Author: Bill Hall

At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

Luke 14:17 CSB

One day that heavenly banquet will be ready. One day those who belong to the Lord will sit down together with Him to a great feast of fellowship. It will be so wonderful!

Heavenly Father, You are glorious beyond our wildest imagination. You faithful, consistent, love is our comfort all day long! Every morning Your mercies are new, and Your Spirit revives us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then he told him, ‘A man was giving a large banquet and invited many.’

Luke 14:16 CSB

Jesus used lots of different illustrations and stories in His teaching. He wants to be sure that people have the opportunity to learn if they give it an effort.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your care for us. You are a good Father to us. You make our lives so much better than they would be without You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, ‘The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!’

Luke 14:15 CSB

Jesus did not argue with this individual’s sentiment. The speaker was. in essence, correct. However, as always, Jesus moved forward with teaching on the subject. He is always teaching. He wants people to understand the ‘kingdom of God’ as well as possible.

Heavenly Father, we tell ourselves so many lies, and so often misunderstand the truth we do know. But we can always count on You to teach us about You. You do not leave us without Your truth and have given us a mission to take your truth everywhere. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise You, Amen.

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

Luke 14:14 CSB

Doing good for those who cannot, or will not, repay you is truly a blessing. It is not yet clear what all awaits the righteous in heaven, but it will be wonderful.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness! No matter what we may receive, You are our true reward! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind.

Luke 14:13 CSB

Jesus here gives us a principle we find all the way through Scripture. The rich are meant to share with the poor. They are not to be forced to do it. But, they are to do it. Extra wealth is meant to be given, not taken. The righteous man who is able should give, and give freely, fully, and cheerfully. It is a blessed privilege.

Heavenly Father, You are amazing! You know everything, but more than that you understand everything because You are the Origin of all thought and wisdom. You have had it all from the beginning. Wisdom is Your possession, Your power and Your glory. Thank You for allowing me to be see some of your wisdom in Your Word! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

Luke 14:12 CSB

Jesus isn’t telling us never to have a birthday party for our child and invite loved ones and friends. He is building off of what He had just taught. The elites would take turns giving lavish dinners to impress each other. Instead, they should have spent their time blessing, and getting to know, the ‘least of these’ among their countrymen.

Heavenly Father, thank you for helping us in spite of ourselves. You are truly wonderful and You help us understand the mysteries of our lives. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 14:11 CSB

We can see this illustrated throughout all of history. And, this puts Jesus in direct opposition to the philosophy of many in history. Jesus speaks against the idea of self-promotion. We are to have a good reputation, and be respectful and respectable. But to be selfishly ambitious is not consistent with His teaching.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your help and love. Your supply is exactly what we actually need, rather than what we think we want. You know us better than we know ourselves. Thank You for Your mercy, grace, and goodness! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

Luke 14:10 CSB

Though what Jesus mentions here might not happen, it would be better to simply put oneself in this position than to be placed in it. This, however, teaches us far more than just how to approach a dinner invitation.

It teaches us how to approach life. Do not assume your greatness. Assume you are the least in all things. But always serve the greatest. Let your Lord be the One Who is Greatest.

Heavenly Father, to serve among Your messengers is a privilege most dear. You are worthy of our best, and You have our best in Your plan. If I were to plan my own life, from beginning to end, what You have planned for me would still be far far better. Thank You for Your love and power! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You Amen.

The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place.

Luke 14:9 CSB

The humiliation of moving to a lower place was surely something the Pharisees would seek to avoid! But their sense of personal worth put them in jeopardy of it all the time. Jesus is seeking to help them understand wisdom, something that was often lost on them.

Heavenly Father, we will always find ourselves humiliated when we promote our wisdom over Yours. You have given us the truth not to humiliate us, but to humble us. It is we who fail to see the difference. Your Word and Your Way are perfect and a great blessing to see, know, and follow! Thank You for Your mighty hand and glorious wisdom. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit in the place of honor, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.

Luke 14:8 CSB

Jesus launched into this discourse for two reasons. First, it was good advice for the self-aggrandizing Pharisees. But second, He Himself was likely set in a place of honor. There may have been those present who felt they should be either closer to Him, or in His place.

Pride of place was a big deal in Jewish society, and Jesus wanted to teach these men what true and undefiled religion is all about. In fact, religion has over the years been used to justify so much that is wrong and evil, I generally avoid the word. True religion is nothing like what most people envision when they think of the religious elite that we see in our world even today.

Heavenly Father, You are amazing beyond all of our wildest imaginations. You can do all and yet have chosen certain things to do that astound us. Your unselfish faithfulness and tender love is overwhelmingly wonderful! Thank You for Your work in our lives through Christ. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.