ripple effect: vacaville

Read Luke 14:15-35.

[Sorry...I took a little vacation from the blog. Hey, I just wanted to let everybody in on a New Year's resolution that I made. I really want to spend time where it's just me and God. As much as I think that this blog is a great tool (I'm learning a TON about the Bible by doing it), it's not a substitute for time alone with God. So...I would encourage you guys to do the same. For me, it looks like me journaling (writing our my thoughts and prayers to God) and spending some time in prayer for my life and my friends and family. I don't know what shape it will take for you, but I pray that you can do both the blog and a quiet time on your own!]

1. Hmm…an intereresting response to the story that Jesus just told. I guess you would be blessed if you got to eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. Man…I hope God liked Italian food…
2. Jesus pipes in with a parable. Now, don’t forget the statement that the dude says before Jesus tells the story because I think it’s key.
3. In the parable, everybody is making their excuses. One guy’s got a real estate deal. One guy’s just purchased some new farm equipment. Another’s on his honeymoon (I think we know what he’s doing). These are all “legitimate” excuses, right? I mean, who’s got time to go to a party when all these things are going on?
4. Notice how angry the master is. He’s not happy that these people didn’t want to come to him. Why do you think that’s so? I think our culture and this culture is way different here. I think that we make up excuses all the time, and people accept them (because we’re an excuse making culture); but I think turning down invitations back in the day was a big insult to the inviter.
5. The master decides he’s going to have a party anyway. He’ll just take anyone he can. And he does. And he also reiterates that those who made excuses won’t get in on the feast.
6. We can’t just let this story fall on deaf ears. The one guy says, “Blessed are those who will eat at the feast of the kingdom of God.” Darn right. But, Jesus tells this story to point out that people are being invited to participate in that all the time and are TURNING IT DOWN! God moves on. God will extend His grace and mercy to someone, even if we don’t want it.

7. Whoah. And then you get into this large crowd following Jesus. Jesus says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even life itself– such a person cannot be my disciple.” Wow. What do you think that means?
8. Also, what does it mean to “carry [your] cross”? Keep in mind…at this time, no one knew that Jesus was going to die on a cross.
9. Then we get this analogy about building a tower. Unlike, Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor, we would estimate the cost before building it. Makes sense. And, like a good king, you wouldn’t send your soldiers into a suicide mission against a rival king. You would seek peace. Jesus says that this is like giving up everything to be a disciple. That is the cost. We must think about what we’re getting into. Following Jesus isn’t supposed to be something you “work your way into.” It’s supposed to be something that you think long and hard about. Do we think long and hard about what it means to be a follower of Christ?
10. Then we get this thing about unsalty salt. What would make a disciple “unsalty”?