Good news, there’s hope. Wisdom can be acquired.

Today’s reading presents us with three types of people who can benefit from correction in order to grow up and make progress in what’s profitable.

First, children need correction.

Was there ever a passage with so much emotion?

Jesus’ death was no accident. Not even a simple miscarriage of justice, though it was that. He knew what he had come to do, and ironically not even the Pharisees’ warning that Herod was out for his life could deter him from giving his life. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem. He gave his life for us. It was not taken from him.

Once again we see Jesus having dinner at the house of one of the Pharisees. Although not all the Pharisees were hostile to him (think of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus), on this occasion they were watching him carefully, ready to spring on him if they caught him breaking the law.

Jesus knew what they were thinking (compare John 2:25).

There are two stages in today’s story. First, the invitations are sent out. A lot of them. People accept. Then, when the day comes, they find they have other things to attend to, more important in their eyes than the feast. Have you ever been in the situation where you had planned something for a crowd of people and in the end only a few showed up? I have and I understand the anger of the man (v 21).

This is how Jesus feels if we “make a decision” and then put other things in front of following him.

Wow! Hard words! It was easier when Jesus was telling parables.

If you are reading from the NIV you might want to turn to the CEV for this section. It reads: “You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother” etc. (v 26). This reflects more accurately what Jesus meant. It clearly follows on from yesterday’s reading.

Have you ever lost anything? Keys? Glasses? Cell phone? Tax receipt?

Do I need to ask? If some of the stories in this gospel need a bit of background information, this chapter certainly doesn’t.

Notice the way that Luke introduces these parables.

Last night we had dinner with new friends who live on the shores of Georgian Bay. Afterwards our host asked, sort of tongue in cheek, if I wanted to have a deeply spiritual experience? His idea was to walk out onto the ice of the Bay and look at the night sky. I said sure and out we went, our wives choosing to tend to the warmth of the gas fireplace.

Man was it cold. We walked probably 200 meters off shore onto the vast, openness of the Bay.