Go Deep

(Luke 14:11-24)

Shayne mentioned some of the many passages about the preparations being made for our future (see John 14:1; Matt. 25:34; Heb. 11:16; Rev. 21:2; 1 Cor. 2:9 for examples). What do these passages teach us about God? What kinds of preparations are needed?

Imagine two “religious” people: One believes: (1) God is a critical nitpicker, always scrutinizing us for faults; and the other believes (2) God is the most joyful being in the universe and wants people to share his joy. How might these two people differ?

In Luke 14, Jesus heals a man at a Pharisee’s home during a dinner party on the Sabbath. From what you know of the Pharisees, how do you think this went over? What might the guests have been thinking?

Is what Jesus said in Luke 14:8-11 simply guidance for people looking to get ahead in the world? If not, what is Jesus getting at?

How do you think Jesus’s instruction to the host in verses 12-14 went over?

In what way is God’s conduct similar to the conduct Jesus encourages in verses 12-14?

In verse 14, Jesus says that those who bless people per verse 13 will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Who is going to repay them? How?

How legitimate are the excuses given by the invitees in verses 18-20?

Why is it that so many people feel they need to pay for God’s grace?

Read verse 24. What does this part of the story have to say to us?

If everyone is welcome and wanted at God’s party, and no one has to pay their own way, why does Jesus go right on to speak of the cost of following him (vv. 26-33)? Aren’t these ideas contradictory?

What are some of the implications of Jesus’s teaching here for our lives? What should we do in the light of it?

Ministries
Go Deep Notes