In Luke 14:15 we are told that a man spoke out claiming they who dine in God’s Kingdom are truly blessed. This man was probably a rabbi, or at least another Pharisee, and what probably prompted him to speak of eating bread in the Kingdom of God was that Jesus implied wrongdoing on their parts as guests in the home of the chief Pharisee. Moreover, Jesus implied that even their host acted inappropriately and wouldn’t be blessed in the Kingdom. It was in this context that the man spoke out (Luke 14:7). No doubt, he considered his place in the Kingdom of God was a given, simply because he was a Jew (cf. Luke 3:8; Ezekiel 33:24).
If we compare this idea with what the Jewish Talmud says, remembering that, although the Talmud was written later, it reflects the thoughts and teachings of the rabbis of the first century AD, so we should get a good idea concerning the point this man was trying to make.
Mishnah: All Israel have a portion in the world to come, for it is written, “Thy people are all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”[1] [Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 90a]
The man obviously intended to rebuke Jesus, since Jesus’ words implied judgment against everyone present, as far as entry into the Kingdom was concerned. Many of the Pharisees and rabbis of the first century AD considered that, because they were Abraham’s seed or children (John 8:33; Leviticus 25:42), they were the inheritors of the promises (Ezekiel 33:24). It, therefore, made no difference how they lived their lives with respect to their brethren (Micah 3:11). The blessings, according to their understanding, were guaranteed them by the promises made to Abraham. Yet, both John the Baptist and Jesus claimed that merely being a descendant of Abraham didn’t qualify anyone for the Kingdom of God (Luke 3:8; Matthew 3:9; 8:11-12).
John claimed the axe was already laid against the tree. The olive tree was often used as a metaphor for Israel. And, John claimed bearing good fruit was required to stand the judgment of God. Yet, the Jewish leaders, who were the physical descendants of Abraham, had not been bearing good fruit. Therefore, the tree (Israel) was ready to be cut down (Luke 3:9). In other words, the inheritance wasn’t something set in stone, i.e. that God was obligated to give it to them, whether or not they rebelled against him. Behavior, how one treated his brother, does matter. The fact is that extending kindness to one’s brother was something written into the Law of Moses, so there was no excuse for the rabbis and Pharisees of the first century AD missing the point.
Jesus also warned the Pharisees and lawyers (rabbis) that requiring their brethren to strictly obey their rules of behavior, while at the same time providing loopholes for their own behavior (Matthew 23:2-4), was hypocritical and demanded God’s judgment. They not only refused to enter the Kingdom of God by yielding to their Messiah, Jesus (John 7:47-52), but they prevented others from entering also (Matthew 23:13). They hoped to retain their authority over the nation, thus seizing God’s Kingdom for themselves (Matthew 21:37-38; John 7:19; 8:37, 40). Therefore, Jesus said that, although they were the children of the Kingdom (Matthew 8:11-12), the Kingdom would be taken from them (Matthew 21:42-47).
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[1] A rendering of Isaiah 60:22
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