#disciplemaking
#adventcalendarday14
#willyoujoinme

Welcome to the weekend and Luke 14! This tough section continues with another healing and more confrontation with the Pharisees.

I’m struck by two things:

1/ it was not always nice to be near Jesus. I don’t think I’ve ever really noticed this the same way before (and reading in large chunks like this gives a better overview of the general sweep of this gospel). I think I’ve always thought how cool it would be to have travelled with Jesus but these last three or so chapters have not been much fun and if you were alongside Jesus as he kept delivering these “broadsides” to the Pharisees, it would have been becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Now the words of Luke 9:23-24, 57-62 really start striking home – it will not be easy following Jesus – but more than that – it will be downright difficult; fraught with discomfort and conflict!

The life-giving side of being near Jesus is wonderful – healing, peace, forgiveness and inclusion.

The fiery, confrontational words of Jesus are like death – criticism, condemnation, rebuke and exclusion. (Do check me – how would you feel if you were on the receiving end of the words of Jesus to the Pharisees?)

The instructions on where one should sit at a banquet, who one should invite and the consequences of refusing an invitation are dire and clearly directed at the Pharisees. Luke 13:7 “his opponents were humiliated”

And so again, counting the cost of being a disciple is not just some noble ideal. And the words of Luke 9:51 come back to me “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem”. He knew it was not going to be pleasant. He knew it was not going to end well for him but he went anyway.

2/ it would be too easy to think of ourselves as “not like them” (the Pharisees) and therefore pay less attention to what Jesus is saying.

• What do you think is the difference between experiencing Jesus’ words as life-giving (healing) or death-bringing (humiliating)?
• Why would Jesus deliberately choose to speak like that to the Pharisees? What was at stake?