Deepening Discipleship: Lost and Found

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                   Luke 14:15-24

Tuesday                  Luke 14: 25-30

Wednesday            Luke 14: 31-35

Thursday                 Luke 15:1-7

Friday                       Luke 15: 8-10

Saturday                 Luke 15:11-32

Opening Prayer

Lord, thank you for the heart that you have for those who have yet to know you. Reveal to us what it means to be found by and in you. Lead us, by the power of your Spirit, to follow you fully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reading

If your experience is anything like mine, you’ve heard The Parable of the Prodigal Son many times before. You may be familiar with the Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin too. But as you read through this week’s passages, I invite you to consider the ways in which these parables are shaped by the teachings which precede it.

In Luke 14, we see two critical teachings (14:15-24; 25-35). The Parable of the Great Banquet lays out an interesting story of invited guests blowing off the great banquet to which they’ve been requested. Instead of canceling the event, the host instead invites increasingly less likely candidates to join the party. Keep in mind, Jesus’ is sharing this parable in the house of a prominent Pharisee (v.1).

Then, in Luke 14:25-35, Jesus lays out the cost of being a disciple. It’s a high cost (v. 27 and 33). Jesus illustrates this cost of followership by citing the foolishness of a builder who fails to complete the work because he fails to count the cost beforehand and prepare accordingly. Furthermore, Jesus presents the case of a king who counts the cost before going to war.

So, as we read through the parables in Luke 15, keep in mind the lessons of Luke 14: God is a god who invites unlikely candidates to His great Banquet. He cautions those first invitees against excusing themselves and missing out. Finally, Jesus urges all who would come and follow him to count the full cost of following.