15 Humility and Honor, Cost and Reward

Last week, Two questions answered – How can I inherit eternal life, and who is my neighbor. Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate the answers to these questions. Eternal Life = love God and love others. Others = neighbor. You be the neighbor to whomever you encounter. Love, mercy, compassion.

Love God, love your neighbor

Most of the remaining parables will work through what this looks like.

This week we continue with those questions and the basics of the Great Command underlying the parables Jesus told – Love God, Love Others.

Parables on Kingdom Living based on the Great Command.

Read

healing on sabbath

Pharisees could not argue, they would also save a son or valuable animal on the Sabbath.

Humble Yourself

Humble Yourself – Read

Read

Luke 14:7–11 NIV

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:7 NIV

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:

Luke 14:7-11

v.7 Jesus notices some guests are choosing the best seats

v.7 Jesus notices some people are choosing the best seats

If they were recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, He should have been the guest of honor.

Luke 14:8–9 NIV

8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.

Indonesian neighborhood events

Luke 14:10 NIV

10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

Avoid false humility – don’t just take the lowest seat so you can put on a show of being honored. That is a form of v.11

Luke 14:11 NIV

11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This is an ongoing principle throughout Scripture. Humility is an extremely high value. If you lift yourself up, you will be brought back down. If you humble yourself, God will lift you up.

If you seek to receive honor, you may be humbled in the end. But if you seek the lowest place, you may stay there or you may be honored as you get moved up.

Do not seek what may end up being given to you. Start with what cannot be taken away.

Honor Others

Turning to the host:

Luke 14:12–14 NIV

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Highlight v.13 poor, crippled, lame, blind the lowly, the “other”

Not only are we to humble ourselves, but we are also to lift others up.

Honor them. Value them. Respect them.

Philippians 2:3–4 NIV

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

When giving honor, do not seek to receive honor in return. The blessing comes in honoring those less able, and the honor comes when He Who is most able to give honor repays your humility.

This principle is more difficult than it sounds. Our culture is so divided. Can you treat others who oppose you with respect and honor. Recognizing that they are also broken by sin.

Summary – when you receive an invitation, respond humbly. When you give an invitation, invite the humble and lowly.

Example of Humility and Honor

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Luke 14:15 NIV

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

v.15 heartfelt rejoicing, but wrong understanding. Self-righteous

Luke 14:16–17 NIV

16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

Luke 14:16-17

General invitation, then when everything is ready, direct calling to the banquet

Luke 14:18–20 NIV

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

Luke 14:18-20

vv. 18-20 Excuses.

Banquet Parable, example of the “others” being honored when the invited would not humble themselves.

The people invited to the great banquet used the same excuses we use today - property, equipment and vehicles, work, family obligations.

Those who were the invited were not willing to come. The truly privileged were content in their own agenda and didn't feel the need to honor the Master.

The Master then invited the lowly and undeserving, honoring those who responded.

Luke 14:21–24 NIV

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

v.21 streets and alleys. In the city.

Again… Representing the lower of Israel. poor, crippled, blind, and lame sounds like quite the group. Is that who you would invite to a party?

v.23 roads and country lanes = outside the city. The Gentiles

Compel them to come in

Those who "deserved" the honor because of their imparted position and invitation didn't really want it. Those who wanted the honor did not deserve it, but were welcomed in.

v.15 Enjoying the bread in the Kingdom of God did not depend on deserving but on the goodness of the Master and the response of the humble.

Count the Cost

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Cost of following Jesus, being His disciple.

Luke 14:25–26 NIV

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.

Love Me more than others – Luke 14:25-26

Love Me more than others – vv. 25-26

Hate? = complete devotion to God. Putting God before family and others.

Luke 14:26–27 NIV

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Love Me more than others – a

Love Me more than yourself – Luke 14:26b-27

v.26b yes, even his own life

Bear his own cross = death sentence, following Jesus to His death, joining Him on the road to humility.

Count cost of building

Luke 14:28–30 NIV

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

Luke 14:28-30

Story of Gettysburg hotel

Before jumping in, make sure you are willing to pay the price.

Laying the foundation – remember the parable of the foundation on the rock

Count cost of battle

Luke 14:31–33 NIV

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Luke 14:31-33

General Grant

ask for terms of peace = complete surrender

General Grant

Philippians 3:7–8 NIV

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

Love Me more than others –

Love Me more than yourself –

Love Me more than all else –

Give up everything – recognize it all belongs to God, in heart and attitude and practice, make it all available to Him. Loose grip. Otherwise, pain in the losing, or miss the blessing.

Give up everything, but do you think God is harsh? Is Jesus mean? No. Loving.

Luke 14:34–35 NIV

34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Luke 14:34-35 don’t lose your saltiness –

don’t lose your saltiness –

Cost and Reward

Count the cost – although Salvation is a free gift, Jesus died for us, we receive by grace through faith. Free gift. But cost Jesus His life, and Heaven. Pearl of Great Price = Jesus gave everything to purchase YOU.

although Salvation is a free gift, Jesus died for us, we receive by grace through faith. Free gift. But cost Jesus His life, and Heaven. Pearl of Great Price = Jesus gave everything to purchase YOU.

Cost of following Jesus is everything. Forsake all others. Forsake your own rights. Forsake all else..

The reward? Eternal life. Being lifted up by Jesus. Being Honored by the Father

Big Idea:

A True Disciple Follows Jesus Humbly and Wholly.

The cost? everything.

The reward? Eternal life. Being lifted up by Jesus. Being Honored by the Father

What About You?

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