Luke Chapter 14 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 - We notice that it is a ruler of the Pharisees that evidently extends this invitation to Jesus to eat bread on the Sabbath. I can t recall Jesus ever refusing an invitation of hospitality. o Coffman quotes two commentators concerning this Sabbath meal.(1)"the Jews took only two meals on week days, but they had three meals on the Sabbath"; that extra meal was celebrated after the morning worship and was the big meal of the entire week. (2) "The only restriction upon those feasts was that the food had to be cooked the day before." People s Commentary, B.W. Johnson. In despite of the rigid ideas of the Pharisees concerning work on the Sabbath, it was made a day of feasting." Meet the Sabbath with a lively hunger; let thy table be covered with fish, flesh, and generous wine," is a rabbinical precept. o We have. seven recorded cases of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. o Dropsy This is the only record of Jesus healing this disease. Boles says This disease seems to have been produced by an accumulation of water under the skin, in various parts of the body, often the result of a previous disease, and generally incurable. 1
o It seems pretty obvious, but yet uncertain, that this event was well orchestrated: Consider this statement.. This afflicted man would not have been invited to such an important dinner were it not that the Pharisees wanted to use him as bait to catch Jesus. They knew that Jesus could not be in the presence of human suffering very long without doing something about it. If He ignored the afflicted man, then He was without compassion; but if He healed him, then He was openly violating the Sabbath and they could accuse Him. They put the dropsied man right in front of the Master so He could not avoid him, and then they waited for the trap to spring. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary This was certainly in character with previous events Luke 11:54. 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him. NKJV o Before taking any action Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees whether it would be lawful to heal the man on the Sabbath. There is nothing in Scripture to forbid such a healing. But. Rabbinic regulations said it was unlawful, because according to their interpretation of the law, healing could only be done on the Sabbath when a life was in danger. To agree. that the man should be healed might make them look soft on the enforcement of their laws. To disagree.. might lead to accusations of indifference to human suffering. So they remained silent. But the silence before the miracle. made it all but impossible to complain afterwards. 2
Jesus heals the man. and lets 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. - He probes their silence. and they could not answer. - Verse 5 (RSV) 5 And he said to them, Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day? Manuscripts are divided. o In either case.. they would have put forth the needed effort to free either a son or an animal on the Sabbath. o The main point being: Matthew 12:11-12. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. RSV 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. 3
- Jesus puts forth a parable. actually He gives three parables as he dines with this Pharisee. o In each case a spiritual meaning underlies the social implications. - In this first parable (Advice). Jesus noted how the guests picked the places of honor. o Because of the mixture of Jewish, Roman, Greek and Persian cultures at that time we cannot be sure which were the `chief seats'. Some believe.. the closer a person was to the host, the greater was that guest s position of honor. The Talmud. ranked three seats on a couch by making the center chief, the one on the right second, and the one on the left third. o Evidently as people entered the Pharisee s house where the table was spread, they must have scrambled and jockeyed for the most honorable seats. - The parable (or advice) that Jesus gives them was designed to get them to think about spiritual realities in relation to the kingdom. o Barclay makes this statement and I include one of his illustrations and then a conclusion: Statement Jesus chose a homely illustration to point an eternal truth. If a quite undistinguished guest arrived early at a feast and annexed the top place, and if a more distinguished person then arrived, and the man who had usurped the first place was told to step down, a most embarrassing situation resulted. If, on the other hand, a man deliberately slipped into the bottom place, and was then asked to occupy a more distinguished place, his humility gained him all the more honor. Illustration There are many stories and legends of the humility of Principal Cairns. He 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 4
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. It is only the little man who is self-important. Conclusion. 1Peter 5:1b. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. RSV o It would be very easy to teach hypocrisy or a fake humility based on this example but Jesus certainly is not doing that. The fact remains.. the way to true exaltation is humility. o How do we come to a point of true humility? First and most importantly..we can consider the facts! Coffman says in part No man is wise in any ultimate sense, good in any heavenly sense, or powerful in any eternal sense. Barclay says in part How ever much we know, we still know very little compared with the sum total of knowledge. However much we have achieved, we still have achieved very little in the end. However important we may believe ourselves to be, when death removes us or when we retire from our position, life and work will go on just the same. I often recall my favorite poem How Small We Are How Little We Know.. that says it all to me. Most important of all. when we compare ourselves to the radiance, power and purity of Christ we must become void of all pride in His sight. 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 5
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. - The first parable (or advice) was directed to the guests but this second parable is directed to the host of the feast. o Return invitations, from those invited, should not be the goal of all feasts. - I don t believe this parable means that a man should not entertain his friends from time to time but many times this is all that is done. o This shows no generosity at all since the host will be repaid. Friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors. o B.W. Johnson says. To give dinners for the sake of earthly reward is worldly; to feed the needy is heavenly, and will be rewarded in heaven. People s Commentary Invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. o Motive is the key element Self interest, reward, feelings of superiority and obligation are all self serving motives. (Pure giving or generosity is to those who can t repay) o The only true motive for giving is because.. we must love demands it! (God so gave so must we. Jn.3:16.) The Rabbis had a saying that the best kind of giving was when the giver did not know to whom he was giving, and when the receiver did not know from whom he was receiving. - We might also consider the possibility that Jesus is also teaching us that the kingdom is open to all, and there is no room for any kind of exclusiveness. 6
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God! 16 Then He said to him, A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready. 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused. 20 Still another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room. 23 Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper. - Let s remember. Jesus is still in the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. o It is on the Sabbath and Jesus is an invited guest. o He has just spoken two parables to those present. Now.. One of the guests expresses a blessing on everyone who would eat... in the kingdom. He said Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God! This man was assuming.. that he and the other people present would all be present in the kingdom. 7
o Barnes makes this statement. The kingdom of God here means the kingdom which the Messiah was to set up. See [Mt. 3:2]. The Jews supposed that he would be a temporal prince, and that his reign would be one of great magnificence and splendour. They supposed that the Jews then would be delivered from all their oppressions, and that, from being a degraded people, they would become the most distinguished and happy nation of the earth. To that period they looked forward as one of great happiness. There is some reason to think that they supposed that the ancient just men would then be raised up to enjoy the blessings of the reign of the Messiah. Our Saviour having mentioned the resurrection of the just, this man understood it in the common way of the Jews, and spoke of the peculiar happiness which they expected at that time. The Jews only, he expected, would partake of those blessings. Those notions the Saviour corrects in the parable which follows. Jesus took this opportunity to explain that many of the people there would not be present in God s kingdom. God s Kingdom was not a birth right of Jews only as they believed. A changed life and a changed character were required! In their places. would be many outcasts and Gentiles. o A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, A certain man here is God. The great supper is God s kingdom. The many invited is The Israelites. o And sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready. Background information (William Barclay).. In Palestine, when a man made a feast, the day was announced long beforehand and the invitations were sent out and accepted; but the hour was not announced; and when the day came and all things were ready, servants were sent out to summon the already invited 8
guests. To accept the invitation beforehand and then refuse it when the day came was a grave insult. 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. 18 But they responded with a chorus of excuses. JNT They had not come together and made these excuses. but they came from the same nature, heart and mind. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused. The field.. would be there tomorrow. The decision to purchase.. had already been made. The man just didn t want to come! And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused. He would not have purchased them.. if he was not already convinced that they could do the job. There was no hurry in testing them. The man just didn t want to come! Still another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. An appeal to scripture? o Dt. 24:5.. 5 When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with 9
any business; he shall be free at home one year, to be happy with his wife whom he has taken. RSV This is a regulation aimed at freeing him from military service not isolating him from social contacts. Marriage does not cancel out other obligations especially things of which due notice has been given. o Coffman s Commentary where was there ever a bride who would not have wished to attend a feast in the home of a rich man? The man just didn t want to come! Coffman sums up the excuses In the aggregate, these three who made excuses stand for the Jews who rejected the invitation to receive the kingdom. There had come about, through ages, a deterioration of what the concept of the kingdom meant to the chosen people. Especially among the leaders, a malignant carnality had distorted their thoughts of what God's kingdom would be; and, for that reason, they insultingly rejected Christ. o 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind. The first who despised the invitation, are now rejected! There was no time to waste: The supper was ready. The provisions were abundant. Every place at the table must be filled. 10
First, the servant would go to the city. He was to go into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind. o These included members of the Jewish community. who were considered inferior and ceremonially unclean such as the man with dropsy He had just healed. And the servant said, Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room. 23 Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Boles says the vagrants usually rested along the hedges. Most commentators believe. These people outside the city were probably Gentiles, those outside the covenant community. o Coffman sees a problem As this had not yet been accomplished at the time of this parable, it is clear that the parable was prophetic at this point, moving altogether beyond the narrow circle of Israel, either of its leaders or its less noble classes. o At any rate, it seems clear. that these outsiders represent the Gentiles and that they will respond so that the master s house will be full. Acts 28:28 28 Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it! NKJV 11
One thing is very clear 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper. o This parable of a banquet reinforced His previous teaching that He would abandon Jerusalem. Luke 13:34-35 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! The people who originally had been offered a share of the kingdom had rejected it. o The excuses. seemed good to those who gave them. But nothing was as important as accepting the Messiah and His offer of being a part of His Kingdom. one s entire destiny rests on his response to that offer. 25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, - Jesus has left the house of the Pharisee.where He joined in the feast, and spoke the three parables that we ve just looked at. o He now resumes His journey toward Jerusalem. 12
A great multitude follows Him. He now turns and speaks to them 26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. - The crowd follows enthusiastically but they didn t fully understand what s going to be required of them to continue to follow Jesus. o He was on His way to a cross. o The crowds... were not ready for that. It is easy to be one in the crowd. o Many thought. Jesus was going to establish an earthly Kingdom. o They saw nothing but blessings ahead without any change in their life! They needed to count the cost. o His statement to the great multitude is meant to get their attention. If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sister, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple Matthew puts it this way: Matthew 10:37.. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; RSV o Obviously. hate as used here is in a comparative sense. 13
o The stress is on the priority of love Literally hating one s family would have been a violation of the Law. o Bole s said.. To hate stands for to love less ; when a choice between relatives or one s own life and Christ is before us, we must choose to follow Christ; in doing this, we are hating our relatives and loving Christ more. o The Bible Knowledge Commentary makes this statement Indeed, those who did follow Jesus against their families desires were probably thought of as hating their families. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - To bear a cross today. conjures up ideas of hardship, health problems, or a myriad of other difficulties and ills. o But then they were all too familiar with what it really meant to bear a cross. Tyndale writes. The disciples had probably seen a man take up his cross, and they knew what it meant. When a man from one of their villages took up a cross and went off with a little band of Roman soldiers, he was on a one-way journey. He would 14
not be back. Taking up the cross meant the utmost in self-denial. This is Luke s first use of the word cross and it comes with striking effect. - The two illustrations are a little different but they draw us to one conclusion. o The last thing Jesus wanted was a following of blind and naïve people. Who expected only blessing with no commitment or cost involved. He says a builder. estimates the cost of a building before he starts to build. And a King evaluates the strength of his forces before he engages in battle. Likewise, the followers of Jesus must also.. count the cost and consider what Jesus expects of His followers. o The spirit of self sacrifice and surrender of self is required. (The attitude --- Found the pearl of great price.) H. Leo Boles makes this statement The cost is great; one must give his influence, his money, his energy, his life, his all, if he would be a disciple of Jesus. 34 Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! - Salt which has lost its saltiness is worthless. o The essence of following Jesus.. is a total commitment. There can be no half-hearted disciples. A disciple who will not deny self will never have any positive influence on anyone. 15
Here salt is valued for its ability to season. If it cannot do that, it has no value. It has lost its purpose. o The last thing Jesus does is to remind his hearers that it is now up to them to understand and obey His words. 1 1The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982. 16