In Luke 13 and 14, Jesus gives several parables to describe the kingdom of God. One of those parables starts, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many… but they all alike began to make excuses”. They made weak, trivial excuses for not attending the feast. Instead opportunity was given to the poor and crippled and blind and lame, then to those in the highways and hedges.
Although we can interpret this parable to mean that the Jews rejected the invitation to the feast, allowing the Gentiles an opportunity, it also applies to our response to our calling.
Jesus later says, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple”. This is a really challenging idea. It shows the importance of putting God first in our lives, to allow our relationship with Him pervade our whole life, as leaven affects flour.