Luke 14:1-6
This is the 3rd time Jesus took a meal at the home of a Pharisee. He was being watched closely, the words meaning they were lurking and looking for something they could use against Him. Then, as if it were a coincidence, which we know it was not, a man with dropsy stood before Him. We've more likely heard the word edema; it's the accumulation of water in the soft tissue. It can be a serious condition and cause circulation problems among other things.
It's clear Jesus wasn't going to be tricked or trapped by these men. He controlled the situation by asking them if it was lawful to heal on Sabbath. They likely knew Jesus had already healed on the Sabbath; a man with a withered hand and the woman who was bent over. Their silence after asking them a question was probably an awkward moment. Within this awkward moment, Jesus took the man and healed him. He then turned to them and asked another question. Would they not rescue their donkey or ox if it fell in a pit? While violating the letter of the law, was it not the right thing to do?
The Jews had expanded the Old Testament Sabbath laws to further define what constituted work. They added 39 more restrictions. The application of the laws that they took very seriously seem laughable to us.
- One couldn't pluck a gray hair from your beard on the Sabbath – that was harvesting.
- Jesus and His disciple s were accused of harvesting when they plucked a few heads of grain along a field. They also reaped & prepared food when rubbed them in their hands to break the grain free before eating it.
- No burning, writing, erasing, cooking sewing tearing, tying or untying.
- You might pray your animals didn't give birth on the Sabbath because you could not help them in any way.
- There was also no healing allowed on the Sabbath. If you were hurt bad, someone might be allowed to staunch the bleeding. But your medical attention would have to wait to the next day.
Note: within verse 5, some translations say 'son' instead of 'donkey'. Son seems to be the correct translation but donkey makes it similar to Luke 13:15 and Deuteronomy 22:4. The words are very similar and were thought to be a copyist error.
Luke 14:7-14
The 'best places' were those close to the host or near other prominent guests. Jesus noticed how they arrived and chose the best seats as if they obviously deserved them. We often think ourselves more honorable than we ought. Imagine the shame when asked to move to a lesser seat. The better situation is to assume the lesser and be invited to the more honorable seat. It would be a joyful and comfortable situation. Others at the table will welcome you to that more honorable place. The lesson was those exalting themselves will be humbled – maybe even humiliated. Those who humble themselves, at worst remain humbled, at best are exalted.
6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of the great;
7 For it is better that he say to you,
"Come up here,"
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen. (Proverbs 25:6-7)
Then Jesus gave a special lesson from this parable to the host of this dinner party. The idea of inviting everyone he knew was that he would seat them in favorable way and they could then return the favor one day. It was give and take and everyone wins. Yet it was phony. Jesus suggested he invite people who can't pay him back; people who he'll never see again or can't afford to throw a party. Invite the poor, maimed, lame and blind – give them the fine seats. In doing so, you will be blessed.
When was the last time you surprised someone with a blessing? You will be blessed because you did it expecting nothing in return. Then, on resurrection day, you will be repaid.
Luke 14:15
At the Pharisee's table with the end times in mind, one of those at the table was considering the great messianic feast. The idea of eating bread in the kingdom of God at the greatest feast to have ever been would certainly be a blessing.
Isaiah spoke of this feast (Is 25:6):
And in this mountain
The Lord of hosts will make for all people
A feast of choice pieces,
A feast of wines on the lees,
Of fat things full of marrow,
Of well-refined wines on the lees.
John wrote of it in Revelation 19:6-9:
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' "
Luke 14:16-24
It was classified as a 'great' supper. There had been much preparation, a guest list made and the guests were invited. When the preparations were complete, the servant was sent to inform all the guests it was time. Suddenly, they began to back out. How rude! The rules of hospitality in those days made only the narrowest of provisions to back out of a previously accepted offer. It's clear that the guests thought there were more important things to do than go to a feast. The guests were all of the same mind. They had property to acquire and fawn over. They had farm implements to test. They had a new wife and new life. They all had higher priorities found in earthy, carnal things.
The master wastes no time. He invites the poor and maimed, the lame and blind. These are the people Jesus suggested be on the invite list for the Pharisee. They were social outcasts, nobodies as far as the Pharisees were concerned. They'd never been to a dinner party. He went to the highways and backroads and called people to come.
Luke 14:25-26
What was once called a 'multitude' is now called 'multitudes'. Watch Jesus make a multitude or two disappear. That was surely the response He got when He turned to them and told they had to hate their family and even themselves to be His disciple. Even the disciples probably cringed at that statement. Jesus was speaking in hyperbole, an exaggeration to make a point. Nothing, not even family relationships or your own self is more important to you than your relationship with Jesus.
Luke 14:27-33
To pick up your cross and bear it is the ultimate act of denying your own personal well-being. It is to press on, all the way to death. When you picked up your cross you were as good as dead. The cross was an instrument of death and at this point meant nothing more than that to them. He was telling them they would need to be willing to suffer punishment to follow Him. The cost of discipleship was high. Jerusalem drew, the cross loomed on the horizon. The disciples needed to know they may suffer the same as He. We may be called to suffer in a horrible way even today.
- A man building a tower, prior to staring, would sit down and consider the cost. It made no sense to invest in a tower if it could not be finished. This seemed simple on the surface, count the cost and make the decision. But this was a watch tower being considered. A watch tower was a place from which to watch for the arrival of enemies or to watch for fires. It wasn't just the cost of the tower, but also the cost in not having it. Once the cost of not having it is realized, the sacrifices required to build it seemed small and insignificant. Great sacrifices would be required to follow Jesus. If we understand the cost of not having Jesus and the precious price that He already paid on your behalf, will we not run to Jesus? The sad truth is most will not, because they will not consider those costs.
- The stakes are high. The king would not commit his troops to a war he cannot win, unless he had no other choice. Could he overcome 20,000 with his 10,000? Can you overcome the wrath and the weight of sin that stands against you? Can your perceived goodness and righteousness satisfy God's standard of perfection? To consider the cost, was to send a delegation way before the battle is near and ask for terms of surrender.
A disciple must be willing to forsake anything and anyone; family, riches, status, wealth, comfort and security of this world. This ought to make the most devout among us squirm a little.
Luke 14:34-35
Warren Wiersbe said, "When the sinner trusts Jesus Christ as Savior, a miracle takes place and "clay" is turned into "salt." As Disciples, we are called to be salt. Salt was used for both a preservative and for flavoring. The salt that lost is flavor had lost its value. Since true and pure salt does not lose its flavor, one would conclude it was never real salt to start with, but only chemically impure salt that appeared authentic in the beginning.
This message was only for people who have ears.
©2020 Doug Ford
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