Luke 14:1-24 - Sabbath with Jesus

Introduction

As we come to chapter 14 of Luke’s gospel account, Jesus is still making His way to Jerusalem and He is still battling the unbelieving pride of the Pharisees.

In the verses we’ll study this morning, Jesus is invited to dine at the home of a leading Pharisee, but this act of hospitality is actually intended as a trap.

Jesus, of course, will not be trapped, but will proceed to help the hurting and then teach the prideful.

Follow along as I read, beginning in Luke 14:1...

[READING - Luke 14:1-6]

Luke 14:1–6 NASB95

1 It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. 2 And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. 5 And He said to them, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” 6 And they could make no reply to this.

[PRAYER]

[TS] There’s a lot for us to consider here, so let’s get right to it...

Major Ideas

1. The Healing (Lk. 14:1-6)

[Illus] I saw a news story the other night about a suicidal man sitting on the edge of a bridge. A woman driving by saw him and knew that he thinking about jumping. The woman stopped, came to the man, spoke to him calmly, and then crawled out on the edge of the bridge with him. She sat there and listened, told him that even if no one else cared if he lived or died, she cared. Although she was a stranger, he mattered to her because he was a human being. She saw him in his suffering and she helped.

The police arrived and got the man to safety, but if not for that lady who stopped, he likely would’ve already been gone.

But do you know what the police did to the woman who stopped to help?

Nothing.

You see, it’s not against local, state, or federal law to help someone when they’re hurting.

It’s not against God’s law either.

[Exp] Jesus had healed on the Sabbath before and the Pharisees got angry about it then as well. On this occasion, they think they have set a trap for Jesus. They likely invited Him to teach in their synagogue on the Sabbath and then placed someone with an obvious physical ailment in front of Jesus to see what He would do.

As they saw it, if Jesus healed the man, He would be violating the Sabbath by essentially working on the Sabbath. And if He violated the Sabbath, He could not be the Messiah, the Son of God.

Because of their twisted view of the Sabbath, they hoped Jesus would heal this man...

…so they would have a reason to disbelieve.

…so they would have a reason to accuse Him.

But Jesus would not be trapped. He was the Creator of the Sabbath and He was the Creator of man. He knew that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. In other words, He knew that men and women created in the image of God were more important than the Sabbath day of rest. He knew that one of the best ways to keep the Sabbath was to help the hurting. And there in front of Him was one who was hurting.

As it says in v. 2, the man that came before Jesus was suffering from dropsy, which means that he was swollen with fluid likely because his internal organs were not functioning properly.

No matter what the Pharisees were up to, this man really did need to be healed.

But would Jesus heal him on the Sabbath?

Jesus asked the scribes and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” (v. 3)

If they responded, “It is lawful to heal on the Sabbath,” then they wouldn’t have a problem with this man being healed.

If they responded, “It is not lawful to heal on the Sabbath,” then before the man with dropsy and others they would be revealed as the hard-hearted, calloused snakes that they really were.

So, they said nothing.

Jesus healed the man, sent Him away, and then turned back to the prideful scribes and Pharisees, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” (v. 5).

They knew that they all would rescue a son and even a farm animal on a Sabbath day, so what could they say to Jesus healing this man on the Sabbath?

Nothing. “And they could make no reply to this,” (v. 6).

[App] Imagine being with Jesus on this Sabbath day. Imagine hearing Him teach. Imagine walking with Him to the home of this Pharisee after Sabbath worship. Imagine seeing Him heal this man—the fluid disappears—the swelling goes away—he embraces Jesus with a smile on his face—and then goes on his way.

What would you have learned?

Well, we certainly would’ve learned that everyday is the right day to help the hurting. Whether it’s the Sabbath day or another one of the days that end in “y,” we should always take advantage of the opportunities that God gives to help those who are ailing in one way or another.

We should pray that we would have eyes to see the hurting as Jesus did.

Verse 2 says, “...there in front of Him was a man suffering...”

He wasn’t just in front of Jesus. He was almost certainly brought in front of Jesus as a test, but where these Pharisees saw an opportunity to trap Jesus, Jesus saw a hurting man in need of help.

Many times we see hurting people as an interruption or a burden, but Jesus sees them with a heart of compassion.

How do you see them?

Who is the hurting person in front of you? That’s the one you should help.

The Lord may bring the hurting in front of you today, but He might do it another day this week.

But no matter when He does it, it’s never against His Law to help the hurting.

Pray for eyes to see the hurting and readiness to respond to their needs.

[TS] Next, Jesus addresses the self-serving pride of the Pharisees.

Notice “The Humility” in vv. 7-11...

2. The Humility (Lk. 14:7-11)

Luke 14:7–11 NASB95

7 And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10 “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. 11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

[Illus] I once was in a wedding were at the reception the wedding party was supposed to sit up on a raised platform while we ate.

I had gotten my plate but wasn’t sure if I was supposed to sit up on the platform because no one else had taken their seat yet.

My fear was that I would sit up there and then some kind person would come, trying not to embarrass me, and whisper, “I’m sorry. You’re in the wrong seat. This is reserved for the bride, groom, and their parents.”

And then in front of everyone I would have to wipe my mouth, gather my plate, napkin, silverware, and drink and slink down to the lower level with all the other lowlifes—only I would be the lowest due to embarrassment.

As it turned out, I was supposed to be up there, but I didn’t go up until someone said, “You’re supposed to sit up there with the bride and groom.”

[Exp] The Pharisees had a different approach. Based on what Jesus says in vv. 7-11, many of them just knew that they were to sit in the seat of honor because… who could be more important?

Jesus uses a parable to correct their prideful assumption.

A parable isn’t an allegory where everything means something, but is rather a story or saying that is meant to clarify a point. And the point that Jesus wants to clarify is found in v. 11...

Luke 14:11 NASB95

11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

So, Jesus says if you go to a wedding, sit in the last chair, and let someone else have the first chair. It’s better to be in the last chair and be asked to move up than it is to be in the first and chair and be asked to move back.

When in true humility we consider ourselves less important, we will be honored before all when we are promoted.

But when in true pride we consider ourselves more important that we should, will be humiliated before all when we are demoted.

This is something that the Pharisees should’ve known because it’s taught in Proverbs 25:6-7, which says...

Proverbs 25:6–7 NASB95

6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; 7 For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

[App] But this lesson is one that we could stand to learn time and time again. It is what some have called the wisdom of humility, which is simply this—it is better to be humble than humiliated.

If we would be exalted, we must be humble.

We must be humble before the Lord. James 4:10 says...

James 4:10 NASB95

10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

We must be humble toward one another. First Peter 5:5-6 says...

1 Peter 5:5–6 NASB95

5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

Are you good at being humble?

If you say, “Yes! I’m great at being humble!” you’re likely not good at being humble. Not many of us are.

But one way we can perhaps get better at being humble is by showing honor to others. Give others the bigger piece. Give others first place. Give others the better seat. And be content!

True humility requires contentment!

Be content with what God has given you!

And be content with where God has placed you!

We must be content with the less-honorable seat even if we are never promoted this side of eternity.

If that is where God wants us, praise the Lord! We will be content!

If He chooses to bring us to a better seat, praise the Lord! We will be content!

We will humble ourselves and be content, trusting that He will exalt us at the proper time!

[TS] Next, Jesus continues to address the self-serving nature of the Pharisees who only blessed those who could bless them in return.

Look at “The Hobbled” in vv. 12-14...

3. The Hobbled (Lk. 14:12-14)

Luke 14:12–14 NASB95

12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

[Exp] As Jesus looked around at those invited to this Pharisee’s house, He likely saw the most important religious figures in the local Jewish community—the most important religious figures in the local Jewish community from the Pharisee’s perspective that is. All the important people were there to see what Jesus would do, to see if He would fall into their trap.

But Jesus also noticed that some people were missing. The poor were missing. The crippled. The lame. The blind. In other words, the hobbled. Those who had been hamstrung by true poverty and true disability.

I say true poverty and true disability because there are many who claim to be poor and disabled when in fact they’re just lazy.

But Jesus is talking about those who are barely limping along in life because of one hardship or another.

The Pharisees were not likely to invite such individuals to a dinner because, as Jesus said, there wasn’t much chance of people like that being about to bless in return.

Their friends, their brothers, their relatives, and rich neighbors could bless them in return, but these hobbled, unclean individuals could only receive the blessing. They couldn’t return it.

[Illus] Cheryl and I were introducing the kids to tennis the other day. As they sat on a bench enjoying some ice cream, Cheryl and I decided to give them a little demonstration from a couple of old pros.

Cheryl on one side of the court and me on the other. I served first, Cheryl returned it, but I wasn’t warmed up yet, so I couldn’t get to it.

In fact, wouldn’t you know that the colder weather kept me from getting warmed up the entire time we played.

I would try to hit the ball back to Cheryl, but without a mo-ped I wasn’t going to get to the balls fast enough.

Soon Cheryl got bored and I got winded, and she asked the kids if they wanted to play with Dad.

Most people like to play tennis with people who can return the ball.

Most people like to bless people who can return the blessing.

[App] But Jesus says we are to be different. We aren’t to only bless those who can bless us in return. We are also to look to bless those who cannot return the blessing.

Spiritually speaking, we were the hobbled. Apart from Jesus we were spiritually poor, crippled, lame, and blind. And it was Jesus who invited us—who blessed us!—knowing that we could never repay Him.

And now we have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others!

We cannot bless to the same degree as Jesus has blessed us, but we can do what we can to bless those who are not often blessed because they have no way to repay anyone.

We can write those who can’t write.

We can call those who can’t call.

We can cook for those who can’t cook.

We can read to those who can’t read.

We can sing to those who can’t sing.

We can bless those without the material means or even the physical ability to bless in return—and we can trust that we will blessed in the resurrection of the righteous (i.e., at the return of Jesus).

Brothers and sisters, let’s pray for creativity in blessing others.

Perhaps you have limited time and limited resources, but what might God do with your limited time and resources if you offer them to Him as a blessing to others?

Let’s ask God to open our eyes so that we can see what we have to bless others with. Let’s ask God to open our eyes so that we can see those in need of a blessing.

And then let’s ask God what it is we should do for them.

(Cheryl would appreciate it if someone would bless her with an adequate tennis partner.)

[TS] To this point in Luke 14, Jesus has healed a man and then taught on the importance of humility and blessing the less fortunate. But this talk of blessing made one of the Pharisee’s pop off at the mouth in Luke 14:15...

Luke 14:15 NASB95

15 When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Now, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead for those who were truly devout and they believed in the feast of the Lamb—a celebration in heaven in which the worthy dine with their Savior.

But the Pharisee that spoke in v. 15 didn’t understand that no one was devout enough to earn eternal life.

He didn’t understand that the resurrection of the dead unto eternal life would only happen because Jesus was going to die and defeat sin and death through His crucifixion and resurrection.

He didn’t understand that Jesus was the Lamb.

He didn’t understand that Jesus was the Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God.

And although he spoke of the blessing of bread in the Kingdom of God, he didn’t understand that he wouldn’t be partaking of it unless He came into the Master’s house.

Look at “The House” in vv. 16-24...

4. The House (vv. 16-24)

Luke 14:16–24 NASB95

16 But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ 19 “Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ 20 “Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ 21 “And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 “And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’ ”

[Exp] This is another parable, and the point Jesus is driving home is in v. 24...

Luke 14:24 NASB95

24 ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’ ”

In the ancient world it was customary to send out two invitations—one to announce an event was going to take place and another to announce that everything was prepared and everyone could now come.

This is what we read in vv. 16-17. To accept the first invitation but decline the second was seen as a great insult—and that is what we read in vv. 18-20.

Those who had agreed to the first invitation made excuses as they declined the second invitation.

One said he bought a piece of land that he needed to go look at.

Another said he bought some oxen that he needed to try out.

And another said that he had married a wife and for that reason he could not come.

Now, all of these excuses were absurd.

Wouldn’t you go see land before you bought it?

Wouldn’t you try out the oxen before you bought them?

And this last excuse is the most absurd!

The Pharisees viewed women as so beneath them that they couldn’t have imagined anyone of them saying, “I can’t come to the dinner because my wife won’t let me.”

But every excuse the Pharisees gave for not responding to Jesus with faith and worship was just as absurd.

In the words of the OT, God had issued the first invitation to His people—the Jewish people. He had spoken of the coming of the Messiah, and now the Messiah stood before them but they failed to respond to Him.

He taught the truth with the authority of God and He did the works of God before them, but they failed to see Him as the second invitation—the one that said, “Come; for everything is ready now. Enter the Master’s house. Enter the Kingdom of God.”

So others have been invited to fill the Master’s house.

The hobbled—the poor and unclean who were looked down upon by the Pharisees—they were invited. Men like Matthew the former tax collector, women like Mary Magdalene who was formerly possessed by seven demons, and all those poor that He fed, and crippled, blind, and lame that He healed.

But even all those could not fill the Master’s house, so the invitation was extended to even more—to the Gentiles!

Luke 14:23 NASB95

23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.

The Master’s house will be filled!

It will be filled with those healed by Jesus!

It will be filled with those humble before Jesus!

It will be filled by those who used to be spiritually poor, crippled, blind, and lame!

It will be filled by Gentiles like you and me if we respond to the invitation to salvation that God extends to us in Jesus Christ!

But those who reject that invitation shall never taste the bread of the Kingdom of God.

[App] There is no good reason for not responding to Jesus with faith.

What? Would you have just a little more hell-raising fun?

It is only fun to your sinful flesh, but there is a spiritual reality that reaches beyond the lifetime of your flesh.

That hell-raising fun will leave you in Hell forever unless you repent of your sin and respond to the invitation that God offers you in Jesus Christ this morning.

What? Would you first have all your questions answered?

You are not God and so you will never figure Him out.

The desire to have all your questions answered may in fact be a disguised desire to be God. That’s not going to work out for you.

Let God be God. He is good and you can trust Him. He has given proof of this by sending His Son to die on the cross for you. Respond to the invitation He offers you this morning.

Is there some other reason that keeps you from accepting Jesus?

If so, it’s not a good one.

And if we have responded in faith to Jesus—repenting of our sins and believing that He died for our sins and rose for our justification—then let us go out like the salve in v. 23 who was commanded by the Master to compel, urge, and persuade others to come in.

We want our Master’s house to be full!

Conclusion

[PRAYER]