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Many thanks to Peter Jones who has prepared this week’s devotions. This week our attention is focused on Luke chapter 14, verses 1-15. Please read these verses every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 14:11-14 (NIV)
‘For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’
I believe that in this narrative, Jesus is teaching a very important truth about the kingdom of God and our attitude to others.
The host is the one who does the inviting and as such he has the provision to invite whoever he feels should attend his luncheon.
There are many who believe that these verses point to a God who is selective about who should or should not be saved. I am not a theologian, but I cannot get away from the verse in John 3 verse 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I believe that Jesus is telling us that our selection, for want of a better word, does not depend on our ability to repay but on our acceptance that Jesus has paid for us by dying on the cross.
I often think about why God chose me and I have had many jobs over the years and very few of my work colleagues were Christians. They all knew that I was a Christian but they seemed to have no interest or desire to hear anything I could tell them about salvation. But there was one occasion when I was attending my initial training as a police officer that I was in a class of about 15 men. I was the only Christian in the class and was often subject to ridicule. There was one man who was a former soldier and said very little to me. We were sitting together one evening and he was showing me how to polish my boots and for no apparent reason, he asked me why I was a Christian. We began to talk and I realised that he was very troubled but could not bring himself to admit that he needed salvation. I don’t know what became of him but he never finished the course so I lost touch with him.
Back to our text “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” If we treat others on the basis of what we will get in return, then Jesus said, you have your reward, but if you treat people on the basis of a loving and kind attitude, not expecting anything in return, then Jesus says that you will get your reward in heaven. The statement “the resurrection of the righteous” I suppose can be interpreted to mean when we will receive our rewards based on an upright heart and a rightful mind. God hates it when we pretend, when we put on a look simply to be appreciated by men. When we are selfish and opportunistically seek to place ourselves where we gain materially. God demands an upright heart. Maybe it is time for us to examine our motives whilst we are on earth because it will be too late we stand before Him.
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