Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

(Luke 14:1-14)

Series: Certainty in Uncertain Times

Rev. Todd a. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

 

  • Take your Bibles and join me in Luke, chapter 14 (p. 703); also YouVersion.

 

While you’re finding that it has been our practice to take a moment or two and talk about what’s going on in the life of the church….

 

The Team is doing wonderfully.  I was FaceTiming with Michele last night by way of computer and she said she believes one of the reasons the team is doing so well is because of the missional training they had before going overseas.  Spencer Essenpreis, one of our newer members who is graduating from Southern Seminary in missional studies, spent several weeks teaching our team on Wednesday evenings.  The material is outstanding and I thought I’d share just a bit with you as some of it pertains to what Spencer calls “Re-Entry” back to the states and back to Henderson.  I thought I’d share this so you can know what teams returning from overseas missions usually experience when returning home.  You can make a difference by knowing some of these things.  Spencer tells the Team:

 

*You may have some struggles when you come back:

*Adjusting to being back in the land of materialism and widespread wealth

*People won’t be all that interested in hearing what happened (I hope that’s not true for you)

*Family and close friends won’t understand

*You may feel passionate about the nations, while everyone around you seems indifferent

*Getting back to the routine doesn’t quite seem as satisfying as advancing the Gospel to the nations

*(Spencer adds) Personally, I want you to struggle some–this is a good thing.

 

So I share that with you church family so that you can encourage team members by asking them about the trip, asking more than “How was the food” or “Did you see any elephants” and so forth.

Show a genuine interest in them and listen to their stories and pray as they adjust.

How I wish every single member of Henderson’s First Baptist could go overseas on a mission trip at least once a year!

 

  • Stand in honor of the reading of the Word of God.

 

1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.

2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.

3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.

5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:

8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;

9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, “Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, “Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

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

12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.

13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.

14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

 

  • Pray.

 

Introduction:

 

Our passage this morning centers upon a dinner invitation.  I like food and I like to read about food so I am immediately drawn into this text as Jesus is invited to eat in the home of one of the rulers of the Pharisees.  There are other Pharisees there as we learn later and there are a number of scribes there, too.  There were a lot of religious people there, most of them opposed to the teachings of Christ.  But Jesus has been invited to dinner.

 

And what the religious host and all of his friends do not know is that, while they have invited Jesus to eat with them, He has brought a meal of His own.  Jesus has brought spiritual food with Him and He is serving it up through what He says and does.

 

And that’s really what we have here in these verses.  Really, the dinner scene goes from verse 1 all the way to verse 24, but this morning we’re going to be looking at roughly the first half of this dinner scene, verses 1-14.

 

In keeping with the theme of food here, I want to treat this text as something of a sandwich.  Now don’t get hungry on me!  There’s a recipe here for Christian living and there are three main ingredients.  And I want to talk about these three ingredients of the sandwich and treat them like two pieces of bread with meat in the middle.  The main part of the sandwich is what’s in the middle, everyone knows that.  All three parts are necessary, but it’s what’s in the middle that really makes it so I want to spend the greater portion of our time talking about the second ingredient.

 

So if you’ll allow that imagery, I want to share these three ingredients for Christian living.  Every Christian, every person born twice–physically and then spiritually–by God’s grace will demonstrate these behaviors.  First:

 

I. We Must have Mercy (1-6)

 

1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.

 

The fact that these religious people were watching Jesus closely suggests that the whole thing may have been a setup.  We have referred before to the scribes and Pharisees as “The Let’s Get Jesus Committee.”  Back in chapter 6 Jesus had healed s person on the Sabbath day and they didn’t like that; they said healing was “work” and you’re not supposed to work on the Sabbath.  So it looks like the perfect storm: you’ve got all these powerful religious leaders present, gathered together on the Sabbath day, you’ve got Jesus there, now all you need is someone who needs to be healed.  Verse 2:

 

2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.

 

Dropsy in the Greek is the word uJdrwpikoß.  You hear the root “hydro” there, a word we use to refer to water.  This condition was some kind of edema in which various parts of the body became very swollen with fluid.  It would have been obvious that this man was very sick, if not critically or terminally ill.  Now Jesus knows they are all watching and so, verse 3:

 

3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

I like that it says, “And Jesus, answering.”  He “answered,” but they had not asked anything–or had they?  Jesus knows all things.  He is God.  He knows their thoughts; He answers their thoughts.  He asks, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” What is their answer?  Anybody? Verse 4 says, “But they kept silent.”  By this point in Luke’s Gospel they are learning that you can’t win an argument with the Master.  They kept silent.  So, verse 4 says, “And He took him and healed him, and let him go.”  I would love to have witnessed that healing!  So then Jesus–again knowing what they are thinking–verse 5:

 

5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

 

The newer translations, rather than the word “donkey,” have the word “son.”  The older Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have the word “son” so that is probably the original here, but either way the meaning is the same: If something or someone you care about has fallen into a pit you would get them out as soon as possible.  Well, I suppose some of us might say, “Actually if my son fell into a pit, I might let him stay there awhile!”  But Jesus says, “Regardless of the day of the week, you would get him out, ox, donkey, son, whatever.”  Verse 6:

 

6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

 

So they go from being silent in verse 4 to being unable to answer in verse 6.  They go from “would not” to “could not.”  Jesus is the Master of the conversation here.

 

The framework of the Old Testament Law; the Books of Moses, allow for acts of mercy on the Sabbath day.  Jesus’ teaching here has less to do with whether it is right to heal on the Sabbath than the fact that true followers of the Lord should show mercy towards others.  That’s really the takeaway point here.  We should have mercy.  The scribes and Pharisees had allowed their concern for ritual and religion to blind them to the need to show mercy towards others.  The Law requires love in action.  One of the best ways to honor the Sabbath then, is do heal someone!  How merciful is that?

 

Now this point is very similar to the latter point, the third point–or the other piece of bread in our sandwich–so I want to jump down to the last two verses of our text and look at point three before we address the meat in the middle.  Now I realize this is going to stress some of us out, those of us who are neat and orderly, to have to write down point three before we write down point two may get us thoroughly out of sorts.  Hang in there!  The third ingredient in the recipe for Christlike behavior is, point three:

 

 

III. We Must have Charity (12-14)

 

We must have love, a love for all people.  Look again at verse 12 and following:

 

12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.

13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.

14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

 

Jesus tells his dinner guests, “When you’re having one of these feasts, rather than inviting the ‘easy’ people, relatives, friends, rich people; rather than inviting them, invite the ‘not so easy’ people, the poor, maimed, lame, and blind.”  Now, of course, Jesus does not mean that one can NEVER invite his or her relatives or friends, and so forth, but that the blessing is found in inviting people who are in no position to reciprocate your kindness.  Verse 14 again:

 

14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

 

The other people are in a position to repay you.  You invite your friends, relatives, and rich people to your parties, they’ll probably invite you to their parties.  In fact, that’s the very reason why some people invite the rich to their homes, that they might be invited in to their home, to rub elbows with popular, friendly, rich, easy people.  Well, if that’s what you want to live for, then you will receive that earthly reward of social status, popularity, and reciprocal kindness.

 

But Jesus says if you want a heavenly reward, be in the habit of showing charity and love to the less fortunate, to the outcasts; poor, maimed, lame, and blind.  They will not be able to “repay” you, but–last part of verse 14–“you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”  You will receive your heavenly reward on the day of judgment.

 

How natural does this come to you, showing love to the outcasts?  Showing love to the less fortunate co-workers, showing love to the less fortunate boy or girl at school?  Every true Christian will do this.  It is the worldly who have their own parties and seek to position themselves among the popular, the well-liked, and the rich and famous.  Those of the kingdom, however, true followers of Christ, will show love to all people.  Someone said that in God’s kingdom, “Service is more important than status.”

 

But, wait!  Me must take care NOT to show love to the outcasts so that everyone can see how truly “spiritual” we are!  This would be the epitome of pride, the very thing we want to avoid.  And this is what is the real root of the problem.  Our failure to show mercy, our failure to show charity, seems most often because of a failure to have humility.  That’s the second point.  So go back to the space you left for point two and let’s look at this middle ingredient in the recipe for Christlike behavior.

 

II. We Must have Humility (7-11)

 

This really is the key ingredient, the main thing, the meat-in-the-middle of the bread; humility.  Apparently after this man is healed of dropsy, there is something of an awkward silence and then the scribes and Pharisees make their way into the dinning room to eat.  Jesus–ever a keen observer of human nature–watches how they hurry and scurry to get the best seats.  Verse 7:

 

7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:

8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;

9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, “Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

 

The term “best places,” in verse 7 is literally “first seats.”  The image is one with which most of us can relate.  If you’ve ever been in a position to wait on a shuttle bus at a theme park or at the airport, there is a good bit of hurrying and scurrying when that shuttle makes its way to the curb and a crowd of 150 people start jockeying for 15 lousy seats.  It’s something of an embarrassment to the human race, isn’t it?  And i’m right there with the rest of you, getting on that shuttle seems like the most important act of our lives.  “God save us from waiting another 20 minutes for the next shuttle!”

 

That’s a bit the way these scribes and Pharisees were scurrying to the seats for the dinner.  Jesus watched them jostling with one another for the best seats at the feast.  The setting suggests there may have been the arrangement of furniture like the Roman triclinium, three couches set around a central table.  These reclining couches were U-shaped and the best seat–and seat of honor–was the one right in the middle of the U.  So imagine rushing over to get the prime seat in the middle of the U and then other people getting in on the right and the left so that you’re hemmed-in and then the host comes and tells you, “Uh, actually that seat is for Bob.”  How embarrassing!  Your face is flushed and you hang your head while everyone awkwardly and uncomfortably moves to one side so you can get out of the U and take your seat back in 59F!  Verse 10:

 

10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place (sit in seat 59F first!), so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, “Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

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

 

So when you’re invited to a dinner, take a seat in the lowly places–not in false humility, acting all spiritual-like, you know, “Oh, I’m not worthy to sit in the best seats!”  Stop that!  That’s being as prideful as sitting in the best seats.  Just sit down!  Make like you’re a kid again at the family get-togethers on the holidays.  If you’re family’s like mine, all the important people were in the fine, dining room with the gold silverware and plates used just once a year.  We kids sat at the rickety old card table in the rec-room with paper plates and plastic–sporks!  So what; we were happy.  Jesus says, Humble yourself and you will be exalted.  On the other hand, exalt yourself and you will be–what?–humbled.  Or even, humiliated.  Humiliation is not the same as humility.  Humiliation is what happens if you don’t have humility.  That’s a good anecdote, isn’t it?  Humiliation is what happens when you don’t have humility.

 

If you like Greek grammar, you will find it significant that these verbal phrases in verse 11– “will be humbled” and “will be exalted”–are what scholars call “theological passives.”  In other words, you don’t do them yourself, they are done to you by God.  You are passive in it.  If you don’t humble yourself, then God will see that you are humbled.  On the other hand, if you do humble yourself, then God will see that you are exalted.  Exaltation may happen in this life, but it may not happen until the life to come.  But the key is, show humility.  True followers of Christ are in the habit of humbling themselves.  It’s the meat-in-the-middle.  It’s the main thing.

 

Remember that humility is NOT the main thing in the world in which we live; humility is not natural in our world.  By default, we are not humble people.  We do not humble ourselves.  We exalt ourselves.  So Jesus’ axiom here in verse 11 about humbling ourselves is actually at odds with what is believed to be popular, trendy, and right.  Pastor Kent Hughes observes:

 

Jesus’ axiom (of having and showing humility) is equally penetrating and appropriate today–because it is not believed!  Washington, DC doesn’t believe it, despite its nods to the likes of Billy Graham and Mother Teresa.  The Democratic and Republican Parties do not believe it.  Listen to the campaign rhetoric.  Professional athletes do not believe it.  Business executives do not believe it.  Has Wall Street ever advertised executive positions as especially available to the humble and lowly of heart?

 

It’s true, isn’t it?  We are always tempted to exalt ourselves because that’s the way our culture rolls.  Exalt yourself and then you will succeed.  Work hard, play tough and then you can write a book entitled, Humility and How I Attained It! There’s something offensive about that kind of self-exalting attitude, isn’t there?  Something repulsive about pride to those who are striving to enter the narrow gate of the kingdom.

 

Years ago before I was in the ministry, Michele told me of an incident that had happened to her earlier in the day.  She was at some store and waiting in line when some self-important businessman began positioning himself before others, talking about how he was in a hurry and how valuable his time was.  I don’t remember all the details, I just remember that when Michele told me that she said something about her time also being important, that this businessman responded, “My time is worth $100 an hour.  What are you worth?”

 

How do you respond to that kind of behavior?  You don’t.  God will humble the self-exalting.  And may God help each of us not to ever sound nor look like that man.  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

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