Dan Herold | Luke 14:1, 7-14 | August 28, 2016
Have you ever wondered what day to day life was like for Jesus? Have you ever wondered what his average day was like? We have a lot of the events of his life recorded in the four gospels, but there certainly is a whole lot that we don’t hear about. What do you think an average day for Jesus was like? What time did he wake up? What did he eat? What did he do for fun? There’s all kinds of questions that are interesting to think about.
In our Gospel lesson this morning, from Luke 14, we got a glimpse into a day in the life of Jesus. Jesus had been invited to dinner at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees. Verse 1 gives us a detail, though, that I would imagine was often the case in Jesus every day life…”he was being carefully watched.” There were always people watching Jesus. There were people watching to learn from him and to hear him teach, and there were also people watching and waiting for their opportunity to bring accusations against him. Jesus lived in a fish bowl…everything he did and said was on public display and there were always people watching.
It was like Jesus was constantly in the middle of an audition or a job interview. Around every corner there were people watching and waiting for him to make a mistake. Living life like that is incredibly tiring. It brings a whole new set of temptations. Just imagine the temptations that faced Jesus every single day. Every day there were people hoping and waiting for him to sin, to make a mistake, to lose his temper, or to say the wrong thing. Think about how great a temptation it must have been for Jesus to lose his temper and tell these people to just leave him alone! If you were in that position, wouldn’t you just want to give those people who were circling around you like vultures a piece of your mind?
But, since he is the almighty Son of God, Jesus had much more strength and restraint than we would have in his position. Instead of lashing out at the people around him, even though he would have had every right to do so, Jesus always remained calm and taught the lessons the people needed to hear in a gentle way.
In this case, in Luke 14, the lesson that needed to be taught was a lesson about humility. Jesus observed the way that the guests at the Pharisee’s house chose their seats and something seemed out of line to him. All of the guests eagerly rushed to take the most important seats at the table. They all acted like they deserved the most important place and were not shy about taking it for themselves.
Now, just for a moment, try to imagine being in Jesus’ position there. Remember who Jesus is. He is true God…God’s own son who lowered himself to become true man and live on this earth. And there he stood in the house of a Pharisee watching everyone act like they were the most important person in the room. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said that if you want to imagine what it was like for Christ to become a man imagine if you chose to make yourself a slug. So if you chose to humble yourself and make yourself a slug, how would you feel if all the other slugs around you acted like they were better and more important than you? We’d be offended, wouldn’t we? We’d get angry and want to put them in their place…but Jesus doesn’t get angry. Instead, he calmly gives them this advice.
Jesus says,
“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.”
Jesus didn’t say that, though, to point out that he was in fact more distinguished. Jesus gave this practical advice so that the people to whom he was talking wouldn’t embarrass themselves and have to suffer. Even when Jesus had every right to be harsh with someone, he still was kind and loving. Instead of putting them down, Jesus was still looking out for the best interest of these people. He told them that in the event that there was a more distinguished guest at the party and they had taken that person’s seat,
“…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. 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.”
At one time or another all of us have been humbled and it’s never a pleasant experience. It’s the feeling you get when you think you did really well on a test at school and you get it back and your grade is about 4 steps lower than you thought it would be. It’s the way you feel when you think to yourself, “I don’t need to read the instructions!” And then 5 hours later your child’s new toy is still a pile of pieces that needs to be assembled. It’s the feeling you get when you are proven wrong when you thought your were right. None of those are fun feelings and that’s why Jesus tells us how to avoid them.
There’s a reason that oysters are known as an aphrodisiac – they contain plenty of zinc. generic cialis Kamagra medicinal forms canadian prices for viagra icks.org are introduced in the market by the Cipla. Natural penis enlargement cream improves blood course and fortifies low price levitra cell insusceptible. Produced in the testes in men and the ovaries buying online viagra in case of women, this hormone has a crucial function towards the male genital organs and other characteristics in men such as increased bone mass, muscles, and growth of body hair Coarsened facial features Misalignment of teeth Heart problems Joint pain 3. A great verse on this same topic is found in the book of Romans. It is from Romans 12 and it’s one of my favorites because Paul is so blunt and straight forward. Paul says,
“Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought.”
We always need to remember our place. We need to remember that we are sinners—sinners who are just as sinful as the next person. There is nothing that should make us ever think that we are inherently better than anyone else. In a room full of people we have no reason to assume that we deserve the seat of honor at the table.
Instead, if we think of ourselves with “sober judgment” as Paul says to in Romans 12 we will recognize where we truly belong. We don’t belong at the head of the table! We are incredibly blessed to be invited to the table in the first place. Any seat at all is a blessing. So in order to spare us some embarrassment, Jesus teaches us to take a honest and level-headed look at where we belong. He tells us to take the lower seat so that if the host wants us to move up it will be a blessing instead of being embarrassed and having to move down.
Jesus taught this parable to teach us about heaven. When we get to the banquet God has prepared for us in heaven which seat will you take? Are we going to rush to the head of the table and try to claim the seat of honor? No! In heaven we’ll be so overjoyed to just be there the seat we have won’t even matter! In heaven God will place us where he wants us and we’ll be content with whatever we are given because we’ll be in heaven. So, as we anticipate that heavenly banquet Jesus tells us to put the same principle into practice…when you get invited to a banquet be grateful you were invited at all! Your position at the table doesn’t mean a whole lot in the long run.
Jesus also has one more bit of practical advice about banquets or meals and celebrations. This time he is talking about when we host the banquet. He tells us about whom to invite. Jesus says,
“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…”
The reason Jesus tells us to do that is so that we might be blessed.
The point is don’t do nice things for someone expecting them to pay you back. If you’re going to invite someone to a meal or a party don’t do it so that they will invite you to their party. That’s not why Jesus has invited us to his heavenly banquet…he invited us simply because he loves us and he doesn’t expect anything in return.
Jesus told those two parables in that order for a reason. In the first parable he wants us to realize the kindness we have been shown. Jesus shows us that we don’t deserve the position of honor at the table…we don’t even deserve to be invited to the table! We were invited because the host saw fit to invite us. Therefore, the host has the right to choose who sits where at his table. And in the second parable Jesus is showing us how to pass on and share the kindness that we have been shown. He tells us not to be kind to someone and then act like they owe us something. He says to be kind to them just to be kind! He says we might never see the benefit of showing kindness until the last day—at the resurrection of the righteous. But, we will see the reward that day!
So what’s the point of this lesson from Luke 14? It isn’t just practical advice on attending and hosting parties. The Holy Spirit led Luke to record this interaction between Jesus and this Pharisee and the banquet guests to teach us more than that. It does offer practical advice on avoiding embarrassment and the right motivation for doing kind things, but it also reminds us of how God treats us. Our heavenly Father has invited us to a banquet far more joyful than any here on earth. He has invited us to his own table in heaven. Not only has he invited us, but he has given us the privilege to reflect his kindness and love in our own lives.
Remember what Paul says in Romans 12. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought but think of yourself with sober judgement. It’s easy for us to get the idea that we deserve certain honors or privileges. But we deserve nothing from God—nothing good at least. But when we look at ourselves with sober judgment we see what we really are. We are sinners who only deserve God’s wrath and punishment. We are poor sinners whom God has shown tremendous grace. He has shown us grace beyond measure by sending his son to be our Savior and our invitation to God’s celebration in heaven. Let that truth be the one that guides our thought and actions—Although you may not be repaid for your kindness in this world, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous!
Amen.