18.03.25 Luke 14:1-14

Prepare 

Focus prayer: 

Father, we love and adore you. 

We long to shape our lives closer to you. 

May we focus on your grace in this season. 

Help us to be humble and gentle. 

Remain in us, as we remain in you. 

As we pray: do what only you can do. 

Read

Luke 14:1-14 

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. 

5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say. 

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 

Reflect 

When there is arrogance, an unhealthy sense of ones important or an oversensitivity everyone else can see it but we can’t. It’s quite easy to see this in others. Jesus is using the parable to exaggerate what can creep in quite easily in all of us. I find myself sometimes expecting to be more respected than I am and getting annoyed, but then I think, why is that? Do you feel the same? 

Be 

Invite Jesus to enter into every area of your life. Why are we looking to have status, being accepted, being looked up at, when we’ve got the identity that Jesus has given us? 

Become 

Ask God to show you areas in your life were you’re proud, arrogant and selfish. Spend a minute reflecting on this? Jesus please purify our hearts. 

Do 

Jesus said “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 

Who could you get in touch with today who won’t repay you? Who could you speak to, pray for, bless in anyway that won’t give something back to you? Who could you make friends with who you wouldn’t naturally be friends with?  

Practice 

Lord Jesus, help us become like you and do what you do. Help us have a heart for those in the fringes and invite them to dinner. Help us do life we people we wouldn’t naturally do life with because of what you have done for us.