Dining with Jesus
TRANSLATION
(1) One Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leading Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. (2) There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy, (3) so Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” (4) They remained silent. Then he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. (5) He then said to them, “Who among you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” (6) And they had nothing to say.
(7) He then gave a parable to those who were invited when he noticed that they had chosen the best seats. He said to them, (8) “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the place of honor lest someone more distinguished than you has been invited (9) and the host that invited you must come and say to you, ‘Give this guest your seat.’ Then you will be shamed and have to take a lower place. (10) But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place so that when the host who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, take a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who dine with you, (11) for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
OBSERVATIONS
This passage marks the third time in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus was invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee. On each occasion, Jesus took the opportunity to confront the legalism of these observant Jews. At the first dinner, Jesus forgave the sins of a woman who had anointed his feet with precious ointment and left the guests wondering how he might have the authority to do something only God could do (Lk. 7:36-50). At another feast, the Pharisee who hosted the dinner observed that Jesus had failed to wash ceremonially before the meal as legalist practice demanded. His critical attitude prompted Jesus to condemn those who were more concerned about external rituals than internal integrity (Lk. 11:37-54).
In today’s passage, two repeated words, “Sabbath” (vss. 1, 3, & 5) and “heal” (vss. 3 & 4) and the presence of a man with dropsy show us that Jesus’ host had likely arranged this dinner as a trap. Would Jesus heal the disabled man on a day when work was forbidden? Jesus not only healed him but also responded with two parables. The first was intended to silence those who were about to condemn him for violating the Sabbath. His point: compassion for the pressing needs of others should always take precedence over legalistic observances. The second addressed the invited guests who had sought the places of honor at the dining table. Here his purpose was to exalt the quality of personal humility.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus, after a Sabbath healing, gave a parable to teach about compassion. (1-6)
II. Jesus then gave another parable, this one regarding the need for humility. (7-11)
IDEA STATEMENT
For those who follow Jesus, compassion and humility always eclipse legalism and self-seeking.
APPLICATION
Inviting Jesus to dinner was risky business. The Pharisees who dared to do so found themselves inevitably confronted by his compassion and grace. In today’s passage those who observed the Sabbath strictly found their scruples again challenged by Jesus’ concern for a disabled guest. Later, those who had sought the best places at the dinner table found themselves challenged by his exalting those demonstrating humility.
Inviting Jesus into our lives as Savior and Sovereign carries the same kind of risk. He does not want to be just another guest among the many that we welcome into our lives. He demands to be our Lord, calling the shots, making the decisions, clearing out the dross, and leading us to new and better lives. In his pamphlet, My Heart, Christ’s Home, Robert Munger imagined what it would be like to welcome Jesus to dwell in his house, namely, his heart. As the author moved through, room after room, he considered what Christ would demand of him once he had become a permanent resident. In the living room he would prepare to meet Christ daily. In the dining room he would examine how he controlled his appetites. He then imagined how Christ would finally demand access to the darkest closets of his life, insisting that each one be cleaned out and used for his purposes. Jesus requires that we grant him access to every room, every nook and cranny, every dark corner so that he can truly be the Lord of every area of our lives.