Sunday Subject Study (alt)

August 18, 2024 - The Last Will Be First (Luke 13:22–14:24)

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Watch and Pray Journal

🔎 REGARDING - Questions and Responses

Verse 23: Lord, "will only a few be saved?” This is a common question, often asked in two different ways.

The first version of question is, "are there several different ways to salvation?" The answer is an emphatic no. The Bible is clear that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

A second possible way to ask the question is, "are there more saved believers or unsaved non-believers?" The narrow door represents the limited qualifications for salvation, but does it reflect the number of people who walk through the door? Matthew 7:13–14 gives the same metaphor but uses "gate" instead of "door." Jesus ends the passage with "and those who find it are few." As challenging as the idea may be, Scripture indicates that more people spend eternity in hell than in heaven.

Starting in Luke 14:1 Jesus explains who may enter the kingdom of God. The Pharisees think they can enter God's kingdom by obeying the extra-biblical rules the scribes created. That includes not treating chronic diseases on the Sabbath. Jesus knows that healing is the manifestation of the kingdom of God no matter what day it is (Isaiah 35:6).

The two parables starting in Luke 7 and 12 have basically the same meaning: do not try to work the system to win honor or reward. Serve humbly and let others—including God—choose to give you honor or reward as they see fit. "Honor" that comes only by manipulating others isn't really honor.

The Banquet: God will also invite the poor, crippled, blind, and lame, as well as the homeless and the travelers (Luke 14:16–24). God's economy turns the natural earthly worldview on its head. Honor doesn't come from humans; it comes from God. Humility and service bring God's favor. Honoring the "least of these" honors God. And it is the "least of these" who are most likely to honor God.

🔎 READ - Luke 13:22–14:24 (NLT)

The Narrow Door

22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. 25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. 29 And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. 30 And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

31 At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

32 Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. 33 Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 35 And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

14 One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. 2 There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” 4 When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he turned to them and said, “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” 6 Again they could not answer.

Jesus Teaches about Humility

7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Parable of the Great Feast

15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

🔎 REFLECT

Decisions can change our lives. Yet so often we are indecisive people who cannot get started in a new direction. We get into a pattern of living and just stay there for years. We would like to be closer to God and make a difference in the world, but it is just so comfortable and secure right where we are.

Jesus addresses just such a situation in today’s parable. Like a prophet, he used harsh language to get people’s attention. To motivate us, Jesus constructed parables about being ready for his coming (see Luke 12:35-48) and about closed doors that would keep people out of the great feast of the kingdom.

If you knew someone was going to break into your house tonight, for example, what would you do? You would make sure to be prepared.

Similarly, if you knew Jesus was going to return soon, you would stay attentive and prepared. And he does say he is coming soon, so we must be ready (Revelation 22:12, 20).

Jesus strikingly describes those who are not constantly in tune with living for God. There are those who “sit on the fence” and never make a decision. But it is never enough to know Christ from a distance. He wants to live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. So let’s allow the parables of Jesus to stir us and fire us up to new ways of thinking and action for the sake of God’s kingdom.

🔎 REASON

What specific commands does Jesus give to indicate how we should respond to these patterns?

When Jesus is warned to flee Herod Antipas, his reply is paradoxical: he will leave Herod’s territory, but this will only lead him closer to death (Luke 13:31–35). How does Jesus’ destiny in Jerusalem exemplify the first/last and humiliation/exaltation patterns?

🔎 RESEARCH

Matthew 13:33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

1 Corinthians 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Philippians 1:9-11 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

John 15:2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Hosea 6:3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Matthew 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

John 21:21-22 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Matthew 24:3-5 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

Acts 1:7-8 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Mark 13:4-5 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray.

Matthew 19:25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Hebrews 4:11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Ezekiel 33:31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

John 6:27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Proverbs 21:25 The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

Romans 10:3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Colossians 1:29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

John 7:34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”

Romans 9:31-33 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

John 8:21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

Proverbs 14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

John 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’

Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

2 Thessalonians 1:5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Psalm 112:10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!

Past and Future Subjects

Luke

Recounting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God

July 21 - Kingdom Priorities (Luke 9:51–11:13)
July 28 - Kingdoms in Conflict (Luke 11:14–54)
Aug 4 - Preparing for Judgment (Luke 12:1–59)
Aug 11 - Judgment, Conflict, Kingdom (Luke 13:1–21)
Aug 18 - The Last Will Be First (Luke 13:22–14:24)
Aug 25 - Radical Demands, Radical Grace (Luke 14:25–15:32)
Sept 1 - Of Riches and Repentance (Luke 16:1–31)
Sept 8 - Radical Demands, Radical Need (Luke 17:1–10)
Sept 15 - Mercy and Gratitude (Luke 17:11–19)
Sept 22 - The Coming of the Kingdom (Luke 17:20–18:8)
Sept 29 - Kingdom Humility (Luke 18:9–17)
Oct 6 - Leaving All to Follow the King (Luke 18:18–34)
Oct 13 - Persistent Faith, True Repentance (Luke 18:35–19:10)
Oct 20 - About the Master’s Business (Luke 19:11–27)

Links of interest:

Old Photos

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List of wars by death toll
List of Famines
List of Death by Natural Disasters
Cause of Death by Health or Accident
General Question, What do People Die from

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Disclaimer: Not everything on this page is original content some items are copied from other sources.

August 18, 2024 - The Last Will Be First (Luke 13:22–14:24)

Printable Download
Watch and Pray Journal

🔎 REGARDING - Questions and Responses

Verse 23: Lord, "will only a few be saved?” This is a common question, often asked in two different ways.

The first version of question is, "are there several different ways to salvation?" The answer is an emphatic no. The Bible is clear that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

🔎 READ - Luke 13:22–14:24 (NLT)

The Narrow Door

22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

31 At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

Luke 14

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1 One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. 2 There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” 4 When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he turned to them and said, “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” 6 Again they could not answer.

Jesus Teaches about Humility

Parable of the Great Feast

15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

🔎 REFLECT

If you knew someone was going to break into your house tonight, for example, what would you do? You would make sure to be prepared.

Similarly, if you knew Jesus was going to return soon, you would stay attentive and prepared. And he does say he is coming soon, so we must be ready (Revelation 22:12, 20).

🔎 REASON

This section of Luke’s Gospel emphasizes two patterns of reversal—one involving a first/last interchange (Luke 13:30), and another a pattern of humiliation/exaltation (Luke 14:11). For whom are these patterns intended as warnings or rebukes? Who should hear these patterns as encouragements or as commendations?

What specific commands does Jesus give to indicate how we should respond to these patterns?

When Jesus is warned to flee Herod Antipas, his reply is paradoxical: he will leave Herod’s territory, but this will only lead him closer to death (Luke 13:31–35). How does Jesus’ destiny in Jerusalem exemplify the first/last and humiliation/exaltation patterns?