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August 15, 2010
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The Great Reversal
It's free but costs everything.
Luke 14:15-35
Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed,
“What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom
of God!”
Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast
and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he
sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is
ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have
just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’
Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I
want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now
have a wife, so I can’t come.’
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said.
His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets
and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the
blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he
reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said,
‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge
anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For
none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste
of my banquet.’”
A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said
to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate
everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life.
Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry
your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin
construction of a building without first calculating the cost
to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you
might complete only the foundation before running out of
money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say,
‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t
afford to finish it!’
“Or what king would go to war against another king without
first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his
army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching
against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to
discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So
you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you
own.
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how
do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither
for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away.
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Life under the reign of God
Carry your cross
Give it all up
It's free but costs everything.
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