Luke 14:6 - Printer Friendly

Jesus is dining with a significant Jewish leader: a Pharisee who obeys the extra-biblical Oral Law. A man with debilitating swelling happens to be in the room. Jesus asks His hosts and the other guests, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" They refuse to answer. To disagree would reveal their hard hearts. To agree would reveal their hypocrisy (Luke 14:1–4).

Of course, Jesus heals the man and reveals their hypocrisy, anyway, pointing out that if they would pull an ox or their son out of a well on the Sabbath, why shouldn't He heal a man (Luke 14:4–5)? Now the Pharisees are silent for another reason. Jesus is right and they know it: they have nothing to say in their defense.

The text doesn't say how the man with dropsy showed up. At formal dinners, the doors were left open for passers-by to enter, stand against the walls of the room, and listen in on the conversation. He may have been from the crowd that was following Jesus (Luke 14:25). On the other hand, the host may have invited him, knowing Jesus would not give up a chance to heal him.

After Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, Luke writes, "But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus" (Luke 6:11). After Jesus heals an invalid on the Sabbath, John says, "And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath" (John 5:16).

The Pharisees want to goad Jesus into breaking the law badly enough that they can justify His death. So far, however, they've only managed to get Him to break their rabbinical rules. Shortly before the crucifixion, they will try to get Him to commit sedition against Caesar (Luke 20:19–26). In the end, they accuse Jesus of the spurious crimes of declaring Himself king (Luke 23:1–5)—a capital offense.

Luke 14:1–6 begins a section discussing who can enter the kingdom of God, and how they must do so. God's kingdom isn't just about salvation. It's also about the blessings of God's sovereignty and character. While arriving at the home of a Pharisee for a formal banquet on the Sabbath, Jesus heals a man. The other guests remain silent while Jesus indirectly explains that the kingdom of God is about kindness for all God's creatures. It is not a matter of blindly following man-made laws. Jesus follows with three parables about humility, generosity, and the importance of accepting God's invitation to His kingdom (Luke 14:7—15:24).

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.