Religion is all the things you normally go through to meet God. The gospel is the way you will see and think after you have met God! The gospel is the effect of the God-encounter; religion, though it often stirs desire, is also the most common and disguised way of avoiding the encounter! The parable ends on an ominous note: “…[N]ot one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet” (Luke 14:24). Religion is the invite; the gospel is the banquet.
