Luke 13 and 14

1. 13:1-9 Were the people who died worse sinners than others?
   Comments: No. Everyone – Jew and Gentile – must repent. Hendrickson: “Not for a moment should they imagine they can escape God’s judgment just because they are Jews.” Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 – Death comes to us all. Matthew 7:1-3 – Judge not, lest you be judged by the same standard. Note: In the first example, they were Gentiles; in the second example, they were Jews. We must ask ourselves, “When calamity strikes, what lesson is there for me to learn?” One lesson here: Look to yourselves! The time to repent is now.
2. 13:10-17 What was the ruler of the synagogue really concerned about?
   Comments: His man-man rules for the Sabbath, and a desire to discredit Jesus. (See 12:1.) The ruler shows his cowardice here: Notice he speaks to the crowd, not to Jesus. Other comments: He is jealous; as ruler of the synagogue, he feels like he must warn the crowd away; he is afraid Jesus will usurp his authority.
3. 13:18-21 How is the kingdom like a mustard seed? How is it like leaven? Consider: What is the kingdom of God?
   Comments: It is like a mustard seed in that it started small and grew to fill most of the world – it grew numerically. It is like leaven in its influence on society, making every community, every culture, better. See Mark 4:26-29 – God grows it. Neither the seed nor the  leaven can be seen as it does its work.
4. 13:22-30 How did Jesus teach that entrance into the kingdom is both inclusive (everyone can enter in) and exclusive (only a few can enter in)?
   Comments: As in John 3:16, salvation is available to all, but will be given only to those who believe and accept God’s grace. Philippians 2:12-13: We work, relying on God to work in us. “Make every effort” = strive = Greek for agonize. All who strive to enter in – before it’s too late – can enter. The time to repent is now.
5. 13:31-35 How did Jesus show both His courage and His compassion when told of Herod’s threat?
   Comments: He was not afraid of Herod; he laments over Jerusalem. John 1:11: His own people rejected Him. Note in Mark 3:6 and 12:13 how both the Herodians and Pharisees joined in opposing Jesus. It’s possible these Pharisees were sent by Herod.
6. 14:1-6 Why didn’t the lawyers and Pharisees answer Jesus’ questions?
   Comments: 1) They chose not to answer (See also 6:9), silently allowing to go ahead – waiting to see if He would? 2) They couldn’t answer, verse 6. It would show their inconsistency, that all they were trying to do was discredit Him.
7. 14:7-14 Jesus teaches lessons to both guests and hosts? What are those lessons?
   Comments: Guests: Wait to be asked to take a better place and avoid humiliation. See Proverbs 25:6-7. Hosts: Don’t limit your invitations to those like you. In doing so, you cheat yourselves.
8. 14:15-24 Why was the master of the house angry when those he invited made excuses not to come?
   Comments: He had prepared the feast, expecting them to come. It  appears they had initially accepted the invitations, then made lame excuses. Lesson: The kingdom is not limited to Jews. Again – Accept Christ’s invitation now.
9. 14:25-27 What are two requirements for becoming a disciple of Christ?
   Comments: 1) Following Christ is our top priority. 2) Bearing our cross means denying ourselves. See Galatians 2:20. Re: the use of the word “hate”:  In Genesis 29:31, Jacob “hated” (KJV) Lea in comparison to his love for Rachel. Matthew 5:44 tells us to love our enemies, so this must be a question of priority. The class had a good discussion about what it means to put Christ first. Does this mean we never miss worshipping on Sunday morning, no matter what, or is it more than that? The question is: If we had to deny Christ in order to keep our families, which choice would we make?
10. 14:28-35 What is the cost of becoming a disciple of Christ? Why is it so important to count the cost? Comments: The cost is our own selves – our time, resources, energy, personality. It’s important to count the cost so we’ll know how to respond when choices come, to prevent failure. Verse 29 – To prevent ridicule and defeat.