- Covered In His Dust
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- Luke Chapter 14
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
Read Chapter 14 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense.
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It’s good to be back. I missed you! Are you ready? Let’s go.
What’s going on here? Really.
It looks like a setup from the beginning.
The Pharisees didn’t invite Jesus to dine with them so they could get to know Him or learn from Him. They didn’t invite Him to support His ministry. They invited Him to “watch Him carefully” so they could accuse Him.
“And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy.
Jesus asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
Dropsy, also known as edema, causes the body to swell up due to an excess of fluid.
Dropsy can cause swelling in various parts of the body, but it often affects the extremities, such as the arms and legs.
There just so happened to be a man who needed healing. Maybe he was brought there so the Pharisees could accuse Jesus of healing on the Sabbath?
Jesus asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
Their silence said everything, “No, it is not lawful.”
Jesus isn’t criticizing the practice of the Sabbath. He’s criticizing the abuse of the Sabbath.
The Pharisees have turned a day meant to bring joy and honor to the Lord into a burden, binding themselves to strict rules and rituals while neglecting the true purpose of the Sabbath. God is nowhere to be found
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
Sabbath is not just about 'not working'; it's about finding rest, renewal, and spiritual connection.
I highly recommend the book Garden City by one of my favorite authors, John Mark Comer. In it, he talks about the Sabbath in a way that’s inspiring and easy to understand.
Wait. Do you want to read that chapter? Here you go.
Seating charts
In ancient Greek-Roman culture, humility was not typically considered a virtue. Instead, qualities such as courage, wisdom, and self-reliance were often valued more highly.
When Jesus called His disciples and followers to be humble and take seats at the back, it would have been a challenging concept for them to embrace, especially considering the cultural context of the time. In a society where honor and status were highly regarded, being asked to take a lower position might have been perceived as humiliating or demeaning.
For the Pharisees, who were accustomed to seeking places of honor and recognition, Jesus' teachings on humility would have likely been met with resistance or disdain.
They prided themselves on their knowledge of the law and their status as religious leaders, so being told to humble themselves and take a lower position may have been perceived as a threat to their authority and prestige.
Calling out Idolatry
Idolatry is the worship of anything or anyone other than the one true God, as revealed in the Bible. This can include the worship of physical idols or images, but it also extends to placing anything above God in our lives, such as money, possessions, power, status, relationships, or even our own desires and ambitions.
Whenever I find myself pointing out the idolatry of others, it’s an immediate cue to look in the mirror and point out all of the idols in my own life.
"Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces."
"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
As the guests arrived, Jesus watched them. He saw what they treasured. Their treasure was the praise of men.
The question is, “Where are my treasures?”
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
As Jesus turns His attention to the host, we, as Americans, often justify ourselves against His words,
“Do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.”
Ummmmm. WHAT?
“Repayment is bad?”
“No more church potlucks?”
“No more Thanksgiving dinner?”
“Really?”
It’s not necessarily about never hosting dinner parties or inviting friends and family.
It's all about the attitude and motivation behind our acts of kindness.
It’s about practicing hospitality with a spirit of genuine compassion, generosity, and inclusivity. It's about welcoming others into our homes and lives, not for what they can offer us in return, but out of a desire to show love and care for them, regardless of their social status or ability to reciprocate.
What if we took Jesus at His Word?
What would it look like to invite the marginalized over for dinner? What if we looked for people ALL AROUND US who were in need, who could never pay us back, and invited them into our home to break bread?
Would you ever do that?
Work. Home. Family.
Whenever I’ve read Luke 14:15-24, I’ve always understood it as Jesus calling out the Pharisees, the Experts of the Law, and the unbelieving Jews.
“You were invited to the Kingdom of Heaven, but you were too busy.”
The servant represents both Jesus and his disciples, as well as anyone who carries out God's will and spreads the message of the Gospel.
God sent Jesus and his disciples to proclaim the message of salvation and invite people to participate in God's kingdom.
Today, I see it differently.
The banquet in the parable is,
The Kingdom of Heaven.
It’s the narrow door.
It’s Jesus.
And the Pharisees, and the Experts in the Law, and the Jews, were all too busy.
The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
At first glance, those excuses seem ridiculous. But when you ponder on them, they become more and more familiar.
Where are our own fields and barns?
What takes precedence in our lives, day by day, that we overlook the greater blessings awaiting us? Where do we neglect spending time with God through His Word and prayer?
What keeps us from picking up our cross and following Him? Work? Home? Family?
Let’s not forget where all those things came from. By the hand of God Himself.
Satan's persistent aim is to hinder us from taking part in the feast — diverting our attention with temporary, fleeting delights, overwhelming us with endless tasks and distractions, and undermining the unparalleled, delectable banquet ever prepared.
The final banquet will come. And on that day, everyone will wish they had an invitation…
For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
But it will be too late.
I can’t follow Jesus unless I hate my own family?
That’s a strong statement. Let’s dig deeper.
The word "hate" is translated from the Greek word "μισέω" (miseó). It means having a strong aversion towards something or someone, often translated as "hate" in English.
However, it's important to understand that the term used here is not necessarily advocating for literal hatred but rather emphasizes a strong prioritization or preference. In this context, it highlights the idea that one's love and commitment to Jesus should be so paramount that, in comparison, any other relationship or attachment seems like hatred.
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Let’s break it down.
“Whoever” means EVERYONE. “Whoever” means me, and “whoever” means you.
For this study, I read multiple posts and commentaries describing it this way: “One's own cross is to willingly accept the challenges, trials, and hardships that come with living a life devoted to Jesus and His teachings. It symbolizes a readiness to endure suffering, persecution, and self-denial for the sake of following Christ.”
“Yes! That’s me! I would endure suffering and persecution for the rest of my life for the sake of Jesus.”
The sentiment is nice, but the reality is that it will probably never happen. We will most likely never suffer, be persecuted or die for the sake of the gospel. Fact.
Jesus tells us to “count the cost,” as in construction or war.
But.
What’s
The
Cost
Jesus?
“Just tell me. I’ll do it. Anything.”
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Notice he uses the infinitive “all that he has.” Not some of what we have or even most of what we have.
Let. Go. of. It. All.
There’s no negotiating here. His vocabulary is intentional. “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny himself” and “renounce all that he has.”
He’s pretty clear.
It doesn’t happen overnight.
Surrendering all aspects of your life to follow Jesus is a lifelong journey that involves gradual growth and transformation.
This is how I started:
Prayer: Start each day with prayer, inviting God to guide you and empower you to live according to His will. Ask for wisdom, strength, and clarity as you seek to follow Jesus more closely. 1 John 5:14-15
Study God's Word: Regularly read and study the Bible to deepen your understanding of God's character, teachings, and instructions for living. Allow Scripture to shape your thoughts, attitudes, and actions and sanctify you to be more like Christ.
Surrender: Surrender your thoughts, desires, plans, and concerns to God in prayer. Practice letting go of control and trusting in His wisdom and sovereignty. One day, one hour, one moment at a time.
I have to admit, I’ve never understood the lesson of the “salt.” I don’t know how many times I’ve read Luke, but surely it’s in the dozens.
In the past, I’ve given it a halfhearted try and moved on.
Not today.
First, it’s important to remember that the Bible isn’t written with chapters and numbered verses.
Why is that important?
If we read Chapter 14 straight through, without chapter or story titles, verses 33, 34, 35 would all be read together.
What Jesus is saying is, “If you’re not willing to pick up your cross, renounce all you have and follow Me, you’re like flavorless salt. I have no use for you. You can’t be my disciple.”
“If I add you to the soil, you’ll ruin the soil. I can’t even add you to the manure pile. I can use the manure pile for fertilizer, but I don’t know what to do with you. You’re half committed. The cost is… everything.”
Whew. Strong chapter. Brutal but in so many good ways.
For me, it was a call to deep personal reflection, and sometimes, looking in the mirror is uncomfortable. Painful even. I have to remember it’s a lifelong journey.
I can’t wait to see you again on Monday for Chapter 15!
I love you,
George
Uncovering scripture
PS My oldest son is in town visiting. I only get to see him once or twice a year. He’s in the States studying to become a pastor.
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George Sisneros serves as a full-time missionary in Guatemala. He is the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2014.