09/01 – Luke 14:1-14 – God’s Ladder of Success

Old Testament: Proverbs 25:2-10

It is the glory of God to hide things but the glory of kings to investigate them. Like the high heavens and the deep earth, so the mind of kings is unsearchable.

Take the impurities out of silver, and a vessel is ready for the silversmith to mold. Take a wicked person away from the presence of a king, and justice will make his throne secure. Do not brag about yourself in front of a king or stand in the spot that belongs to notable people, because it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put down in front of a prince whom your eyes have seen.

Do not be in a hurry to go to court. What will you do in the end if your neighbor disgraces you? Present your argument to your neighbor, but do not reveal another person’s secret. Otherwise, when he hears about it, he will humiliate you and his evil report about you will never disappear.

Epistle Reading: Hebrews 13:1-17

Continue to love each other. Don’t forget to show hospitality to believers you don’t know. By doing this some believers have shown hospitality to angels without being aware of it. Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were being mistreated.

Marriage is honorable in every way so husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. God will judge those who commit sexual sins especially those who commit adultery.

Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can mortals do to me?”

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. Think about how their lives turned out and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Don’t get carried away by all kinds of diverse and strange teachings. Gaining inner strength from God’s kindness is good for us. This strength does not come from following rules about food, rules that do not help those who follow them. Those who serve at the Tabernacle have no right to eat what is sacrificed at our altar.

The chief priest brings the blood of animals into the holy place as an offering for sin, but the bodies of those animals were burned outside the Israelite camp. That is why Jesus suffered outside the gates of Jerusalem. He suffered to make the people holy with his own blood. So we must go to him outside the camp and endure the insults he endured. We don’t have a permanent city here on earth but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future. Through Jesus we should always bring God a sacrifice of praise, that is, words that acknowledge him. Don’t forget to do good things for others and to share what you have with them. These are the kinds of sacrifices that please God.

Obey your pastors and accept their authority. They take care of you because they are responsible for you. Listen to them so that they may do this work joyfully and not complain about you. (Causing them to complain would not be to your advantage.)

Gospel Reading: Luke 14:1-14

On a day of rest, a holy day, Jesus went to eat at the home of a prominent Pharisee. The guests were watching Jesus very closely. A man whose body was swollen with fluid was there. Jesus reacted by asking the Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings, “Is it right to heal on the day of rest or not?” They didn’t say a thing. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. Jesus asked them, “If your son or your ox falls into a well on a day of rest wouldn’t you pull him out immediately?” They couldn’t argue with him about this.

Then Jesus noticed how the guests always chose the places of honor. So he used this illustration when he spoke to them. “When someone invites you to a wedding don’t take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited. Then your host would say to you, ‘Give this person your place.’ Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor. So when you’re invited take the place of least honor. Then when your host comes he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honorable place.’ Then all the other guests will see how you are honored. Those who honor themselves will be humbled but people who humble themselves will be honored.”

Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for a dinner or a banquet don’t invite only your friends, family, other relatives or rich neighbors. They will return the favor. Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”