And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

Luke 15:2 CSB

The Pharisees were right about some things, but wrong about so much. It was against their sensibilities to countenance speaking with known sinners. Obviously one does have to be careful about getting too friendly with the criminal element, or those who are very morally loose. But the Pharisees took it to an extreme.

Jesus reached many who would otherwise have been left ‘untouchable’ by the religious elite. Why? Because the Lord doesn’t want anyone to die. He wants everyone to repent. Like Him, Christian ministers should also reach to all the lost sheep.

Heavenly Father, thank You for today! Your glory and power are perfect, wonderful, and holy. You alone may know all that can be known. There is so much that we will never know, even once we know so very much more than we do now. You are amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him.

Luke 15:1 CSB

Christians are doing their job right if sinners want to hear the message being taught. See here that they were coming to listen to Him. They may have heard of Him because of His miracles, but they wanted to hear His teaching, and kept listening due to the content of the message.

The Christian message should be of interest to everyone. This does not mean ears should be tickled. The message is not to be changed. But, the audience should be targeted. It is good to teach to a certain crowd or group if that group is in need of truth.

Heavenly Father, You are wise and loving. You know how to get the truth to those who need it. We but need to follow Christ in this. Thank You for loving Your world so much as to send Christ! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.

Luke 14:35 CSB

If you have ears, use them! Why does Jesus say something like that? Is He just obnoxious? No. He is alluding to the failure of people to believe what the prophets and the law had taught them. He is saying, if you know the past, apply it to the present. Pay attention to what is going on.

Heavenly Father, thank You for working in this world. Even if we do not see it, Your mercy, grace, and love is constantly at work. I praise You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?

Luke 14:34 CSB

I’ve often wondered what Jesus had in mind here. Pure salt does not lose its flavor. However, back in the first century, as well as now, salt is often mixed with additives. These additives can cause a chemical change that causes the salt to expire. Also things like humidity can remove the actual salt content.

This information really fits. Jesus is talking about people understanding the cost of following Him. With this salt illustration He is making it clear that His followers must be fully committed to the process. If they are only partially submitted, they will not persevere. Like this salt, they will lose their resolve, and nothing will be able to renew them.

Some might use this to argue that people can lose their salvation. The fact here is that if a person, like the salt, is found to have flavor-removing properties, then they were not pure salt to begin with. The Christian life is a test. It reveals those who are actually genuine.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the work You do in our lives! It is easy for us to forget, but we could not grow or learn without Your work in us. All that we do in Your service is a result of Your touch on our lives. Thank You for Your love and care! I will praise You for Your holiness! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 CSB

Jesus makes His message very direct here. If you want to follow Him, you had better count the cost. He is not offering a life of pleasure, but a life of peace. Those who do not understand the difference will never be His disciples.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your peace! The battleground of this life is far different when on the winning side. Thank You for Your love! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

Luke 14:32 CSB

This king may figure out he needs to sue for peace. But what is this parable about? What does it mean?

In many cases, Jesus does not directly explain the meaning, but He does here in the very next verse. Why? Because of the subject. Jesus wants this truth to be very plain. He does not call those who say they want to follow Him, but will sacrifice nothing. He is after those who know He is worth it all.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is the way of salvation. He alone is our hope and our help. Father, You are wise and great. May Your faithful love be our song all day long! In every circumstance, let us rejoice in You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Luke 14:31 CSB

Jesus does not intend for this to be an outrageous example. A king with ten thousand to command might decide to withstand the onslaught of the twenty. These numerical mismatches have occurred in history. However, of course, it is more likely this king will choose to conciliate his enemy before engagement.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing mercy! Each day we receive blessings from Your hand that we never even notice. We will spend lots of time worrying about things that will never happen, and then fail to thank You for even two minutes when they don’t. You are so much more wonderful than we ever give You credit for! Father, You are holy! I will put my hand on my mouth, I will remove it only because I must sing Your praises. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

Luke 14:30 CSB

In all of Scripture we see this emphasis on finishing. To begin is important, but to finish is key. Many may begin late, or slowly. But, to finish strong, that is very crucial. The Christian life is not meant to be half-done. Once begun may be half done, but not finished might as well have been not started.

Heavenly Father, only by Your grace may we do anything! How can we ever expect to finish anything without reliance upon You? Your ways are perfect. Thank You for Your leading, guide me in the way You would have me to go. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him,

Luke 14:29 CSB

Jesus is a masterful teacher. He gets right to the heart of our issues. He knows how we think, and what we feel.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your glory and power. You are Holy and Pure. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

Luke 14:28 CSB

This is a grand example. In this case the individual has chosen to establish a new city and is building the main structure. To take on an endeavor such as this without proper planning would be incredibly foolish.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the price paid on Calvary! You made us, and bought us. We are not our own, and that is a very good thing! You know Your plans for us. Lead us in the way that we should go. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.