Today Our Daily Bread Luke 14

Luke 14: 1 - 35
1 One Sabbath day Jesus was in the home of a leader of the Pharisees. The people were watching him closely, 2 because there was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. F66 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, "Well, is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?" 4 When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he turned to them and asked, "Which of you doesn't work on the Sabbath? If your son F67 or your cow falls into a pit, don't you proceed at once to get him out?" 6 Again they had no answer.
7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 "If you are invited to a wedding feast, don't always head for the best seat. What if someone more respected than you has also been invited? 9 The host will say, 'Let this person sit here instead.' Then you will be embarrassed and will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 "Do this instead – sit at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place than this for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored." 12 Then he turned to his host. "When you put on a luncheon or a dinner," he said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will repay you by inviting you back. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."
15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, "What a privilege it would be to have a share in the Kingdom of God!" 16 Jesus replied with this illustration: "A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to come. 18 But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, so he asked to be excused. 19 Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out. 20 Another had just been married, so he said he couldn't come. 21 "The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was angry and said, 'Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.' 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, 'There is still room for more.' 23 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. 24 For none of those I invited first will get even the smallest taste of what I had prepared for them.'"
25 Great crowds were following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 "If you want to be my follower you must love me more than F68 your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me. 28 "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! 30 They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!' 31 "Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty thousand soldiers who are marching against him? 32 If he is not able, then while the enemy is still far away, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace. 33 So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me. 34 "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
FOOTNOTES:F66: Traditionally translated who had dropsy. F67: Some manuscripts read donkey. F68: Greek you must hate.
The New Living Translation

~Lena’s Comments~
This way of thought is so foreign in our world. In everything we do we seek after instant reward and gratification. We also seek to be seen, noticed, we think this is being loved. We want to be the most honored, most cared for, most loved. Jesus seems to be pointing out the way to be in line for this kind of love- by giving. In the kingdom of God there is the principle of sowing and reaping. If and man gives he will also receive. Not that he gives to receive, but the principle will unfold its blessings. The world says take what is due us, and we wonder why we feel a lack in our lives, when all we’ve known to do is take. Love Gives ALL, it is the very nature of God.
Those who have used up all excuses will know it is time to come. Their resources have been exhausted, they’ve been used and abused by others, they are hurting, wanting, lacking and they know it, these will come. The rest don’t yet know of their need for His love, They have not yet touched on their sufficiency in Him. Their eyes are blinded, we must pray that they will see clearly lest they perish. Many do not see serving as Sons in God’s kingdom as a privilege, unless they are in a very low place. This is where we are in our present day, we must urge whosoever will come, to come!
Following the Lord is all about love. He first loved us, and we express our love towards Him in loving Him in return. Our mere earthly love is expressed in our willingness to lay down our own earthly worldly desires and follow after His desires. #1 that ALL men would hear the message of truth and be saved. The message is, He gave it all (Love exemplified in flesh on earth), we also give it all (love demonstrated on earth through a free-willed being). Greater love has no man than this- that he lay down his (own) life (will, desire, way to do things, plans, goals, way to do things adopting other’s ideas that may be in line with God’s ideas too), for his friends.