The Storyteller: The Party of God


Luke 14:1-24; Isaiah 25:6-8

Reflection Questions

1.   What is the best party or celebration that you have ever attended? Why was it the best?

2.   Read Luke 14:1-6. Why do you think the Pharisees said nothing in response to Jesus? What is Jesus trying to get the Pharisees to understand in these verses?

3.   Read Luke 14:7-14. Why do you believe Jesus is approaching the issue of humility here? What does this have to do with the idea of bad religion versus compassionate faith?

4.   Read Luke 14:15-24. What do the excuses of the guests reveal about them and their hearts? What does the invitation to the poor and others reveal about the heart of God?

5.   Like those in the story, how do we sometimes find ourselves “too busy” to accept God’s invitation? Why do you think the so called people of the “streets” readily accept the invitation while those who knew about and had RSVP’d then rejected it? What can we learn from the “outcasts” of the story, and how can we apply it to our own faith?

Going Further

Read Isaiah 25:6-8. The image of a great banquet in God’s Kingdom for all eternity was very common in ancient Israel. How does this image resonate with you today? More specifically, how does this image transform and impact your way of thinking right now? Can you have a celebratory faith with all the chaos of the world? Does this banquet image make you joyful?