Luke 14:5-7 - A child or an ox?

14:5,6

Jesus uses common sense to point out the errors in the Pharisees’ thinking. If a child or an ox (and interesting couplet!) falls into a well they would immediately do something to pull the child or ox out, regardless of the day. We can get so carried away by an idea or a notion that we make it into an idol and become fools. The Sabbath was important, but they had totally lost sight of reality and of God’s purposes and concern for people. We all have traditions and there is nothing necessarily wrong with that, but every so often we need to keep a check on ourselves (whether as individuals or as church groups and denominations) to make sure we aren’t veering off into ridiculousness and error. This applies to the secular world as well. These days we are hearing an incredible amount of nonsense, and dangerous nonsense, about transgenderism. Now gender identity disorder, or gender dysphoria, are “a thing”, but some people really do need to switch on more than one brain cell, For instance at the time of writing (9/2/2017) the BMA have issued guidance advising doctors not to use the term “expectant mother”! Apparently no one has told them that men cannot become mothers.

14:7

Jesus continues to cause trouble  and challenge people’s thinking, this time to the guests in general. It seems as though this was quite a large gathering, and people tried to get the best seats. You see the failings of the Pharisees were failings that we all have, it was just that the Pharisees were in a position to live out their failings. We all like to criticise and mock politicians, and they do much to merit such treatment. But the failings that the politicians have are just the same as the failings we all have, but they are in a position of power so we all suffer the consequences of their failings, whereas for most of us just a few people have to suffer the consequences of our failings. So we all need to consider ourselves with sober judgement (Rom 12:3) and to pay heed to the words of Jesus.