Luke 14:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

NIV: When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

NASB: Now when one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, 'Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!'

CSB: When one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

NLT: 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!'

KJV: And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

NKJV: 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 bread in the kingdom of God!”

A banquet at the home of a Pharisee includes Jesus and other noble guests. Bystanders are probably lining the walls, listening in. The mood has been tense. It seems Jesus created the tone when He healed a man suffering from edema before He even reclined on the dining bench. Normally, healing wouldn't be a problem except that it's the Sabbath. He then told a parable to encourage the guests to stop grasping for honor and allow others to decide their importance. Then He explained to the host that if he had invited the poor and injured—like the ill man—God would have given him an eternal reward instead of the temporary, worldly honor his guests can offer (Luke 14:1–14).

One of the guests, it seems, senses the awkwardness Jesus' teaching is creating and tries to lighten the mood. The man deflects away from Jesus' exhortation to interact humbly with peers and serve the disadvantaged and latches on to the idea of the great feast at the resurrection (Isaiah 25:6; Psalm 22:26).

The guest ignores the hard truths Jesus taught to focus on future rewards. Jesus doesn't let him minimize the sacrifices required to live in the fulfilled kingdom of God. Those in presence at that heavenly banquet will not be exactly who the world would expect. God will invite those who are blessed in the world's terms, but many well-off people will be too wrapped up in their happy, prosperous life and will refuse to respond. 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.

Luke 14:15–24 is the last of three lessons Jesus gives about how humble and marginalized people can be more qualified to be honored in the kingdom of God than some religious leaders. A good life can distract anyone from their need for salvation. Those who suffer or have no homes are more likely to look forward to eternity in paradise with the Father. Luke will go on to present the cost of accepting an invitation to God's kingdom as well as its ultimate value (Luke 14:25–35). This parable resembles the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1–14.

A Pharisee invites Jesus to a formal dinner. There, Jesus teaches lessons using invitations and feasts as a theme. These emphasize humility and the importance of not making excuses. After the dinner, Jesus warns that those who seek to follow Him will experience hardship. Believers should "count the cost" and understand what aspects of this world they may have to give up.

Luke 14 continues Jesus' doctrinal march to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke 14 and 15 contain the second grouping of one miracle and a series of discussions about the kingdom of God and salvation; Luke 13:10–35 is the first. Next will be a collection of warnings about rejecting God's kingdom (Luke 16:1—17:10) and two more sets of lessons about the kingdom and salvation, each beginning with a single miracle (Luke 17:11—18:34; 18:35—19:27). After this comes Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.