How’s Your Hearing? Series

Luke 14: 25 – 35

How’s Your Hearing?

25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

As we begin I would like us to take a moment and read what Matthew and Mark also wrote on this sermon of our Lord.

Matthew 10:34-39, “34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 5:13, “13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Mark 9:50, “50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Well what I catch here is that the disciple Luke after his personal investigation and interviews of eyewitnesses put these two topics of our Lord together while Matthew and Mark listed them separately. Knowing this then how would you comment as to the different placements? Have you ever done a term paper? If you have then you probably have an idea as to why these teachings are listed the way they are by their writers. When you personally compose you paper you have in mind a certain flow of your position and facts. This is the same thing the gospel writers are doing. Being inspired by our Precious Holy Spirit they wrote their narratives to express their major emphasis. You see Matthew wrote principally to the Jewish believers with a goal of pointing out how our Holy Master Lord Jesus Christ Is The Messiah. As you know the Cherubim had four faces. Matthew’s Gospel speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Throughout Scripture many passages point out that Adoni Yahweh would send a Suffering Servant. Mark’s goal was to list in his gospel version these points of view. Therefore, you can see how his gospel speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Ox, a sacrificial animal.

Luke speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ as the perfect sinless man. Our Lord in Luke’s Gospel is the man in the cherubim. John’s Gospel highlights our Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God. He therefore represents the majestic eagle.

Luke closes this section off as he opened it by showing our Lord Jesus as challenging His disciples and His would be disciples to consider what was involved in what they were setting out to do. He wanted them to recognize fully what was involved. His challenge to put Him before their own families is a reminder of the division that His coming could cause within families.

25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,