READING IN LUKE 14
READING IN LUKE 14
Chapter 13 closes with the solemn statement from the Lord that the Jewish temple was forsaken: “Behold, your house is left unto you”. Chapters 14 and 15 speak of the house of God in its present character as taking the place of the house at Jerusalem. In chapter 13 we have, “your house is left unto you”; in chapter 14, “that my house may be filled”. The contrast is striking. The Lord was guest in the Pharisee’s house, but ultimately, we may say, He becomes Host; but this is in God’s house.
The instruction which the Lord gives as to humility has reference to the house of God. Marking how those that were invited chose the chief rooms, He said, “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room ... but when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher”, verse 8 - 10 There we get instruction which should govern us as in the house of God. God is supreme in His house; He alone has title to promote there. “Go up higher” morally follows as we take the lowest room.
The actual surroundings in which the Lord was were really uncongenial to Him, but these uncongenial surroundings did not hinder Him in the activity of His grace, nor in His teaching; both went on. In the Pharisee’s house we see the principles of the world; there were pretension and self-exaltation, but utter inability to relieve the need of [p. 72] man. The dropsical man was there, but no power to help him. The expression of the power of God in goodness in Christ and the house of God, as seen in the parable which follows, are in contrast to all this. The grace and teaching seen in the Pharisee’s house would be greatly enhanced when transferred to the house of God. The grace which marked the Lord’s ministry here, as seen in the gospels, now gives tone and character to the house of God. Christ went about “doing good”. His ministry had men in view. The Pharisees would look after their animals on the Sabbath day, but disregarded human suffering; the Lord thought of men, and so healed the dropsical man on the Sabbath.
The initial feature of those who compose the house of God is humility, and this is what the Lord has in mind in the parable in verses 7 to 11. We all come in by invitation, and our wisdom is to take the low place. Humility imparts a wonderful character to the house of God as an institution actually in the presence of men down here; the opposite of what is in the world. Verses 12 to 14 speak of God’s side, for He alone could act thus primarily. As the following parable shows, it is He who invites to His feast the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. But the example is set for all now, and the spirit of it should mark all Christians. Thus we have part with the “just”, our recompense shall be “in the resurrection of the just”.
The instruction as to humility is of the greatest importance. Taking the lowest room, we have promotion with God. To Him the house belongs, and He has title to promote. But we are not to take the servant’s place; we are not invited to serve, but to have a place at table. In truth, a place in the house involves sonship. The world is not the sphere in which God exalts now; He has His house down here, and in it He bestows His honours.
The Lord’s remarks evidently suggested to one in the company the blessedness of eating bread in the kingdom of God, and this leads to the parable of the “great supper”. The allusion is to what God finds now in Christ as having accomplished righteousness. God is infinitely above this world and the sin of man in it, in occupation with the Man who glorified Him in death. This is expressed in the figure of a great supper. It is God celebrating, as it were, and He invites all to the celebration. Nothing can exceed the greatness of the gospel picture presented here. It is not only a supper, but a great supper, and the invitations were many. A truly great occasion is contemplated. Think of God celebrating! It refers to His infinite satisfaction and delight in Christ as having accomplished redemption, and He invites all to participate in this. Those that had been bidden refused to come even to such a feast, each turning to his earthly interests; but God would have His house full, and so there would be not only invitations but compulsion. The gracious work of the Spirit is, doubtless, alluded to here. In Matthew 22 servants are spoken of; here it is servant. In Luke it is divine activity in grace; in Matthew human responsibility is more in view.
The scene depicted in this chapter embraces the present broad economy of grace. It is not simply Christ as He was here in flesh, but as He is now in heaven, having accomplished righteousness, and the Spirit active to bring souls into participation in what God finds in Christ. Chapter 13 speaks of the Lord casting out devils “today and to-morrow”, and the third day being “perfected”; alluding to His death and resurrection. The teaching of chapter 14 assumes that His death has taken place; hence “all things” are said to be “ready”. There was the power of the kingdom exercised in the Lord’s ministry, but the celebration here contemplates Him [p. 74] in resurrection. Everything is ready, and God would have His house full in the enjoyment of the feast. The highways and hedges are to furnish guests; thus we Gentiles have come in. And the feast affords supreme happiness. If you were to go from this room to heaven tonight you would go into the happiest place! This happiness has been brought down here by the Spirit.
One would like to have the thought of God celebrating rightly in one’s soul. The celebration in this chapter is greater than that in chapter 15. This chapter speaks of God’s delight in Christ; chapter 15 refers to the returning prodigal. God has wonderful delight in the recovery of the Gentiles, but the parable we are dwelling on, and the record in the Acts, would show that He did not go to them until the Jews’ rejection of the gospel forced Him to do so. This only emphasises His great love for Israel, and their guilt in rejecting His overtures.
The house of God as referred to in these chapters in Luke has a provisional character, and it stands related to the gospel. In John it is the family abode; we are there as in relationship with divine Persons, and so its eternal character is in view. Luke refers to the house as constituted in this world in the midst of human need and having this need in view.
The instruction in verses 25 to 35 is in moral order; it is a counterpart of the instruction furnished in the parable of the great supper. Multitudes would respond to the gospel invitation, and hence the Lord introduces the test of discipleship. The whole professing body would be vitiated unless this test was answered to. Christendom as it is now is a solemn testimony to this. The presence of the multitude (verse 25) gave rise to the Lord’s remarks. If any man came to Him and hated not his father, mother, wife, children, brethren, sisters and even his own life he could not be Christ’s disciple. Terrible [p. 75] word for the flesh, but how true practically! And then one has to bear one’s cross and follow Christ. All this refers to the attitude of soul one takes up. The Christian position involves much more than most of us, especially young believers, are apt to calculate. We have here, further, the thought of building, and then also the thought of fighting. To undertake to build a tower and not be able to finish it brings us into reproach. Then to wage successful warfare we have to reckon whether we possess sufficient force to meet the enemy. Success in building and in conflict depends on our accepting the terms of discipleship. The Lord says: “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple”. Salt was there, and it was “good”, but if it lost its savour wherewith should it be salted? Christianity is the best thing that God could introduce, but it has lost its virtue in the public body, and so it is worse than useless. Christendom as it stands will be “cast out”. The chapter is prophetic; the Lord says, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear”.