Mineral Wells Index, Mineral Wells, TX

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October 21, 2011

To enjoy feast, one must first accept invitation

Mineral Wells Index

By Linda Farmer | Special to the Index

The Mineral Wells Bible Study Club met Oct.12 at the Black Horse Restaurant with 13 members present. The hostess and lesson leader was Carol Noeding. After refreshments were served, Carol opened in prayer, then led the group in the study of Luke, Chapter 14.

 The chapter begins with Jesus going to the house of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath. All the while He was being closely watched. In verses 2-6 we find Jesus questioning them: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” But they kept silent; then he took the man with dropsy and healed him. By questioning them before the miracle, Jesus made it difficult for them to protest afterward. 

 Vs. 7-14: Take the Lowly Place – Jesus tells us not to sit in the best place, but in a lesser place, so that the one who invited you comes and he may say to you to sit in the best place. Carol says the message He is sending is repeated often in the Bible – he who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

 Vs. 15-24: The Parable of the Great Banquet – One of the guests who reclined with Jesus at the meal remarked how wonderful it would be to participate in the blessings of the kingdom of God. Jesus replied that the sad fact is that many of those who are invited make all kinds of foolish excuses for the failure to accept. Verse 24 says: “I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” Without explicitly mentioning them, Jesus warned the Jewish religious leaders that those who refuse the invitation to his Messianic banquet would not get one taste of it but others would.

Vs. 25-33 covers the cost of being a true disciple. Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and Jesus wasn’t looking for people who were curious, he was looking for those who were willing to live devotedly and passionately for Him. So now he is beginning to sift through the crowd by presenting to them the stringent terms of discipleship. Carol’s bible commentary says that at times the Lord Jesus wooed them, but after they began to follow Him, he winnowed them and that is what is taking place today.

 Vs. 34-35:  Tasteless Salt is Worthless: Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? When the salt had been used and the impurities are left, the residue is worthless. The same is for a disciple who starts out all in and then goes back on his vows. The last verse says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear(listen)”. Carol lists two quotes she likes:

• “I gave up all for Christ, and what have I found?” from John Calvin.

• “The entrance fee into the kingdom of heaven is nothing: the annual subscription is everything” by Henry Drummond.

These quotes give us something to think about.

 After prayer requests were shared, the meeting was closed with members reciting the club prayer. The next meeting is Oct. 26 at the Black Horse with Jean Hensley serving as hostess and lesson leader.

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