Luke 14:1-14

Introduction

13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

We see the tenderness of Jesus seen in the imagery of a hen with chickens.

This outpouring of divine compassion foreshadows His weeping over the city as He approaches it for the final time (19:41).

Clearly, these are deep and sincere emotions I wanted … Lit. “I willed, but you willed not.”

Christ’s repeated expressions of grief over the plight of Jerusalem do not diminish the reality of His absolute sovereignty over all that happens. Nor should the truth of divine sovereignty be used to depreciate the sincerity of His compassion.

And now we go on to Luke 14

Luke 14:1-6 Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Luke 14:1–6 KJV

1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer him again to these things.

We have to think a bit about 1st century Jewish lunch or dinner practices

We learn in vs. 12 that the Jewish tradition was to invite friends, family, and rich neighbors. All the people who could invite you to theirs. All the people you could get help from if you need it and just a meal if you don’t.

Jesus goes into the house of this pharisee for a sabbath lunch and all the guests are watching him

we also learn in vs. 12 the pharisee had invited Jesus; they don’t realize it, but he invites Him to trap Him but they are also inviting the only one that could help his soul as well

so as he’s going in, he sees this man with an illness standing there

dropsy, it seems, is edema or massive fluid buildup on the lungs. So Jesus sees this guy standing there, literally drowning in his own body fluid

So Jesus sees what’s going on, this guy’s here because the pharisees are trying to trap him again. It’s here I show my age and say the thought that popped in my mind is Jesus must feel like the roadrunner with Wiley coyote. These guys are continually trying to trap him and of course He’s God, so he knows it every time.

Jesus asks them, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? This is the third time in the book of Luke Jesus has an opportunity to heal on the sabbath day

clearly, this is a big issue to the pharisees and Luke knows it. This was their law of tradition. No such rule in the Bible. Jesus is asking them if it’s breaking THEIR law not His.

They don’t utter a peep. So Jesus “took him”. Jesus grabs the guy. Now if touching the hem of his garment had healing power, safe to guess when Jesus grabs you, you’re healed immediately and Jesus let’s him go.

This guy wasn’t there to eat, he was there as a trap for Jesus. I imagine, when Jesus let him go, whether Jesus gives him a look, or tells him to go home, I imagine this guy running past Jesus. He was already uncomfortable, and on top of that i imagine he can’t wait tell his wife and kids and friends and neighbors how Jesus has saved his life

Jesus shows their hypocrisy again (clearly this is another point important for Luke to point out). Every one of them wouldn’t hesitate to “work” on the sabbath to save one of their animals, after all they were valuable to them, worth something. how much more should this covenant child of Abraham and his healing be worth to them?

They are picking up what He’s saying to them so they keep their mouths shut.

Luke 14:7-14 Parable of the Wedding Feast

Luke 14:7 KJV

7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

I love the providence of God

Ralph spoke on this in the context of the Last Supper when we were down with CT and the Lead conference and it was a blessing to me then and helped me now.

some among the Jews had adopted the Roman practice of using the triclinium for meals.

The triclinium was an arrangement of tables in a U-shape with couches or cushions extending in a perpendicular angle from the outer sides.

This left the inner part of the “U” open, which allowed servants easy access for placing or removing food as needed.

Guests, along with their host, would recline or lean on their left arm, leaving their right arm free. Thus persons would use the right hand for eating, since the left hand was relegated for unclean tasks.

The right hand was the main utensil, although people did use spoons with some foods. People used bread for scooping stew from the communal pot or soaking up gravies, soups, or sauces.

So now everyone is going to their seats and while they were watching Jesus before, now He’s watching them. He’s watching them as they start to sit at the table or tables if this is a rich guys lunch

He’s watching them as they scramble like 4th graders trying to get to the chief seats;

Tradition said the host of the feast would not sit in the middle of a long table, as is often depicted in artwork of the Last Supper, but instead second to the left, with the guest of honor on his left, and a trusted friend to his right.

The trusted friend in seat one of the left side of the “U”, the host in the second seat, the guest of honor in the third and so on until the final seat on the end of the right side of the “U” was the servants seat closest to the door so he could get food or whatever was needed

Jesus is watching racing and wrestling to seat in the seats of honor on the left side, nearest the host and guest of honor

Luke 14:8–11 KJV

8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Jesus tells this parable explaining to them:

When you get invited to the wedding feast, don’t get there early and go in and sit down in the honored guest’s seat, just assuming you are the most important or the most loved because the host may not see you that way and have invited a more honored guest and say “hey guy”; you aren’t him. This is the guest of honor so you need to move.

by that time all the seats but the servants spot at the end of the table and you have the walk of shame around the whole table in front of everyone to make your way to the lowest seat. How embarrassing and shameful

Instead Jesus says go to the last seat and let the host move you up if you’re that honored. Let him be the one that decides how important you are

then all the guests see as the host lifts you up and exalts you in front of them. Because whoever exalts himself will be brought low but the one that humbles himself will be exalted

Luke 14:12–14 KJV

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Jesus goes on to tell the host that invited him:

When you’re planning a feast and start inviting people, calling your friends and family and your rich neighbors are fine, but don’t stop there. That’s not charity. That’s helping yourself by doing for only those that help you.

What about calling the those that can’t help you. The poor, the sick, the one’s that can’t walk, the ones that can’t see. Call them too. That’s what taking care of “the least of these” is.

Inviting them and taking care of the ones that can’t help you, Jesus promises that’s the work that’s blessed by God when you go before the judge at the end of life.

Conclusion

We see ourselves as the “most honored” we can’t help it. The sin of pride seems like it has multiplied in us since the fall in the garden. We fight to get to the best seat, but the truth is we ought to wait and do what we’re called and let Jesus seat us where He thinks we belong.

The truth is we were all rebelious, idolaters, and haters of God until He showed us mercy by calling and drawing us and gave us the grace and faith to be saved by Jesus.

C.S. Lewis defines humility kind of like this: “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less.”

James 4:6–10 “6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

The kingdom of heaven isn’t reached by works or worth. It isn’t by importance or influence. It’s not merit but only mercy. It’s not achievement but only acceptance. It is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.