Lessons at the Dinner Table

“Lessons at the Dinner Table”

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As a kid growing up in our home, mealtime was a special time, as our family sat around the table. My dad made sure that we shared at least one meal a day together, usually at night. Around the table we had a chance to see each other, and talk about our day.

We always prayed over our meal, and often, my dad shared something from the Bible with us.

There were a lot of teachable moments around the dinner table.

You should try to eat at least one meal a day together as a family, share and pray together.

Jesus often taught lessons to people at the dinner table. This is the third time we see Jesus sharing a meal with the Pharisees. This meal takes place after the worship service in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. It was at the chief Pharisees house; he was the ruler of the local synagogue. The others at the table would also be Pharisees, scribes and local leaders. They were constantly seeking honor and recognition, and trying to elevate their social status.

It is amazing that Jesus would accept this man’s invitation after all the Pharisees had said done to him.

If I were Jesus, I wouldn’t give the Pharisees the time of day, I certainly wouldn’t step foot in one of their houses to eat with them.

Aren’t you glad I am not Jesus! Jesus continued to reach out and seek to lead the Pharisees to repentance and faith in Him!

The conversation around this dinner table is

eye-opening and convicting.

Let’s pull up a chair, and sit down at this table and learn three great lessons.

Jesus mentions three different dinners in these verses, and each one has a lesson for us.

Lesson #1:

1. Legalism will Harden your Heart.

V:1-6.

The first lesson we learn at the dinner table is a lesson about how legalism will Harden your heart toward people.

Were told that the Pharisees invited Jesus there in order to trap him, and find something they could accuse him of. V:1-“they watched him”.

This means to observe carefully, to pay attention to. The Pharisees were watching Jesus every move to catch him breaking their legalistic rules.

The Pharisees were always spying on Jesus and his disciples, watching what they did to find something wrong with them.

This is what legalism loves to do: find someone doing something wrong, so they can feel superior about their spirituality.

Luke also tells us that at the meal was a man with dropsy. What is dropsy? We would call it today edema, which is characterized by the building up of fluids that causes swelling in the tissues, joints and body cavities. The man was swollen by the retention of fluid, possibly indicating that his organs were failing. That poor sick man was the first thing Jesus noticed when he entered this home. And today, in this house, Jesus notices our needs, and He alone can meet those needs!

Get the picture in your mind, we have already been told the Pharisees were watching Jesus trying to trap him; and as soon as he walked in the door there was a man with a terrible health problem. The truth of the matter is these hardhearted Pharisees would have never invited a sick man like this to eat with them. So, what is he doing there?

The Pharisees had planted him there, because they knew that Jesus would break their man-made rules, and heal the man no matter what day it was!

How hard hearted of these Pharisees to “use” this man as “bait” to trap Jesus, and get him to heal on the Sabbath.

Here’s what happens when you do not love the Lord, you will not love your neighbor either. They knew that Jesus could not be in the presence of human suffering very long without doing something about it!

Because Jesus is the great physician!

Jesus had already violated their Sabbath traditions on at least seven different occasions. He cast out a demon on the Sabbath, healed a fever on the Sabbath, allowed his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath, healed a lame man on the Sabbath, healed a paralyzed hand on the Sabbath, and delivered the bent over woman on the Sabbath.

Evidently they thought they were building a case against him, so they could arrest him and condemn him. Maybe they thought because he was the chief Pharisee he wouldn’t dare break the Sabbath rules while he was at his house. They were so focused on their man-made rules, they could not see the very proof that Jesus was God; healing people, and casting out demons. Be careful that you don’t become self-righteous because you keep your

man-made rules, and miss knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, and having a heart of compassion for people!

These hypocrites, who were self-appointed guardians of the law, were actually encouraging Jesus to break the law, so they would feel better about themselves, and accuse him.

Legalism, keeping man-made rules, makes you feel self-righteous, and keeps you from realizing your need for Christ righteousness!

V:3-Read.

Jesus answering them… But the Pharisees had not actually said anything. Jesus knew what they were thinking, he knew this whole thing was a set up.

So he asked them, V:3-“is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?

Is it permitted, is it proper, is it authorized to heal this man today? According to the Law of Moses it was absolutely okay to heal this man on the Sabbath! Everyone knew that healing on the Sabbath didn’t violate the Law of Moses.

Jesus was asking them…is your heart so hard, that you choose your legalistic rules over this sick, dying man being healed?

This is a brilliant move on Jesus part, they are planning on trapping Jesus; and Jesus has turned the tables on them, and now they’re trapped.

Jesus is publicly asking them to choose between their legalistic rules, and a compassionate heart.

Jesus question, V:3-“is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

They could not say yes, because then they would be authorizing Jesus to violate their rules.

They could not say no, you can’t heal him on the Sabbath, because everyone would know how hardhearted they were. That they cared for their traditions more than people.

They were trapped by their legalism, it was a divine checkmate. V:4-“and they held their peace”.

So what does Jesus do? V:4-“he took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away”.

What a precious sight this is to my mind!

Jesus reached out took hold of this man and pulled him to himself with both arms in a compassionate embrace. And the man was healed! This man was instantly and completely healed! The fluid was gone, the swelling was gone, and his organs were healed. And then Jesus, let him go, sent him away!

The man walked out the door healed and shouting happy. But Jesus is not finished with these legalist yet, he is going to drive his lesson home further. V:5-Read. Jesus had taught the same lesson earlier but they weren’t getting it.

The question in, V:5, was a rhetorical question; if the animal fell in an open pit of course they would pulled him out on the Sabbath day.

Why, then, would they object to Jesus reaching out on the Sabbath to save a man. Their legalistic regulations allowed them to rescue animals but not people.

There legalism had hardened their heart; and they missed the whole point of the law, to love God and their neighbor.

Unlike the Pharisees Jesus understood the real purpose of the law; to show us our need for God’s grace.

Legalism, is when you try to keep man-made rules, in order to make yourself righteous before God. Living by legalistic rules makes you feel like you are more righteous than others.

The other ditch to avoid, is the ditch of liberalism; that says it doesn’t matter how you live, are what you do. Both of those ditches get you off the road of God’s grace! Jesus Christ came into this world and lived a life that you can never live, died the death you deserve, and rose again to give you salvation. Once you’ve experienced the amazing grace of God in salvation; you don’t walk around condemning others because they’re not living up to your standards.

You understand that you are what you are by the grace of Almighty God!

-“For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast”.

Lesson #1, don’t become self-righteous, because you keep your own rules, and feel like you are better than others, and your heart gets hard toward God and others. Listen, if it weren’t for the grace of God not a one of us would be saved!

Lesson #2:

2. Pride will take you Down.

V:7-11.

The healing of the man with the dropsy was only an appetizer for the next thing Jesus taught at the dinner table.

We learn that not only had the Pharisees been watching Jesus; but Jesus had been watching them. He had been watching them as they picked the best seats at the table. Almost every culture has a seating etiquette, and the Jewish society was no exception. Generally speaking the most honored guest reclined to the left and the right of the host.

And then the other important guest beside them and so forth, and so on. Given the pride of the Pharisees, we can assume they sat according to rank and status. Jesus had said on another occasion, that the Pharisees love the chief seats in the synagogues, they also love the chief seats at the table.

Because they love to be recognized. Jesus watched these men size up their peers to determine the religious pecking order. A room full of arrogant, prideful Pharisees jockeying for the best seats in the house. What a pathetic scene it must’ve been!

It must have been like when the airplane touches down, and the flight attendant reminds us to checks for our personal belongings and remain seated until the plane comes to a complete stop. But, some passengers have to stand up, grab their coat from the overhead, and stumble and fall in your lap. They can’t just remain seated! They are the most important person in the world; and they must be the first person off of the airplane.

Jesus watched these self-important people make their move for the best seats at the table. As they find their seats, Jesus tells them a story, V:7-Read.

Jesus was always attuned to the spiritual dynamics of any situation he found himself in. He saw them as they casually talked and walked toward the head of the table. He saw the one man lay his coat down close to the host.

Then Jesus tells about another table, a wedding feast, and the guests that were invited.

He teaches a lesson about how to choose the right seat, and not the wrong seat.

Pride reduces the importance of others, and enlarges the importance of self. “I’m the greatest, so where is my seat?” “I’m superior, and this place reflects my worth!” They assumed that if they did not get the chief seats, the meal, regardless of how good the food or the fellowship was, would be a bummer. It was important that they be seen in a worthy place.

Human honor gave them a sense of importance and identity. Human recognition told them they were superior to other people.

The problem went much deeper than bad manners, they were filled with pride, and overestimated their importance. What mattered most to these men was their public reputation, not their private godliness!

People who are full of their own self-importance always insist on having the best seat in the house, and they feel slighted when they do not get it.

· How not to seat yourself.

V:8-9-Read.

It is easy to imagine the story; a guest who overestimates his importance arrives early. Chooses the most prominent seat at the table, and sits down. He loves it, is a great spot, he is near the head of the table, near the host.

Everyone will see him sitting there, he is important, he feels so good about himself. He imagines how respected he will be; and how he will participate in the conversation with the host.

Everyone is looking at him; this is even better than he imagined. Then he feels a tap on the shoulder, he looks up and the host is there; and he asked him if he would mind moving because a distinguished person is going to be taking his seat. Instantly, he feels his face get hot, and turn red, his ears are tingling. He gets up, and makes his way to the back of the room to an obscure seat. Everybody is still looking at him, unfortunately there is nowhere to hide. Pride has taken him down.

The point of this story is do not have too high an opinion of yourself. Do not claim your own honor, or take the best position or seat for yourself.

· How to seat yourself.

V:10-Read.

Instead of taking the highest seat, Jesus says take the lowest seat. Humble your heart, and thank God you’re in the room, must less at the table!

Jesus is not teaching us this lesson to improve our etiquette! But to show us the way that God works, notice what he says in, V:11-Read.

God hates pride and brings the proud down.

-“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”.

When Jesus said to take the lowest place, he was not just giving us a gimmick that guarantees promotion. False humility that takes a low place is just as hateful to God as the pride that takes the highest place.

God looks at our hearts, God desires a humble heart that recognizes we are what we are by the grace of God. God is not impressed by our status in society are in the church. He is not influenced by what wonderful things people say about us, because he knows the true thoughts and motives of our hearts.

The way up with God is always down.

Mary the mother of Jesus said in, -“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble”

In the prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector we see this principle. The Pharisees said, I thank God I’m not like other men, are like this tax collector. The tax collector prayed, God, have mercy on me a sinner. Jesus said, I tell you this tax collector rather than the Pharisee went home justified before God.

V:11-“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.

Let’s be honest we struggle with this. We want the best spot, because we think we deserve it; because after all… it’s me.

It happens in the home, when we feel like we should be served, we want special treatment, we don’t want to serve; we want to be served. It happens when you feel like your brother or sister get something you didn’t.

It happens at work where coworkers work there angle to get their promotion. And read books like:

”How to get your competition fired”

It even happens in church, where people want their ministry and service to receive special recognition over everyone else.

It happens at the restaurant, in traffic, even at the sale-rack.

We want to push our self in front of someone else because of how important we think we are.

And we are guilty of the sin of pride when we fail to get the place we think we deserve and then we become resentful.

This lesson that Jesus is teaching is for all of life. The world tells us to elevate ourselves, but Jesus says that if we do that, God will bring us down. He will humble our pride. We see that all through the Bible from the fall of Adam in the garden, to the fall of Jerusalem.

The place at the table at the eternal banquet of God will only be because of the grace of God! The only people who will be exalted are the people, who humble themselves before God, who know they are unworthy sinners, and who put their trust in the mercy of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for their sins. To go up to glory, we must first go down in humility.

Jesus is teaching us to make humility the governing principle of our lives. Give yourself to others in humble service, honoring them above yourself.

Someone said, the man who truly knows himself and his own heart, and who knows the price that Jesus paid for him; can never be a proud man”.

Where do we learn to live with this kind of humility? We learned it from the Lord Jesus Christ, who took the lowest place that anyone has ever taken, and is now exalted to the highest place in the universe. -“He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus went from the lowest place on earth, to the highest place in heaven. He was humiliated in his death, and exalted in his resurrection. One day everyone who has bowed their knee in humility to Jesus Christ will be lifted up to glory! One day those of us who have humbly accepted Jesus, and served him, will hear the words, friend move up higher.

Lesson #3:

3. Selfishness will Rob you Eternally.

V:12-14.

Jesus mentions a third dinner in, V:12-“when you make a dinner or a supper…

Jesus had been talking about the guest that came to a dinner. In this lesson he talks to the host who invites people to his dinner.

Jesus had been talking about where to sit and where not too sit; now he talks about who to invite, and who not to invite.

· Who not to invite.

V:12-Read.

Jesus was not saying don’t have a meal with your family or friends. Jesus ate with Lazarus and his sisters, many times. The gift of hospitality is encouraged in the New Testament. What Jesus is saying is don’t limit your guest list to only family members, and people who can pay you back.

Invite people to a meal who you know can never pay you back; who have nothing to offer you in exchange.

Jesus was saying to this Pharisee as he looked at all the elite guest at his table; the only people there were people who can invite you to their houses.

Jesus is saying don’t just invite your friends, but invite people who are down and out, who cannot repay you.

Reach out to others who cannot benefit us; that is what the Lord Jesus did. Jesus lived a selfless, compassionate, loving, giving life to people in the deepest need. How easy it is to help people who will help us in return, and how hard it is to help people who will be nothing but trouble. All of our relationships must not be based on, if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. If you invite me over for dinner, then I will invite you; if you watch my kids, then I’ll watch yours; there’s nothing wrong with this kind of relationship; but we need to go beyond that and be willing to help others who can never repay us. That demonstrates the mercy of God!

Do you remember the little clever rat “Templeton” in the movie Charlotte’s Web? The other animals in the barnyard often required his help, but he never did anything for anyone else unless it was in his own interest. His famous line was, “what’s in it for me” whenever he was asked to do something.

Be careful that you don’t get caught up in the mutual admiration society; only doing something for someone who can do something for you.

· Who to invite.

V:13-“invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

Expand your guest list and invite people less fortunate than you are. In our Lord’s time it was not considered proper to ask poor people and handicap people to public banquets. But Jesus commanded us to put these needy people on our guest list, because they cannot pay us back. He is encouraging us to develop relationships with people outside of our community and welcome people who are different than us.

This is a convicting, sobering issue that requires some self-examination. When was the last time you did something for someone who was not in any position to do something for you? Jesus wants us to have a heart for people in need; the same heart he had for us when he gave his life for us on the cross.

Jesus says when we receive these people as guests, and love and care for them we will be rewarded by him.

V:14-Read.

He will repay us at the resurrection, which Jesus called “the resurrection of the just” the resurrection that happens at the rapture!

If we are selfish, and do not share our life, and resources to enable ministries to care for the poor, disabled, and hurting, and share the gospel with the spiritually lost and dying; we are robbing ourselves of eternal rewards.

But when we give, sacrifice and pour our life out in God’s work with no thought of gaining anything in return; we are laying up treasure in heaven, and we will be rewarded!

What great lessons Jesus teaches us at this dinner table:

1. Legalism will harden your heart.

2. Pride will take you down.

3. Selfishness will rob you eternally.

God help us to learn these lessons; and live grace filled lives, humble ourselves that God might exalt us, and give and serve and lay up treasures in heaven!