Matthew 20:1-16, Luke 14:1-35, 15:1-32, 16:1-31, 17:20-37, 18:1-14
\nLuke 14:12-14 – I this really about ‘payment’ for good deeds, as it suggests on the surface?
\nLuke 14:15 – This man makes a comment about eating at the feast in God’s kingdom. Then Jesus tells this parable of all these folks giving silly excuses for why they cannot come to a man’s banquet. They were all so absorbed in themselves, their own lives, that they wouldn’t even let this man serve them.
\nLuke 14:25-33 – I’ve always wondered what ‘carry your cross’ was here. The traditional ICOC discipleship study twist on it was that it referred to evangelism. But that simply doesn’t jive with the passage. In the prior verses Jesus talks about setting priorities in our lives, God comes before everything and everyone else, to the point that our love for our family seems like hate in comparison. And after he talks about the same thing, giving up everything we have. In that context, it makes more sense that this is referring to death to ourselves. Taking up our cross is to put ourselves down, to die to our dreams, ideas and desires and live for God’s. If we are to be reconciled to God, this is not optional.
\nLuke 14:35 – Do you get it? Are you listening?
\nLuke 17:30-37 – Jesus is talking about what sounds like His future return, and then this comment on about where the vultures gather. I don’t understand that at all. What’s the connection?
\nLuke 18:6-8 – I must not stop believing and praying and trying to be righteous. It sometimes seems impossible, insurmountable. There’s so much sin in the world, relationships are so hard, it’s so difficult to know yourself and to fight sin. But Jesus promises us that we will “get justice, and quickly.” Just don’t give up.
\nLuke 18:9-14 – A parable to the ICOC. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"