Luke 14:7-14

Butler's Comments

SECTION 2

Gracious (Luke 14:7-14)

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, -Give place to this man,-' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, -Friend, go up higher-'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. 13But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.

Luke 14:7-11 Humility: Luke uses the Greek word epechon to describe Jesus-' observation of the men at this Pharisee's table choosing places of honor. The Greek word means literally, to hold upon. The Lord's attention was riveted upon the ludicrous scene. They were probably pushing, shoving, elbowing and arguing about places to recline. The Jewish Talmud says that on a couch holding three persons, the middle place is considered the place of greatest honor. The place to the left is next in honor and the place to the right last. The Talmud also records just such an instance of ridiculous behavior. At a banquet of Alexander Jannaeus (Hasmonean king of the Jews 103-76 B.C.) rabbi Simeon ben Shetach, in spite of the presence of some great Persian rulers, had thrust himself between the king and the queen at the dinner table. He was publicly rebuked and shamed. He tried to defend his behavior by quoting the Jewish apocryphal writing, Sir. 15:5 which says, Exalt wisdom, and she. shall make thee sit among princes. The audacious, arrogant man who repeatedly and presumptuously puts himself forward (chooses the place of honor) is always in danger of public humiliation because there is inevitably always someone present more deserving of being honored. And even if the host is not forced to ask the presumptuous man to step down, the guests are almost always aware of the egotist's real position. By contrast the truly humble man, not concerned to show-off or greedy for attention, who takes a lower seat, will usually be asked to go up higher.

There is a fine line between the proper self-worth and sinful pride. The Greek words translated pride in the New Testament are huperephania and alazoneiais. Huperephania is literally, hyper-showing; it is arrogance, haughtiness, disdain of others, making oneself to be pre-eminent (cf. Mark 7:22). Alazoneiais is from alazon (a vagabond or wanderer) and came to be used in the sense of braggadocio, boastfulness, and being puffed up, (cf. James 4:16). Not even disciples of Jesus are immune to the temptation (cf. Luke 9:46; Matthew 20:20-28; Luke 22:24-27). Pride is the snare of the devil (1 Timothy 3:6) and God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13). It was the fundamental temptation the devil trapped Eve and Adam with in the Garden of Eden (cf. Genesis 3:5). There are four attitudes that clearly reveal a proud heart: (a) self-sufficiency; (b) self-justification; (c) self-righteousness; (d) self-importance. Pride is put to practice when men measure themselves by those they feel are inferior, in order to justify feelings of superiority (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:12-14). On the other hand, acknowledging that God our Creator has accounted us worth the sacrifice of His Perfect Son, is not pride but the necessary admission that motivates us to enter into His covenant of salvation.

Humility in the scriptures is from the Greek word tapeinophrosune and literally means, lowliness of mind. Humility is based upon:

a.

Truth:

1.

Creator-creature relationship

2.

Kingship and divine Saviorhood of Jesus Christ

3.

Revelational nature of the Bible

b.

Trust:

1.

In the Fatherhood of God

2.

In the Substitutionary-atonement of Christ

c.

Obedience:

1.

Service to others

2.

Carrying out God's will

The only sure cure for pride is to compare oneself with God and with His Perfect Son, Jesus Christ, and then to acknowledge the scriptural truth that the kingdom of God is not a society in which there is competition for position but a fellowship where each counts others better than self (Romans 12:3; Romans 12:10), and where everyone has the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5 ff.). Real humility is always spontaneous and attractive. It is false humility when we pretend we do not have a capacity that we do have. If you can do something well humility does not require you to pretend that you cannot; it only requires you to remember that you did not create the talents you have yourself, and that therefore, gratitude fits better than pride. Real humility walks the fine line between self-criticism and self-acceptance.

These Pharisees, expositors of God's word, scholars and religious guides, were giving the distinct impression that they considered the end of learning to be self-exaltation. They were showing they believed the purpose of wisdom was to make them superior to all other men. The purpose of learning and scholarship is for service to others. It is in serving others that valuable character is formednot in self-exaltation. It is in humble service that the true dignity of the human being is manifested. It is in giving of self to the edification of others that a person reflects the glory of God and His Son (cf. John 13:1 ff.). When a person humbles himself, God's image is reflected in him and he is exalted. When a person exalts himself, the image of the devil is reflected and he is abased in the evaluation of good and honest men.

Is it possible that such grabbing at false honor could go on among modern-day rabbis and clergymen? When was the last time you heard sermons from the scriptures warning the followers of Jesus about such immodest behavior? How many conventions for preachers and church workers ever seriously consider this? A great deal is preached about sexual sin and about doctrinal error, but Jesus focused His most scathing denunciation on the egotism of the religious leaders of His day!

Luke 14:12-14 Hospitality: But Jesus wasn-'t through with His host. He had another lesson to teach all present at the dinnerthe lesson of true hospitality. The true disciple of Jesus does not entertain or feed anyone with a motive that expects repayment. The good man of God is hospitable and charitable without any thought of getting anything out of it. He does his good because someone needs helpbecause he loves.

The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia, literally, love of strangers or aliens. Jesus taught hospitality (cf. Luke 10:30-37; Matthew 10:11-15; Luke 10:5-12; Luke 7:36-50). The N.T. writers exhort Christians to be hospitable (cf. 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9; Hebrews 13:2). Philemon and John's epistles enjoin and exhibit hospitality. Jesus said, When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends. lest ... Lest emphasizes danger! There is danger in always giving dinners for friends and relatives! The danger is in asking to your feast someone who can (and will) repay you! The Lord'S.teaching here is revolutionary in light of modern-day practice! Obviously, Jesus is dealing mainly with motives One's motive for inviting people to dinner is of supreme importance. This teaching of Jesus strikes hard at all of us. Which of us has ever had a banquet for the poor, maimed, lame and blind? What are our motives for giving dinnerspride? prestige? publicity? manipulation?

Clearly, there is nothing wrong with inviting your relatives or even your rich neighbors to dinner if your motives are pure. Matthew invited his fellow-publicans to dinner (Matthew 9:9-10). But, there are so many people who could use help, if we really followed this teaching we would have little time for feeding those who can take care of themselves. Hospitality and helping the needy will be a crucial issue at the judgment of mankind (cf. Matthew 25:35 ff.; Matthew 10:40; John 13:20).

God cares about the poor. He enjoins us to care about them (Exodus 22:25-27; Exodus 23:11; Leviticus 19:9-15; Leviticus 25:6-30; Leviticus 25:39-42; Lev. 39:47-54; Deuteronomy 14:28-29; Deuteronomy 15:12-13; Deuteronomy 16:11-14; Deuteronomy 24:10-22; Deuteronomy 26:12-13; Ruth 2:1-7; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalms 9:18; Psalms 12:5). The prophets championed the poor because rich people exploited them (Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 10:1-2; Ezekiel 34:1-31; Amos 2:6; Amos 5:7; Amos 8:6; Micah 2:1-2; Habakkuk 3:14; Malachi 3:5). Jesus always helped the poor when He had the opportunity to do so. The early church was made up of mostly poor people and slaves (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 2 Corinthians 8:2-15; James 1:9-11; James 2:1-13; James 5:1-6). Paul and Barnabas were asked to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). Opportunities are never lacking to give aid to the poor for they are always in the world (cf. Deuteronomy 15:4-11; John 12:8). The question is, shall those who have plenty avail themselves of these opportunities to help. Helping the poor will hardly ever be rewarded in this life. Jesus promises, however, that in the resurrection of the just, those who have shown compassion and mercy will be rewarded by the One who is able to give infinite compassion and mercy. It sounds illogical, and it is contrary to the world's values, but it is true that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). It is only by faith that the follower of Jesus can put these admonitions into practice in his daily life. The world will say, if you want to get ahead, entertain the rich and powerful. And it even appears, in this life, those who do so get ahead. But the follower of Jesus has his hope in the next world.

Applebury's Comments

A Lesson on Humility
Scripture

Luke 14:7-14 And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, 9 and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; and when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. 11 For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

12 And he said to him also that had bidden him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. 13 But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not wherewith to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.

Comments

And he spake a parable.There was an implied question in the presence of the sick man. Jesus called attention to a situation which all were able to observe and pointed out a lesson which it also implied. It was the right of the host to seat the guests in places of honor, but these rude people so lacking in humility were occupying the places of honor without waiting to be assigned to them by the host.

sit not down in the chief seats.That is, do not recline on the couch reserved for the honored guest until invited to do so. To avoid the ambarrassment of being asked to move to a place of lower distinction, Jesus advised that they occupy the lower place first and wait until they were invited to occupy a place of greater honor. When the host says, Friend, move up to a place of higher honor, you will be approved in the presence of all who are reclining at the feast with you.

It is evident that Jesus had not been invited to the place of honor that was rightly His, since He is the Son of God. A good question: To what place do we invite the Lord when we have banquets?

For everyone that exalteth himself.See Mark 10:42-45 for a similar lesson which Jesus taught the disciples. Peter says, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6). Humility is a virtue that should have been observed in the banquet which Jesus was attending. It is essential for those who hope to attend the heavenly banquet about which Jesus had been teaching. See Micah 6:8.

to him also that had bidden him.The lesson on humility applied not only to guests but also to the host. It is evident that the motive of the one who invited Jesus was not what it should have been. He may have been seeking to take advantage of Jesus-' own popularity. One poor man had been permitted to come into the house, but the guests for the most part were his rich neighbors and friends.

When thou makest a dinner or supper.Or as we would say, a luncheon or dinner, for Jesus referred to a noon meal and an evening meal. The feast was a banquet.

lest haply they also bid thee again.This was not to say that the rich man could not have his neighbors and friends as guests in his home; but this could be done from the wrong motive, for some expected to be invited into the homes of their guests.

The gospel invitation, as the parable of the Great Supper shows, is to the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blindthat is, sinners who need the cleansing power of the Lord.

and thou shalt be blessed.In the Book of Acts, Luke quotes these words of Paul, Ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). There is a blessing in helping the needy, All of us need to help others, for in doing so we help ourselves in a way that nothing else can.

recompensed in the resurrection of the just.There will be a time when you will be paid back for what you have done for the poor. That will be in the resurrection of the just.

The resurrection, of course, is not limited to the just, but they are the ones who will be blessed in the resurrection. Paul spoke of the resurrection of the just and the unjust (Acts 24:15). Jesus said, The hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29). There is one resurrection at which time both the just and unjust will be raised.