This reminds me of Jesus’ earlier statement that those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last (13:30). This does not mean that we think we are worth nothing. Healthy self-esteem is important because some of us think too little of ourselves; on the other hand, some of us overestimate ourselves. We need an honest and accurate self-evaluation based on our identity in Christ. Apart from Him there is not much of any worth we can achieve, but in Him we are capable of all things. It is when we start evaluating ourselves by the worldly standards of success and achievement that can lead us to think too much about our worth in the eyes of others and so miss our true value in God's eyes. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3). The more we grow in grace, the more we will grow in humility. We can all learn from this. I know I can.

3. Why did the guests at this dinner party try to get to the best seats before the others? What does that reveal about them? (14:7-11) They grab the best seats to be noticed and make them feel important. They sought positions of eminence and honour, believing that the closer they sit to the host, the higher they stood on the social ladder and the more attention they would receive from others. Therefore, we have this rush to the main table and/or positions of note. To me this reveals their selfishness, self-centeredness, and inflated opinion of themselves. I often see this, even in churches – closest to the Pastor, but I doubt if there is any malicious or nasty intention. They just don’t think of the other people, and they have never read this passage in Luke. This kind of attitude betrays a false view of success; a success that comes only from self-promotion which is false and temporary. Since they may be embarrassed and asked to move down (Prov. 25:6–7).

2. Why did Jesus ask the Pharisees their opinion first? (14:3) Jesus asked their opinion to expose their hypocrisy. If they said that nobody should be healed on the Sabbath, the people would consider them heartless. On the other hand, if they gave permission for healing, their guests would consider them lawless. This was a no-win situation for the Pharisees. Besides these Pharisees and experts of the law knew they could not heal this man, no matter what day it was. The only way they could avoid the issue was to remain silent. Jesus healed the man and let him go because this house was not the safest place for him anymore. His presence was evidence against the Pharisees and proof of the healing power of our Lord.

1. What do you think the man with dropsy is doing at this dinner? What was the Pharisees' attitude about the man? About healing the man on the Sabbath? (14:1-2) The fact that Jesus was being carefully watched, leads me to think that the Pharisees had intentionally invited Jesus to trap Him into doing or saying something that they could hold against Him. It had nothing to do with hospitality on their part. And, the fact that the man with dropsy was right there in front of Jesus, leads me to think that he was planted there, again hoping to lead Jesus into a trap. We know that the Pharisees are against any healing on the Sabbath. We have seen these clashes with Jesus earlier in these lessons (6:1-5); (6:6-11); (13:10-17).

8. In verse 30, who are the "last" who become first, and who are the "first" who become last? The last who became first refers to the Gentiles who served the Lord out of love, and whom the Jews regarded as least likely to enter the kingdom. The first who become last refers to the Jews who served the Lord out of pride and selfish ambition, and who considered themselves superior to the Gentiles in many ways. Forgetting that Jesus sees the heart of all people, and some who thought they would be first would become last. However, we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28), “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.

7. Extra credit: Is the banquet an actual chronological event or a figure of something else? If so, what? We read about this wedding feast in Revelation 19:6-8. This is an invitation to dine with the King of kings at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It is the wedding feast of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and His bride (the Church). Some think that this marriage supper takes place in heaven between the rapture and the second coming. Rev 19:8, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!". In attendance will be all believers who are in Christ! The wedding feast will probably take place on earth at the beginning of the Millennium.

6. What do you look forward to about this Eschatological Banquet in the Kingdom of God? What do you think it will be like? The Banquet is being held in heaven in the presence of our Lord and Saviour! We will be face to face with Jesus, and I will be able to thank Him personally for His great love for me and His death on the cross for my sins. There is the joy of having fellowship with Jesus Christ, and all the believers who ever lived. Imagine hearing their life stories! I cannot imagine being in an environment where there is no evil, no pain, no sorrow, and no death. I also cannot imagine what it will be like: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - the things God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9), but I’m greatly excited! This will be the start of a wonderful and future that awaits us.

5. This passage is very clear that the opportunity for salvation is time-limited. When will it be too late for an individual? For mankind? (Let's resist the temptation to lay out and argue for a detailed end-times chronology here. Thank you.) While alive we will have opportunities for salvation, but after death there are no more chances. Unbelievers will face the Great White Throne judgment, while believer’s names are written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life”, and they alone will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God. “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Rev 21:27). Mankind’s participation in salvation will be complete with the beginning of the eternal state (1 Cor 15:50-57). Believers spending eternity in the new earth and heaven with our Lord Jesus, while the rest of mankind will be spending eternity suffering the just wrath of God. (John 3:36).

4. Extra Credit. Jesus' command to struggle to enter the narrow door is a very strong one - agōnizomai, "strive, struggle, fight." How do you justify this kind of command with the Bible doctrine of predestination and election? Is it man's effort or God's that is required? (Note: Please be kind to one another as you discuss this. You may disagree on some points and maybe never understand completely. Be loving.) God’s kingdom is a place of holiness, and since we are sinners by nature we are not fit to enter. We are full of selfishness, pride, wickedness - things that dominate our lives. Furthermore, on our own there is no ability or desire to understand Biblical truths; this is due to our darkened mind and hardened heart. “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:7). What we require is a total transformation – turning from darkness to light, moving from the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God. Having been elected before creation we hear the message of the gospel, the Holy Spirit regenerates us, imparting new spiritual life within us. Now we willingly and sincerely repent of our sins putting our trust in Christ for our salvation. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God without the new birth; Jesus tells us: “No-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). Since, the Holy Spirit gives us new life, and we are not the same anymore, we become new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Salvation itself does not require effort on our part, it is all of grace, enabling grace. But our sinful nature and our evil desires are still there. Our journey of sanctification begins, but our opponents are Satan, sin, self (our old sinful nature) which are still active. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we strive/fight/persevere to become more and more like our Lord Jesus. Jesus said we must strive to enter through the narrow gate. This narrow gate is the new birth - salvation by grace through faith. To strive means we are to exert ourselves fully in our battle with our own will, our own pride, and our own lusts. This will require a constant and sustained effort since this is a battle on three fronts; a combination of the world, the flesh, and Satan.

3. How does the host getting up and closing the door communicate Jesus' message through this parable? What does that mean? Jesus is warning us that now is the time to repent and put our faith in Him. We might never get a better time or even another opportunity. We don’t know what the future holds for us and our decision to accept Jesus’ invitation of salvation must be made before the door is closed/locked. When the door is locked, the time for salvation will have passed, and we will not be able to enter. Besides, it’s not just enough to know about Jesus, we need to strive to be accepted into His kingdom. We might claim that we have had fellowship with Him, that we have listened to His teaching, that we have turned to Him in faith for salvation. But that we never sincerely/truly felt true sorrow for our sins. That we never actually sincerely/truly repented for our sins. We made no effort to even change our worldly lifestyle, with ourselves as the centre, and make Jesus the centre of our life. When the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, that’s it! We might find ourselves being locked out, unable to enter and we will hear Jesus simply say, “I do not know you.”

2. Why does the "narrowness" of the door have to do with the point Jesus is communicating in this parable? By stating that the door is narrow, Jesus implies that to get through it will take some effort and deliberate thought. In other words, this door is narrow and limited, in that we must strive to get through and we must come alone without any baggage. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). There are only two roads for us. The narrow gate/door and difficult way that leads to life, and the wide gate/door and broad way that lead to destruction (Prov 16:25). Jesus is both the gate (John 10:9) and the way (John 14:6). If we choose the easy way, we will have plenty of company, as Satan is only too pleased to lead us astray. To follow Jesus requires faith, discipline, and endurance; it is a difficult and disciplined life but the only one worth living.

1. Does Jesus really answer the question in verse 23, "Are only a few people going to be saved?" If so, what is His answer? No, not really. One can assume that the question was asked because up until that time, it had been assumed that all good Jews would be automatically saved. Now they were having doubts. Jesus answers, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (13:24). I like what Steven Cole wrote: “The man had asked, ‘Will the saved be few?’ Jesus turned it around to ask, ‘Will the saved be you?’” I think that in His reply to the question, He is saying what really matters is that if you seriously want to enter the kingdom, forget the numbers, since you might try and not make it. He was concerned about the person’s soul. Back to (9:23), Jesus said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me”. We are to make every effort to enter God’s kingdom.

4. In what area are you discouraged? (Be honest now....) How can you apply this parable to your discouragement? In all honesty there is no area in which I’m discouraged. What I have are regrets. Regrets that I only became a true believer in my mid 40’s. I regret all those wasted years that I could have been studying and living in obedience to His Word. I think of His precious friendship I presently enjoy, and the way He has blessed me with spiritual growth and an overall richer life. I think of His love and grace in my times of trial. What a wonderful Saviour I/we serve!

3. How has God expanded your vision of His Kingdom? In what areas do you need an expanded vision? We note that His kingdom is still expanding. This expansion has been calculated at 73 kilometre per second, or 160,000 mph! God is all-powerful, His power is infinite, and it is not limited to what He actually has done already. God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). God is called “the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:18; Rev 1:8) - the beginning and the end of all existence, wisdom, and power. Furthermore, "With God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37), and Jesus says, "all things are possible with God" (Matt 19:26). And for this reason alone, I believe in multiple universes. Why limit our heavenly Father to one universe. These different universes, “parallel universes” could be as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

2. Why did the disciples in particular need to understand these parables? I don’t think the handful of disciples had any idea of the magnitude the kingdom of God would eventually reach. Even after Jesus had told them these two parables. There were these handful of disciples and the increasing antagonism/hatred and rejection by the people and leaders of Israel. Of course, after the death of our Lord, before the resurrection, they must have thought that this was the end. Yet, within forty years of Christ's death the gospel had reached all the great centres of the Roman world, and even spreading to many out-of-the-way places.

1. What about God's kingdom is impossible to comprehend without understanding these parables? Without understanding both parables, no one could have thought that God’s kingdom, from a small beginning, would grow to such an enormous size. Like the tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree, and the yeast that expands bread dough, so, God’s kingdom would expand outward until the whole world was changed. Spreading throughout the world; consisting of billions of people among many nations, and peoples of various ethnicities.

6. How is it significant that Jesus calls the lady "a daughter of Abraham"? Have you ever had God speak words of assurance to your heart? Jesus called the lady a daughter of Abraham, meaning that she is Jewess and as such especially loved as a child of God. The Jews considered themselves as especially favoured people of God, therefore the synagogue ruler should have rejoiced that the lady was loosed from her infirmity. Instead, they were more worried about a donkey bound by a rope than Abraham’s daughter bound by Satan! After 18 years she has got her dignity back, Jesus called her daughter!, no longer deformed and a freak to be laughed at, no longer forced to shuffle about from place to place. He had touched her and made her whole again. She had been healed and was free from the bondage of Satan. Yes, often. Sometimes I’m so amazed as these words of assurance come unexpectedly, yet at the times when I most need them. Such a confidence boost - making me more and more aware of His loving care. I rejoice at His grace and concern – my heavenly Father cares!