Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Luke 14

• About the Title: The concept of a wedding feast appears in many parables, where Jesus is the bridegroom.

A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath

Luke 14:¹ Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.

• The “ruler” of the Pharisees would be an esteemed and powerful position.

Luke 14:² And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.

Luke 14:³ And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

Luke 14:⁴ But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.

Luke 14:⁵ Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey (son) or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

Luke 14:⁶ And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

Take the Lowly Place

Luke 14:⁷ So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:

Luke 14:⁸ “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;

• A prophetic wedding feast.

Luke 14:⁹ and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

Luke 14:¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

• Reference verse: Proverbs 25:7 For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

Luke 14:¹¹ For whoever exalts himself will be (put down) humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 14:¹² Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.

Luke 14:¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the (crippled) maimed, the lame, the blind.

• This is the story of the new covenant and the Gentiles. The Gentiles are spiritually maimed, lame, and blind to spiritual matters since the law was given to the Jews. God sees fit to invite them to the same spiritual table as the Jews, who have a banquet table of the promises, the law, the prophets, the land, the nation, and the Messiah.
• See Topic: The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 14:¹⁴ And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

The Parable of God’s Jewish Rejection and Gentile Replacement.

Luke 14:¹⁵ Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat (dinner) bread in the kingdom of God!”

Luke 14:¹⁶ Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

• The great supper is like the King’s marriage feast in Matthew 22.

Luke 14:¹⁷ and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’

Luke 14:¹⁸ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’

• To be excused, they give excuses.

Please Excuse my Excuses

Luke 14:¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’

Luke 14:²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

Luke 14:²¹ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the (crippled) maimed and the lame and the blind.’

• Jacob is a metaphor for God. Jacob had two wives, sisters, Leah and Rachel.
  Leah was maimed, but Rachel was beautiful.
  
• God has two symbolic wives. See Topic: Jacob’s Two Wives
  
  • Jacob’s wife, Rachel, represents God’s Old Testament espoused wife, the Jews.
    Isaiah 54:⁵ For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
  • Jacob’s wife, Leah, represents God’s New Testament espoused wife, the Bride of Christ.
    Ephesians 5:²³ For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
    
    Jacob fell asleep believing he had Rachel as his wife, but woke to find Leah.
    Jesus died (symbolic for “sleep”), for His Jewish “wife”, but woke to find a Gentile “wife”.
    
  • The contract for God’s Old Testament wife was made at Mt. Sinai, where the Jews took their “wedding vows”.
  • The contract for God’s New Testament wife was made at the last supper.
    The Bride of Christ’s wedding will take place 1st after the rapture in heaven. The Old Testament Jewish wife, who is represented by Leah’s sister Rachel, will take place 2nd during the millennium after Jesus returns to earth to rule from Jerusalem.
    
  • NOTE: This metaphor does not support multiple wives in a marriage. (I Timothy 3:^2,12, Titus 1:⁶)
  • NOTE: Leah’s wedding feast lasted 7 days (like the Tribulation, which is Daniel’s 70th week of 7 days, but prophetically lasts 7 years). When Jacob confronted Laban about being tricked, Laban replied:
    Genesis 29:27-28 Fulfill her (Leah’s) week, and we will give you this one (Rachel) also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.” Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her (wedding) week. So he (Laban) gave him (Jacob) his daughter Rachel as wife also.

Luke 14:²² And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’

Luke 14:²³ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 14:²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited (The leaders of the Jews) shall taste my supper.’ ”

Leaving All to Follow Christ

Luke 14:²⁵ Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,

Luke 14:²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—

Luke 14:²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,

Luke 14:³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?

Luke 14:³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Luke 14:³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

Luke 14:³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

Luke 14:³⁴ “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?

Luke 14:³⁵ It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill (rubbish heap), but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

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{1 of 2} Luke 14-“Silver Slivers of the Cross”
{2 of 2} Luke 14 – “A Wedding of Wonders”

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