TABLE TALK

LUKE 14:1-14

  I. Uninvited (14:1-6)

      For the third time Jesus sat for a meal in the house of a Pharisee (Lk. 7:36, 11:37, 14:1). A man entered uninvited to the dinner party (Lk. 7:37; curious custom of the time that allowed strangers to enter a house uninvited at a feast, especially beggars seeking a gift ).

•          Theological entrapment (manmade legislation)

•          Economical enslavement (must live)

      A. Skeptical (1)

Lk. 6:7 [ESV]. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.

      B. Sickness (2)

      David Smith noted, “The Rabbinical law ordained that only if the patient’s life were in danger, was it allowable to apply remedies on the Sabbath.”

      C. Sabbath (3)

Lk. 6:9 [HCSB]. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"

Lk. 13:14 [GW]. The synagogue leader was irritated with Jesus for healing on the day of worship. The leader told the crowd, "There are six days when work can be done. So come on one of those days to be healed. Don't come on the day of worship."

      D. Supernatural (4)

Lk. 5:17. And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was [present] to heal them.

      E. Satire (5)

Lk. 13:15-16 [NIV]. The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"

•          Orthodox (bondage)

•          Paradox (freedom)

      F. Silence (6)

Rom. 9:20 [GW]. Who do you think you are to talk back to God like that? Can an object that was made say to its maker, "Why did you make me like this?"

      Edersheim commented, “Yet we mark, that He first dismissed the man healed of the dropsy before He reproved the Pharisees. It was better so - for the sake of the guests, and for the healed man himself, whose mind quite new and blessed Sabbath-thoughts would fill, to which all controversy would be jarring.”

      Warren Wiersbe wrote, “It is difficult for visitors, and even new church members, to break into the exclusive clubs that form in almost every local church.”

 II. Unseated (14:7-11)

      God picked the least likely son of Jesse to unseat the proud King Saul.

1. Exalting self (knowledge–1 Cor. 8:1, position, possessions)

•          Presuming

•          Positioning

•          Posturing

2. Humbling self (higher life is the lower life; water fills the lowest place)

•          Estimation

•          Elevation

•          Equation

Phil. 2:3 [NLT]. Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.

      On November 19, 1863, exercises were held to dedicate a National Soldiers Cemetery at Gettysburg. Edward Everett was chosen as the orator of the day (former U.S. Senator, Governor of Massachusetts, Congressman, Secretary of State, professor and President of Harvard). President Lincoln was invited six weeks after Everett and only two weeks before the event. Lincoln was asked to make a few appropriate remarks. Everett spoke one hour and fifty-seven minutes. After a glee club, Lincoln arose and spoke scarcely three minutes. The photographer never had time to complete a photograph. Yet, Lincoln’s words “Fourscore and seven years ago. . .” will live in the annals of history.

Prov. 29:23. A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

•          Pride is the root sin (Ezek. 28:17).

•          Pride is against God (Prov. 6:16-17).

•          Pride stands in the way of salvation (Mt. 18:4).

•          Pride is prayerlessness (Jos. 7:3).

•          Pride is forgetfulness (1 Cor. 15:8).

•          Pride will be humbled by God (Dan. 4:37; health, failure, finance).

      If God promotes someone to a position it is for His glory. God also can remove a proud person from a position and put him on the shelf. Man proposes, God disposes.

      Humility is a conscious dependence on God with no confidence in natural ability. Jonathon Edwards said that saints should “look upon their grace and goodness little, and their deformity great.”

      A. Selection (7)

Lk. 20:46 [NIV]. Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

      B. Second (8)

Prov. 25:6-7 [GNB]. When you stand before the king, don't try to impress him and pretend to be important. It is better to be asked to take a higher position than to be told to give your place to someone more important.

      C. Shame (9)

Prov. 15:33 [NLT]. Fear of the LORD teaches a person to be wise; humility precedes honor.

Prov. 16:18 [MKJV]. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Rev. 3:18 [ESV]. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

      D. Sit (10)

Lk. 17:7-8 [ESV]. "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'?

      E. Servant (11)

Mt. 23:12 [ESV]. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Lk. 1:52 [Cambridge]. He has put down kings from their seats, lifting up on high the men of low degree.

Jas. 4:6 [NLT]. He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble."

Jas. 4:10 [NLT]. When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

1 Pet. 5:5 [NIV]. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

1 Pet. 5:6 [LB]. If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up.

      Jesus went to Calvary in humility; therefore, God highly exalted Him.

Phil. 2:8 [HCSB]. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death--even to death on a cross.

      Barclay illustrated, “[Principal Cairns] would never enter a room first. He always said, ‘You first, I follow.’ Once, as he came on to a platform, there was a great burst of applause in welcome. He stood aside and let the man after him come first and began himself to applaud. He never dreamed that the applause could possibly be for him; he thought it must be for the other man.”

      Who sits in the first seat (plays quarterback, gets the part, receives recognition)?

•          The person who ends up in the last seat might have a show of humility but be proud (Col. 2:23).

•          The person who ends up in the first seat might be the leader but know himself the least (Num. 12:3).

Francis Schaeffer said that there is no such thing as small people and big people, only consecrated people and unconsecrated people.”

      Wiersbe said, “There are more status seekers and pyramid climbers in churches and other Christian organizations than we care to admit.” Mike Singletary said, “Downward mobility is the exchange of pride for servanthood.”

      C. I. Scofield spoke of two tests for humility: the test of obscurity and the test of popularity.

Rom. 12:16 [LB]. Don’t try to act too big. . . enjoy the company of ordinary folks.

III. Unrewarded (14:12-14)

•          Exclusive (12)

•          Evangelistic (13)

•          Eternal (14)

Mt. 6:2 [MSG]. When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure--'playactors' I call them--treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get.

      A. Self-serving (12)

Prov. 14:20 [GNB]. No one likes the poor, not even their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

Lk. 14:16 [NIV]. Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.

Lk. 15:2 [NIV]. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Jas. 2:5-6 [NIV]. Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

      B. Socio-economic (13)

Lk. 4:18 [GW]. The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin,

Lk. 5:29-30 [CEV]. In his home Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other guests were also there. The Pharisees and some of their teachers of the Law of Moses grumbled to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with those tax collectors and other sinners?"

Lk. 7:22 [NIV]. So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

Lk. 14:21 [NIV]. The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, `Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

      C. Second-coming (14)

Jn. 5:29 [CEV]. and they will come out of their graves. Everyone who has done good things will rise to life, but everyone who has done evil things will rise and be condemned.

Prov. 19:17 [NIV]. He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

Mt. 25:40 [ESV]. And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

      Junior Hill noted that the test of a man’s character is how he treats those he does not need.

      Randy Alcorn wrote, “Our instinct is to give to those who will give us something in return and not to those who won’t. Christ appealed not only to our compassion but to our eternal self-interest: If we do a compassionate act that goes unrewarded by others in this life, God will pay us back in the next life.”

      Jesus did not need man, but He came and sought the lost who could not repay Him (Lk. 19:10).