14:1-6: Jesus heals another man on the Sabbath. This is his third healing on a Sabbath. When questioned, he uses the same argument he has used before.
14:7-11: Parable of the Wedding Feast: stay humble. I always think of this as - there will always be someone stronger, smarter, more capable than you. So, don't set yourself up as the best, or you just might be humiliated. Rather, stay humble.
14:12-14: Parable of the Great Banquet: Don't throw a big party to make yourself look good, or to gain favors from others. Instead, be generous with what you have. Does this mean you can never have a party? No. It means, look at your motivation. Is your life all about you & what you can get? Or is your life about serving others?
14:15-24: The Great Banquet: This refers to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Jewish people were given noticed well in advance of the coming Messiah. But, when He arrived, they ignored Him, made excuses for why they couldn't believe in Him, etc. So, the kingdom is open to everyone - Jew & Gentile alike. Everyone who believes, who comes will be welcome.
14:25-34: The Cost: Full & complete commitment. Nothing comes before Jesus, not your family, not your will. But He said hate! "Hating" is a Semitic expression for loving less. It simply means that Jesus is your first love. If you do not fully commit to Jesus, then you are simply unusable. Harsh? Maybe, but look at the parables above. When it's about you, you aren't able to help anyone but yourself. When you put yourself above Jesus, well then you're just unable to listen.
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