Sacrificing All

 In Deuteronomy 20:5-9, Yahweh gives reasons for a man to be sent home rather than joining Israel in battle:

1.) He has built a new house and has not dedicated it

2.) He has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it

3.) He has betrothed a wife and has not married her.

And then a fourth reason, set apart from the rest:

4.) He is fearful and fainthearted.

Compare then in Jesus’ parable of the great banquet in Luke 14:18-20 the excuses given by some for not coming to the feast:

1.) He has bought a piece of land and has to go see it

2.) He has bought five yoke of oxen, and has to go test them

3.) He has married a wife.

The parallel seems obvious. Compare also Luke 9:57-62, where Jesus rejects some from following Him:

1.) “nowhere to lay His head”

2.) “Let me go and bury my father”

3.) “Let me…bid them farewell who are at my house”.

In this latter case, Jesus had “set His face to go to Jerusalem” (vs. 51). He was going to war, to conquer by His own death. But in Luke 14, it is a wedding feast. The land has been conquered, and the groom is taking his bride to the home he has set up for them. It is the feast of the Kingdom of God (vs. 15), and only those who are willing to sacrifice all will partake of it (vss. 25-33).