Luke 14
Main Theme
Jesus is our supreme example and teacher in being faithful to God.
Outline
- Commitment to Mercy (1-6)
- Key Verse - 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?” (v. 5)
- Again, Jesus disagrees with the Pharisees about the Sabbath. The Pharisees, focused on themselves, insisted that healing someone would constitute working on the Sabbath. Jesus reveals their hypocrisy with his question in verse 5 because, of course, they would rescue their son or their ox on the Sabbath. Yes, being faithful to God means obeying His Word, but it also means fulfilling the heart of His Word, which is love and mercy.
- Rejection of Self-Exaltation (7-24)
- Key Verses - For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (v. 11)
- This is the upside-down nature of what it means to be faithful to God. Just like today, those in the first century wanted to ensure they got the best spot, were the most noticed, and received the most honor. They were striving to exalt themselves. However, Jesus taught and modeled the complete opposite. Philippians 2:6-7 captures this well: who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, but taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Read Philippians 2:5-11 for a great summary of Jesus not exalting himself.
- Supreme love and Allegiance to God (25-35)
- Key Verse - So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (v. 33)
- Here, Jesus seems to contradict God’s Word. He says a person must hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life. Elsewhere, God’s Word says we should honor our father and mother, and husbands should love their wives as Jesus loved the church and died for her. What Jesus means by that statement and his statement in verse 33 is no earthly love should compare to the love followers of Jesus have for God. Our love for God should make our love for anyone else look like hate.
Gospel Connection
In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explains why we need to be saved, how we are saved, and God’s purpose in saving us. Notice verse 5: even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. We need to be saved because of our sins; we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus (see verse 8), and we are saved to walk in good works. Verse 10 says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. The good works followers of Jesus are to walk in are works that glorify God and bless others. This is what Jesus taught and modeled as he was committed to glorifying God through showing mercy, refusing to exalt himself, and having a supreme love for and allegiance to God.
Whole Bible Connection
In Hosea 6:6, God declares, "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Like the nation of Israel, the Pharisees exchanged true worship for mere religious activity. During his earthly ministry, Jesus continually taught and modeled that true worship of God proceeds from the heart. A heart in love with God will joyfully, willingly, and faithfully worship God by keeping both the letter and heart of His Word.
Key Takeaways
Pursue good works. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Bible is clear that those who receive this blessing from God should be a blessing to others. Pursuing good works means pursuing actions that glorify God and bless others.
Be humble. Not only did Jesus teach about the need for humility, but he also modeled it perfectly. Jesus, the second person of the Triune God, always existing for all eternity and completely equal with God the Father, willingly humbled himself to the point of dwelling with sinful humanity, suffering the most humiliating death, and dying in the place of others. Jesus' humility should serve as our supreme example and call us to consider others more significant than ourselves.
Love God. This is the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Are you in love with God?