Seek the Place of Humility
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Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.
5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they had nothing to say.
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 man 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 your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Introduction
Introduction
1. The Work of Malice (vv.1-2)
1. The Work of Malice (vv.1-2)
1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
We know by now that this is not the first Sabbath encounter between Jesus and the religious leaders. Already we’ve come across to prior accounts of similar nature through our study in Luke’s Gospel.
But this particular Sabbath Day event that is recorded by Luke conveys some very important teaching not only on the appropriateness of providing loving help and care to those in need, but it sets up the context for important teaching by Christ on the pride of the heart of the religious leaders.
Note: It was common for religious leaders to have a feast after meeting together in the synagogue.
Often they would invite guest speakers to their place.
But the point of this was to trap Jesus.
Notice the words… “He was being carefully watched....”
Probably the main reason that Jesus had been invited was because they knew they didn’t like what he was doing.
By this time, they were already seeking to put Jesus to death.
They were already looking for a way to trap Jesus… a way to lay a charge, or an accusation against Him .
2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.
Notice the wording by Luke… There in front of him...
There just happened to a be a man that was in deep need.
Or was it by chance?
It is certainly not beyond the range of possibility that the Pharisees actually placed this man there as part of their “watching” of Jesus.
They were looking for a way to trap Jesus…
In fact, they would be involved in colluding with the Herodians…
They would send delegates to catch him with questions designed to find fault, or to put him in a difficult position.
They were trying all they could to catch Jesus out.
It is likely that this entire event was set up...
Here was a man suffering from Dropsy…
Dropsy = significant retention of fluid in the body.
It results in swelling of the affected areas.... could potentially be from another underlying condition.
Either way, it was very noticable in this man… such that Jesus immediately identified it.
2. The Miracle of Mercy (vv.3-6)
2. The Miracle of Mercy (vv.3-6)
3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
Already there have been 3 prior confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders regarding the Sabbath.
Luke 6:1-5 - Picking of grain by the disciples…
Luke 6:6-11 - Jesus healed a person’s shriveled hand on the Sabbath…
Luke 13:10-17 - Lady that was bent over double…
Clearly, the Pharisees and religious leaders are attempting to catch Him once again on this point.
Although one must wonder what they hoped to gain… since Jesus had already performed healings, and done various other things to break the Sabbath.
Perhaps they were attempting to store up a mass of evidence against Him.
But he was unconcerned about their efforts at finding fault.
Recall, as mentioned previously, that the prevailing attitude regarding healing on the Sabbath was that it was only permitted if the condition was life-threatening, and the person would not last another day, so as to be healed (treated) the next day.
4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.
Notice their silence… no objection.
They wanted Jesus to carry out the healing....
Jesus wastes not time… heals him and sends him away.
As simple as that!
However, keep in mind that it wasn’t quite as simple as that… in the sense that Jesus had come to be wounded, afflicted, in order to heal.... in order to show mercy.
Jesus was always moved with compassion when he saw people afflicted.
Christ was always moved to help out of a deep sense of the lost state, the sinful state that was the ultimate cause of the affliction.
And He was in the world in order to remedy this very sin…
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
This was no small matter....
Jesus Questions…
The Pharisees / Religious leaders remain silent. Not so Jesus.
5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?”
Previously (Luke 13:10-17 - healing of the women bent over) Jesus had spoken about leading animals to drink.
Again now he brings in a comparison with animals.
The Pharisees knew how to show some measure of compassion to animals.
They could rescue animals from a place of being stuck / trapped…
But a man trapped in bodily affliction with disease .... not allowed according to them.
Greater care was shown towards animals than people.
Notice the words of Christ here… “immeidately pull him out?!”
In other words, for animals, they did not need to wait for the next day in order to pull the animal out. They could do it immediately.
6 And they had nothing to say.
Their response is nothing but a resounding silence. They had nothing to say.
The sense here is that they were not able to actually answer anything.
They were unwilling to admit that they were in fact wrong.
This leads us to consider the thrust of what I want to look at today, and that is the pride of the
3. The Practice of Pride (vv.7-9)
3. The Practice of Pride (vv.7-9)
We see that the Pharisees were not the only ones keeping an eye open on what people were doing.
They were watching Jesus… but Jesus was watching the people.
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:
We need to understand how the seating at tables worked in that day.
They had couches that could seat three people.
The couches / seating places would be arranged in the shape of a U around a low table.
The head of the table… the central seat.... this was the place of highest honour… then on either side would be the place of second highest honour… third highest…
Then would move to the next couch… the central seat of that couch would be the next highest honour…
Consider in context of wedding…
But in that day, there would be no names on the seats… or signs saying that the seats were reserved…
But most certainly the host would have those in his mind that he wanted to take the higher seats… the seats of honour.
All of the important seats would have been allocated…
But what Jesus was noticing here was that when the call came to be seated for the meal… there was a great scramble to the seats of honour.
They knew where the important seats were… and they wanted them.
Now, this leads Jesus to note that there was not only a lack of table etiquette, but rather a demonstration of pride.
This is what leads Jesus to address this matter with
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 man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
The parable is clear...
Elaborate...
Note:
There will be a humiliation involved.
It will result in the lowest place… (probably all the other seats are already taken.
Alternatively… you would not want to rist taking a higher place, in case you are moved again!
We must keep in mind, this was nothing new to these religious leaders.
Solomon - the very wise King over Israel, son of David, had given counsel in this regard.
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.
This was something that they ought to have known.
Probably they knew it well…
But the heart is a funny thing - it may know many truths, but fail to apply those truths to itself.
How easily the heart deceives…
4. The Call to Humility (vv.10-11)
4. The Call to Humility (vv.10-11)
Christ uses the context that he’s observing, along with the parable that he’s telling, to lead his hearers to a Christ-centered, God exalting approach to life…
It is a life of humility.
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 your fellow guests.
Default - a position of lowliness. “The lowest place...”
We might think… I wont’ go to the highest… but to the middle....
Christ says, humble yourself - take the lowest of the seats.
Put yourself in a position of lowliness.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Here is a kingdom principle that we must not lose sight of…
NB!!! - We must see that pride sets us up against God.
Our relations with people are not disconnected from our relationship with God.
When our pride sets us up against other people, and when we place ourselves above others… we are acting contrary to the manner and life to which God has called us, and so we set ourselves up against God.
Our pride is an affront to God, and He will deal appropriately with it.
28 You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
11 The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled
and the pride of men brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled),
Note - Jerusalem, Israel, the people of God…
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning
to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
till they are inflamed with wine.
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
tambourines and flutes and wine,
but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,
no respect for the work of his hands.
13 Therefore my people will go into exile
for lack of understanding;
their men of rank will die of hunger
and their masses will be parched with thirst.
14 Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite
and opens its mouth without limit;
into it will descend their nobles and masses
with all their brawlers and revelers.
15 So man will be brought low
and mankind humbled,
the eyes of the arrogant humbled.
16 But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice,
and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.
Consider Christ in this regard…
He was the King of kings.
He was the creator of all things… worthy of all praise and honour and glory. Worthy for all creatures to bow down before Him and worship Him.
And yet he came and humbled himself.
Notice how the Scriptures speak of Christ’s humiliation.
Humiliated through suffering...
6 I gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
Humiliation in coming into the world…
Phil 2:6-8...
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Humiliated ultimately at his crucifixion…
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.
If this is how the King of the world suffered humiliation, why are we so resistant to anything that smacks of humiliation?
The pride of life.
The pride of the heart of man.
Application / Conclusion
Application / Conclusion
Demonstrations of Pride in our Lives?
I’m worthy…
Jealosy over another person’s promotion…
Envy over what other people have...
Envy over the friends that others have...
Name dropping… associating yourself with celebrities / important people...
Speaking of others with condescending words…
Judging others…
Treating others with contempt and scorn…
I deserve XYZ…
A.1. God Commands Humility
A.1. God Commands Humility
This flows out of Christ’s own manner of life…
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
A.2. Pride will lead to punishment…
A.2. Pride will lead to punishment…
Why? Sin!!
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked, is sin.
1 Peter 5:5 (NASB95)
5 ...and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
A.3. Pride is Antithetical to the Gospel
A.3. Pride is Antithetical to the Gospel
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.
14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
A.4. God is Judge, Therefore Humility is Possible
A.4. God is Judge, Therefore Humility is Possible
Flows out of God being holy and righteous
God is a perfect judge
Christ is a perfect Saviour.
Therefore, there is no need for boasting. There is no need for self-exaltation.
God will ultimately judge all people, including us, with perfect judgment.
For those in Christ, we will be judged to have been perfect
For those outside of Christ, they will be judged according to their own doing…
19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution,
In due time their foot will slip;
For the day of their calamity is near,
And the impending things are hastening upon them.’
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.