Luke chapter 14 presents a series of teachings and parables delivered by Jesus during a meal at the house of a Pharisee, focusing on humility, true hospitality, and the cost of discipleship. The chapter begins with Jesus healing a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, once again challenging the religious leaders’ rigid interpretation of Sabbath law and emphasizing that acts of mercy are always appropriate, regardless of the day.
Following this healing, Jesus observes the guests competing for positions of honor at the table and responds with a parable teaching humility, encouraging guests to take lower seats rather than seek recognition, since true honor comes from being lifted up by others rather than self promotion. He extends this teaching to the host as well, urging generosity toward the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, rather than inviting only those who can offer something in return, since true reward comes from God rather than social repayment.
This leads into the Parable of the Great Banquet, in which a man invites many guests to a feast, but they make excuses and refuse to come. The host then extends the invitation to the poor and marginalized, illustrating the openness of God’s kingdom to those often excluded by society, while warning that those who reject the invitation will miss out on its blessings.
The chapter concludes with Jesus addressing the seriousness of discipleship, using strong language about hating family in comparison to devotion to Him, essentially calling for total commitment above all earthly relationships. He illustrates the cost of following Him through the examples of building a tower and preparing for battle, emphasizing that discipleship requires careful consideration and willingness to give up everything. The chapter ends with the metaphor of salt losing its flavor, symbolizing the danger of a diluted or compromised faith that fails to fulfill its purpose.
Chapter 14 (BBE)
1 And it came about that when he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath, to have a meal, they were watching him.
7 And he gave teaching in the form of a story to the guests who came to the feast, when he saw how they took the best seats; saying to them,
8 When you get a request to come to a feast, do not take the best seat, for a more important man than you may be coming,
9 And then the giver of the feast will come to you and say, Give your place to this man; and you, with shame, will have to take the lowest seat.
10 But when you come, go and take the lowest seat, so that when the giver of the feast comes, he may say to you, Friend, come up higher; and then you will have honour in the eyes of all the others who are there.
11 For every man who gives himself a high place will be put down, but he who takes a low place will be lifted up.
12 And he said to the master of the house, When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward.
13 But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body:
14 And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.
15 And, hearing these words, one of those who were at table with him said to him, Happy is the man who will be a guest in the kingdom of God.
16 And he said to them, A certain man gave a great feast, and sent word of it to a number of people.
17 And when the time had come, he sent his servants to say to them, Come, for all things are now ready.
18 And they all gave reasons why they were not able to come. The first said to him, I have got a new field, and it is necessary for me to go and see it: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.
19 And another said, I have got some cattle, and I am going to make a test of them: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.
20 And another said, I have been married, and so I am not able to come.
21 And the servant came back and gave his master an account of these things. Then the master of the house was angry and said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets of the town and get the poor, the blind, and those who are broken in body.
22 And the servant said, Lord, your orders have been done, and still there is room.
23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the roads and the fields, and make them come in, so that my house may be full.
24 For I say to you that not one of those who were requested to come will have a taste of my feast.
26 And turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even for his life, he may not be my disciple.
27 Whoever does not take up his cross and come after me may not be my disciple.
28 For which of you, desiring to put up a tower, does not first give much thought to the price, if he will have enough to make it complete?
29 For fear that if he makes a start and is not able to go on with it to the end, all who see it will be laughing at him,
30 And saying, This man made a start at building and is not able to make it complete.
31 Or what king, going to war with another king, will not first take thought if he will be strong enough, with ten thousand men, to keep off him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or while the other is still a great distance away, he sends representatives requesting conditions of peace.
33 And so whoever is not ready to give up all he has may not be my disciple.
34 For salt is good, but if the taste goes from it, of what use is it?
35 It is no good for the land or for the place of waste; no one has a use f
Important Verses
Luke 14:11 “Everyone who takes a high place for himself will be put down, but the man who takes a low place will be lifted up.” This verse teaches humility as a core value of the kingdom of God, contrasting it with self promotion and social status seeking.
Luke 14:13-14 Jesus’ instruction to invite the poor, crippled, and blind to a feast highlights that true generosity looks beyond social reciprocity and expects reward from God rather than men.
Luke 14:21-23 The Parable of the Great Banquet demonstrates the inclusive nature of God’s kingdom, welcoming those who are marginalized or overlooked by society.
Luke 14:27 “Whoever does not take up his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.” This verse emphasizes the necessary cost and total commitment required of true discipleship.
Luke 14:33 “Whoever is not ready to give up all he has may not be my disciple.” Jesus underscores that following Him requires complete surrender, not partial or convenient allegiance.
