Luke 14:1-24
MESSAGE TO THE RELIGIOUS
LIFE OF CHRIST #38
Several times a day religious people bow their knees on a prayer rug and worship Allah, pointing towards Mecca.
Right now, as I speak, there are religious people bowing in front of man-made idols and some are even burning incense.
Today religious people will knock on doors and offer a magazine called “Watch Tower” to the people who answer the door.
Today religious missionaries in pairs of two will promote the Book of Mormon and the Mormon religion throughout the world.
Today religious people will attend church, thinking or hoping that they will eventually get to Heaven because of doing good deeds, taking communion, being baptized, giving to charity, and/or keeping the Ten Commandments.
Gospel preaching churches are also full of people who consider themselves to be religious. Some of them only appear religious because they are in church. Others of them are truly religious, having trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and living the Christian life.
It is not wrong to be religious if you are a born again Christian
James 1:26-27 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. [27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
We return to the Life of Christ this morning. Our Lord visited Mary and Martha, and some time after that was invited to the home of a religious person, a Pharisee.
Vs. 1 – In fact this Pharisee was a chief Pharisee. He was high ranking, and important, and very religious. The Pharisees made it a point to be outwardly religious, and put more stock in their religious adherence to the law and their man made interpretations of the law than they did faith.
This invite was on the Sabbath Day. Jesus was invited because of religion. These men were so religious that they wanted to watch him to see if they could find a reason to accuse Him and discredit Him. Jesus did not agree with their brand of religion, and they wanted to condemn Him.
It is in this situation that Jesus gives a message to the “religious”. It is a message still applicable today for all who are religious. Jesus basically tells these “religious” men four things:
DON’T SHUN GOOD WORKS – Vss. 2-6
DON’T SEEK YOUR OWN HONOR – Vss. 7-11
DON’T SOLICIT FAVORS – Vss. 12-14
DON’T SNUB GOD’S INVITATION – Vss. 15-24
DON’T SHUN GOOD WORKS – Vss. 2-6
Vs. 2 – There was a man in front of Him who had dropsy.
His body was retaining water. He was obviously swollen, and probably terminally ill.
Because of the open nature of banquets in those days, this man could have come of his own accord. But remember the “religious” people were watching Jesus. This man was probably invited there on purpose in order to see if Jesus would violate their understanding of the Sabbath.
Vs. 3 – Jesus asked a loaded question “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” There is no such restriction in the Old Testament Law. But the additions that “religious” people made to that law made it unlawful.
Jesus had them in a dilemma. If they said it was lawful they would have violated their own teachings. If they said it was unlawful, they would have been viewed as narrow and uncaring.
Vs. 4 – So as not to incriminate themselves, the Pharisees said nothing. Jesus went ahead and healed the man.
Vs. 5 – Jesus then reminded the religious people that if one of their livestock were in jeopardy on the Sabbath Day, they would be helped. In fact, the word “ass” or “donkey” here actually reads “son” in some of the New Testament manuscripts.
Of course, if it took work to rescue a child or a farm animal, and that was acceptable, how much more acceptable was healing a sick man on the Sabbath Day!
Jesus’ message is clear. Don’t shun good works in the name of religion. Don’t let your religion keep you from doing good, and don’t let your religion cause you to shun those who do good.
Both the Jewish religion and Christianity are religions that stress good works. If these good works can relieve human suffering we should not let anything stop us.
1 John 3:17 - But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
James 2:15-17 - If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, [16] And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? [17] Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Vs. 6 – Notice that the religious people were again silent. They had nothing to answer because they were guilty of helping their own on the Sabbath.
So, if we have the ability to help others, we are to do so.
We are not to shun good works, or those who do them.
It is easy to criticize people who don’t do things the way we would do them. But if they are doing good and not breaking any laws, who are we to criticize?
DON’T SHUN GOOD WORKS – Vss. 2-6
DON’T SEEK YOUR OWN HONOR – Vss. 7-11
Vs. 7 – Seating was supposedly according to who was more honorable or important. The closer one sat to the host, the more honorable the person was. These “religious” men were seeking the best seats for themselves!
Vss. 8-10 – Jesus told these religious people not to seek the best seat a wedding feast. They should take the lower seat. It was likely that one could be “bumped” from the highest seat, and could be moved up from the lowest seat.
Jesus did not want them doing this with the wrong motives.
He wanted these men to be truly humble.
He wanted them to learn to put others ahead of themselves.
Vs. 11 – Jesus is saying that the proud will be humbled, and the humble will be exalted.
Matthew 6:1-6 - Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven… [3] But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: [4] That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. [5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:16-18 - Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [17] But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; [18] That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave three examples of what some religious people did to get honor from men.
They gave.
They prayed.
They fasted.
It was their habit to do these things so they could be seen.
Jesus was telling them that they could seek and get their reward now from men, but if they humbly went about their business, they would be rewarded later.
Jesus is telling the religious people not to seek their own honor. Sometimes honor does come even when we are not seeking it. Let the honor come if it comes but don’t seek it.
DON’T SHUN GOOD WORKS – Vss. 2-6
DON’T SEEK YOUR OWN HONOR – Vss. 7-11
DON’T SOLICIT FAVORS – Vss. 12-14
Vss. 12-13 – It was the habit of these religious people to invite their family, friends and those of high social and financial status. Most of these people will be able to invite you in return. Jesus was saying, “Don’t invite people to dinner so you’ll get invited back.”
Jesus was not excluding the invitation of these people.
He just wanted others included who could not pay them back. The poor and the handicapped were to be invited.
When was the last time you invited anyone over to dinner who couldn’t return the favor or who were not on the same level socially as you? We generally feed those who don’t need it and never think of those who do need it.
Vs. 14 – Meeting the needs of those in need is a quality of the Christian. When the Christian is resurrected, then he will be rewarded for the kindnesses shown to the ones that he could not pay back.
The bottom line is that we should not do favors for others so they’ll do them for us. Instead we are to show favors to those who can’t repay us. This is what is pleasing to God.
DON’T SHUN GOOD WORKS – Vss. 2-6
DON’T SEEK YOUR OWN HONOR – Vss. 7-11
DON’T SOLICIT FAVORS – Vss. 12-14
DON’T SNUB GOD’S INVITATION – Vss. 15-24
Vs. 15 – Some sanctimonious person said, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” There were probably “Amens” from many. The implication was that these religious people were all planning to be in God’s Kingdom.
Jesus cared too much for these men to let this statement go without comment.
Vs. 16 – A man made a great supper. Many had been invited. The custom was to have two invitations. The first invitation would give the day. And a person was to
R. S. V. P.
On the day of the dinner servants would go to the guests again and tell them that dinner was ready. Those who were bidden to come on the day of the banquet had already accepted a first invitation.
Vss. 17-20 - So, on the day of the dinner, the servant went to get the guests and every one of them had an excuse for not coming. These were all lame excuses.
A man bought a piece of ground. He had to go see it. But the man would not buy a piece of property without seeing it. It was just an excuse for missing the banquet.
Another man had purchased 10 oxen. He now wanted to “prove” or check them out. Again, the purchase of that much livestock was a major purchase. The man would have tested them before buying them.
The third man had just gotten married.
And although Jewish men were excluded from having to go to war after just being married, they were not banned from going to banquets. He was using his wife as an excuse.
What is the meaning of this?
The Jewish people said they wanted to enter the Kingdom of God. By virtue of their Jewish religion they had accepted an invitation to enter God’s Kingdom.
But now the King was among them and they were rejecting him. He was there and they didn’t want Him! They would, in a short time, crucify their king.
They were snubbing the invitation.
Vs. 21 – The servant returns home and reports to his master. Those who had been invited and accepted an invitation had made excuses and would not attend the dinner. He was rightfully angry.
He told his servant to go out into the city and bring in those who were the social rejects, the poor and the handicapped.
Vss. 22-23 – This was done and there was still room. So the servant was sent to the highways and country lanes and he was to compel them to come!
The Jews had refused God’s invitation. So the socially and physically unacceptable were to be invited to the feast. Those in the highways and hedges represent the Gentiles.
The Jews rejected Jesus, and the Gentiles have been invited!
Ephesians 2:11-13 - Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; [12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Vs. 24 – The ones who were bidden to the supper and turned it down would not partake of the supper.
The point for today is obvious.
There are religious people today who are too wrapped up in other things and use them as excuses for not accepting Jesus’ invitation of salvation.
It is Jesus Christ who died for our sins.
It is Jesus Christ who is risen from the dead.
It is Jesus Christ who will change your life and give you a new life now and heaven later.
Many have snubbed the invitation.
Have you?
John 3:16-18 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If you have not snubbed God’s invitation, that’s great.
I’m so glad that you have accepted it and are going to Heaven.
Accepting the invitation puts you in another category, however.
You are now a servant who has the invitation in your hand so to speak. You have the message of the Gospel to share with others.
Mark 16:15 - And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
If you, as a Christian, do not share your faith, you are in a real sense snubbing God’s invitation. You are helping to keep people out of Heaven instead of helping them in.
You know the way to Heaven. Shame on you if you don’t share it with others who need it.
Jesus message to the religious applies to us.
DON’T SHUN GOOD WORKS – Vss. 2-6
DON’T SEEK YOUR OWN HONOR – Vss. 7-11
DON’T SOLICIT FAVORS – Vss. 12-14
DON’T SNUB GOD’S INVITATION – Vss. 15-24