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<DIV align=left><FONT size=4>...the recommendations to the host about who to
invite </FONT><FONT size=4>to dinner, is in a way another parable about what to
do in relation to the coming of the </FONT><FONT size=4>Kingdom of God that is
turned into a parable by the final observation, "You will be </FONT><FONT
size=4>blessed because they cannot repay you. It will be repaid at the
resurrection of the </FONT><FONT size=4>righteous."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.gotell.org/pdf/commentary/Luke/Lk14_01_07-14_commentary.pdf"><FONT
size=4>http://www.gotell.org/pdf/commentary/Luke/Lk14_01_07-14_commentary.pdf</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4 face=Arial-BoldMT>
<DIV>Thomas E. Boomershine</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...an article by William Easum entitled, "On Not Being Nice
for the Sake of the Gospel." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>...One of the basic lessons I'm learning as a
consultant: Before renewal begins in a church or denomination, normally someone
has to leave or be denied. Almost every time a dying church attempts to thrive
once again, someone tries to bully the leaders out of the attempt. And almost
every time a turn-around takes place, such persons are lost along the way
because they are no longer allowed to get their way. When they can't get their
way, they leave. Not even Jesus got through the journey with all of the
Disciples. Why should we expect to?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>Of course, we should not set out to intimidate
the bully or to kick people out of the church. But a strong response means that
we care enough about the future of our church not to allow anyone to stifle its
ability to liberate people from bondage or victimization. It also means that we
care enough about the bully that we will not allow him or her to intimidate the
church, because we know the spiritual vitality of both the bully and the church
is at stake.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke14x1.htm"><FONT
size=4>http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke14x1.htm</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Brian Stoffregen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>In Luke however the self interest continues unabated in
14:12-14. It is best to put people in your debt who cannot repay you, because
then you will be repaid by God. What a nuisance if people square the ledger
here! We help the poor and needy so that we can build up capital for our own
future. These are disastrous developments. Where they are applied the needy are
used and abused. It is spiritual capitalism at its worst. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/LkPentecost14.htm"><FONT
size=4>http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/LkPentecost14.htm</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>William Loader</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>It is very hard for human beings to move out of our comfort
zones of people we know and trust.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>A group of psychologists conducted an experiment with 150 people on a
weekend retreat.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They told everyone
to move into 8 breakout rooms with no more than 20 people in each group.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Those were the only directions
given.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even though there was
clearly enough room for everyone to be in a group, everyone reacted with great
anxiety to the directions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In each
room people quickly moved to a room, elected or appointed a leader, counted out
20 people and then shut the door to close anyone else out.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They did this even though no one told
them to elect leaders or shut the doors.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>As much as we think we are free individuals, we come pre-programmed to
have a herd mentality where we are quick to define who is part of our group and
who is not welcome.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Human being
will act with great compassion to those who are defined as “in the group” and
yet we will often be irrationally spiteful and destructive to people we define
as “outsiders.”</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://bloomingcactus.typepad.com/bloomingcactus/2010/08/luke-141-714-great-banquets-are-never-easy.html">http://bloomingcactus.typepad.com/bloomingcactus/2010/08/luke-141-714-great-banquets-are-never-easy.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Todd Weir, 2010</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The <EM>punch line</EM> (v. </FONT><A
onmouseover="window.status='Click here to read the text'; return true"
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href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?version=nrs&word=Luke+14%3A11"><FONT
size=4>11</FONT></A><FONT size=4>) is good manners, but Jesus is drawing a
conclusion about the kingdom: attendance depends on God’s invitation. God will
not be fooled by self-promotion! Jewish and Greco-Roman societies both spurned
the “poor” (v. </FONT><A
onmouseover="window.status='Click here to read the text'; return true"
onmouseout="window.status=' '; return true"
href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?version=nrs&word=Luke+14%3A13"><FONT
size=4>13</FONT></A><FONT size=4>) and the disabled. A Qumran document says that
these people will be excluded from the banquet, but Jesus says: <EM>share with
them</EM>! (v. </FONT><A
onmouseover="window.status='Click here to read the text'; return true"
onmouseout="window.status=' '; return true"
href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?version=nrs&word=Luke+14%3A13"><FONT
size=4>13</FONT></A><FONT size=4>)</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cpr22m.shtml">http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cpr22m.shtml</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Chris Haslam</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV><EM>Verse 14</EM>: “the resurrection of the righteous”: Belief varied as to
whether the ungodly would be raised as well as the godly:</DIV>
<DIV>Acts <A
onmouseover="window.status='Click here to read the text'; return true"
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href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?version=nrs&word=Acts+24%3A15">24:15</A>
shows Paul as believing in the resurrection of both. This belief is found in
Daniel <A onmouseover="window.status='Click here to read the text'; return true"
onmouseout="window.status=' '; return true"
href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?version=nrs&word=Daniel+12%3A2">12:2</A>
and some parts of <EM>1 Enoch</EM>. <EM>The Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs</EM> also envisages all being resurrected at the end of time, though
perhaps not all at the same time. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Luke presents a view that has more in common with: </DIV>
<LI>
<UL>
<LI><EM>Psalms of Solomon</EM>, which sees only the resurrection of the godly,
and
<LI>2 Maccabees, where resurrection is the reward of the martyrs. (For
example, 2 Maccabees <A
onmouseover="window.status='Click here to read the text'; return true"
onmouseout="window.status=' '; return true"
href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?version=nrs&word=2Maccabees+7%3A9">7:9</A>:
</LI></UL>“the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal
of life, because we have died for his laws”.) </LI></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cpr22l.shtml">http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cpr22l.shtml</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Chris Haslam</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></FONT><FONT size=4><FONT
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