Luke 14

Luke 14:1-24 . HEALING OF A DROPSICAL MAN, AND MANIFOLD TEACHINGS AT A SABBATH FEAST.

2. man before him--not one of the company, since this was apparently before the guests sat down, and probably the man came in hope of a cure, though not expressly soliciting it [DE WETTE].

7-11. a parable--showing that His design was not so much to inculcate mere politeness or good manners, as underneath this to teach something deeper ( Luke 14:11 ).
chief rooms--principal seats, in the middle part of the couch on which they reclined at meals, esteemed the most honorable.

8. wedding--and seating thyself at the wedding feast. Our Lord avoids the appearance of personality by this delicate allusion to a different kind of entertainment than this of his host [BENGEL].

9. the lowest--not a lower merely [BENGEL].
with shame--"To be lowest is only ignominious to him who affects the highest" [BENGEL].

10. Friend--said to the modest guest only, not the proud one ( Luke 14:9 ) [BENGEL].
worship--honor. The whole of this is but a reproduction of Proverbs 25:6 Proverbs 25:7 . But it was reserved for the matchless Teacher to utter articulately, and apply to the regulation of the minutest features of social life, such great laws of the Kingdom of God, as that of Luke 14:11 .

11. whosoever, &c.--couching them in a chaste simplicity and proverbial terseness of style which makes them "apples of gold in a setting of silver."

12-14. call not thy friends--Jesus certainly did not mean us to dispense with the duties of ordinary fellowship, but, remitting these to their proper place, inculcates what is better [BENGEL].
lest . . . a recompense be given thee--a fear the world is not afflicted with [BENGEL]. The meaning, however, is that no exercise of principle is involved in it, as selfishness itself will suffice to prompt to it ( Matthew 5:46 Matthew 5:47 ).

13. call the poor--"Such God Himself calls" ( Luke 14:21 ) [BENGEL].

14. blessed--acting from disinterested, god-like compassion for the wretched.

15-24. when one . . . heard . . . he said, Blessed, &c.--As our Lord's words seemed to hold forth the future "recompense" under the idea of a great Feast, the thought passes through this man's mind, how blessed they would be who should be honored to sit down to it. Our Lord's reply is in substance this: "The great Feast is prepared already; the invitations are issued, but declined; the feast, notwithstanding, shall not want abundance of guests; but not one of its present contemners--who shall yet come to sue for admission--shall be allowed to taste of it." This shows what was lacking in the seemingly pious exclamation of this man. It was Balaam's, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his" ( Numbers 23:10 ), without any anxiety about living his life; fondly wishing that all were right with him at last, while all heedless of the precious present.

16. a great supper--(Compare Isaiah 25:6 ).
bade many--historically, the Jews generally, those within the pale of professed discipleship.

17. supper-time . . . all now ready--pointing undoubtedly to the now ripening preparations for the great Gospel call.