Luke 14 opens with Jesus dinning at home of Pharisee on the Sabbath.

Assumption is that the “speaker” and his table companions were among the blessed who would eat bread in the kingdom.

A characteristic piece of apocalyptic piety.

Central Question
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Who will be present at the Great Banquet?

Invitations Go Out (v16-17)

Excuses Come In (v18-20)
- We are supposed to see these as lame excuses.
- Whether legitimate or paper-thin, the point is that no excuse is valid when one faces the kingdom.

New Guests Invited (v21-23)
- Jesus does not postpone the banquet or withdraw the meal; he gets a new audience.

- Those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their own punishment—they missed out.

- Often times, God is more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.

- Scariest thing is, the excuses of the invited ones were accepted. They begged to be excused, and they were.

The two essential points in His teaching are that:
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1. No one can enter the Kingdom without the invitation of God.
2. No one can remain outside it but by his own deliberate choice.

Why did they ultimately reject the invitation?

- You must count the cost and make Jesus the number one priority of life if you are going to follow him.

- The unit as a whole says that Jesus must have first place if one wishes to follow him.