Luke 14:12

Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. THEN SAID HE ALSO TO HIM THAT BADE HIM, WHEN THOU MAKEST A DINNER OR A SUPPER, CALL NOT THY FRIENDS, NOR THY BRETHREN, NEITHER THY KINSMEN, NOR THY RICH NEIGHBOURS; LEST THEY ALSO BID THEE AGAIN, AND A RECOMPENSE BE MADE THEE - a fear the world is not afflicted with. Jesus certainly did not mean us to dispense with the duties of ordinary fellowship. But since there was no exercise of principle involved in it, except of reciprocity, and selfishness itself would suffice to prompt it, His object was to inculcate, over and above everything of this kind, such attentions to the helpless and provision for them as, from their inability to make any return, would manifest...

12._When thou makest a dinner. _Those who think that this is an absolute condemnation of entertainments given by relatives and friends to each other, take away a part of civility from among men. It were not only unfeeling, but barbarous, to exclude relatives from the hospitable table, and to class them only with strangers. Christ did not intend to dissuade us from every thing courteous, but merely to show, that acts of civility, which are customary among men, are no proof whatever of charity. To perform any act, in the hope of a reward, to rich men, from whom we expect a similar return, is not generosity, but a system of commercial exchange; and, in like manner, kind offices, rendered from mercenary views, are of no account in the sight of God, and do not deserve to be ascribed to charity. If I entertain at supper my relatives or rich friends, the act of civility ought not in itself to b...

7-14 Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but that his precept of doing good to the poor and afflicted should be observed from love to him....

Verse Luke 14:12. _CALL NOT THY FRIENDS_, c.] Our Lord certainly does not mean that a man should not entertain at particular times, his friends, c. but what he inculcates here is _charity to the poor_ and what he condemns is those entertainments which are given to the _rich_, either to _flatter_ them, or to procure a similar _return_; because the money that is thus criminally laid out properly belongs to the poor....

CALL NOT THY FRIENDS ... - This is not to be understood as commanding us not to entertain “at all” our relatives and friends; but we are to remember the “design” with which our Lord spoke. He intended, doubtless, to reprove those who sought the society of the wealthy, and particularly rich relatives, and those who claimed to be intimate with the great and honorable, and who, to show their intimacy, were in the habit of “seeking” their society, and making for them expensive entertainments. He meant, also, to commend charity shown to the poor. The passage means, therefore, call “not only” your friends, but call also the poor, etc. Compare Exodus 16:8; 1 Samuel 15:22; Jeremiah 7:22;...

EXPOSITION LUKE 14:1 _The Pharisee_'_s feast on a sabbath day. The healing of the sick with dropsy._ LUKE 14:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS HE WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF ONE OF THE CHIEF PHARISEES TO EAT BREAD ON THE SABBATH DAY. Still on the same journey; the Lord was approaching gradually nearer Jerusalem. The house into which he entered this sabbath belonged to one who was a leading member of the Pharisee party, probably an influential rabbi, a man of great wealth, or a member of the Sanhedrim "To eat bread on the sabbath day," as a guest, was a usual practice; such entertainments on the sabbath day were very usual; they were often luxurious and costly. The only rule observed was that all the viands provided were cold,, every

THEN SAID HE ALSO TO HIM THAT BAD HIM,.... As he had given advice and instructions to the guests, so he likewise thought fit to give some to the master of the house, that had given both him and them an invitation to the present meal; observing, very likely, that his guests consisted of such persons as are hereafter described. WHEN THOU MAKEST A DINNER, OR A SUPPER; any entertainment for other persons, at what time of the day soever, whether sooner or later, at noon, or at night, on sabbath days, or others: CALL NOT THY FRIENDS, NOR THY BRETHREN, NEITHER THY KINSMEN, NOR THY RICH NEIGHBOURS: that is, do not invite thy rich friends, rich brethren, and rich kinsmen, as well as not rich neighbours: not that our Lord's meaning is, that such should not be invited at all; which would be to destroy friendship and sociable conversation among persons in such a relation, and of such rank and fort...

Luke 14:7. _And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms;_ This parable was by far the best part of the entertainment of the day: Luke 14:7. _Saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be hidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room._ For, of course, the next room is full, and the next, and the only vacant seat, when the feast has begun, will probably be in the very lowest room of the house. Luke 14:10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit

CHAPTER 14 _ 1. The Man with the Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath. (Luke 14:1)_ 2. The Wisdom of Humility. (Luke 14:7) 3. Recompensed in Resurrection. (Luke 14:12) 4. The Parable of the Great Supper. (Luke 14:15) 5. Conditions of Discipleship. (Luke 14:25 .) Luke 14:1 Again He heals on the Sabbath. In the house of a ruler, a Pharisee, they were watching Him. He had gone there to eat bread. What condescension! They were His enemies, yet He loved

A SABBATH WITH A PHARISEE. A companion picture to Luke 13:10. When in Luke 6:6 Lk. relates the cure of the man with a withered hand (Mark 3:1; Matthew 12:9) he omits the illustrative argument used by Jesus (Matthew 12:11 f.); he brings it in here in a story peculiar to his gospel. Montefiore justly points out that the animals (Luke 14:5; cf. Luke 13:15) are in danger of perishing, whereas the woman and man w