Jesus Confronts Sin At A Dinner Party

Sermons – The Bridge

When Jesus was invited to a dinner party, He told them that they were pursuing the wrong practice, place, and people. In doing so, He confronted them with their sins of Hypocrisy, Pride, and Selfishness.

Jesus Confronts Sin At A Dinner Party

Luke 14:1-14

You know, you just couldn’t take Jesus anywhere! If Jesus was invited to a dinner party, you just never knew what He was going to do. Of course in a social setting like a dinner party, it is expected that a guest will be friendly and congenial, and get along well with everyone at the event. He would certainly never publicly criticize or rebuke the actions of the host or the guests. Well, I guess Jesus didn’t care much about the social etiquette of His day. He didn’t even seem to try to be tactful. What He did value was teaching men God’s Word and how to glorify Him. If that meant that He irritated or angered others, so be it. Jesus hadn’t come from heaven to try to please everyone. He came to do His Father’s will and accomplish His work. Because He didn’t kiss up to the religious leaders of the day, but rather exposed their hypocrisy, He made many enemies.

This morning we are going to watch Jesus as He attends a dinner party at a Pharisee’s home on the Sabbath day. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” Well, Jesus Christ, embodied that verse of Scripture. Because He loved this Pharisee and the guests at this dinner party, He was willing to wound them, in order to help them. At this dinner, Jesus exposes three sins: Hypocrisy, Pride, and Selfishness. He told them, in effect, they were pursuing all the wrong things. They were pursuing the wrong practice, the wrong place, and the wrong people. As we take a look at Christ’s ministry to these Jews, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to show us if we are guilty of any of these sins ourselves.

1. They Were Pursuing The Wrong Practice (14:1-6)

One of the leaders of the Pharisees. This wasn’t just a Pharisee. He was one of the leaders of the Pharisees. There were about 6,000 Pharisees in Jesus’ day. The Pharisees were a sect within Judaism, knowing for their zeal for God’s Law. Unfortunately, they were also zealous for the Oral Law, that had been developed down through the centuries by the various rabbis. This Oral Law went beyond the Scriptures, and added hundreds of various other laws meant to help the conscientious Jew obey the Written Law. For example, they had added the law of washing hands before eating, and of hundreds of laws relating to what a person could or could not do on the Sabbath. Somewhere along the way, the Pharisees had made the deadly mistake of fixating on the external act of obedience while neglecting the state of their hearts before God. This led to self-righteousness, pride, and hypocrisy.

Now, out of these 6,000 Pharisees, this one was a leader. Perhaps this meant that he was a ruler of one of the synagogues or that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, composed of 70 of the most influential leaders in Israel.

They were watching Him closely. Now, that’s revealing. It probably tells us why Jesus was invited to this dinner. They were watching Him closely. Why do you suppose they were doing that? Luke 11:53-54 says, “When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.” This leading Pharisee, I’m convinced, invited Jesus to this dinner party, only to catch Him in something, so that He could use it against Him, and ultimately get rid

of Him.

And there in front of Him was… Interesting! How do you suppose this man just “happened” to be right in front of Him? I have a strong suspicion that this sick man was planted by this Pharisee. He probably knew that Jesus’ heart would go out to this man when He saw him, and that He would heal them. That would give them some ammunition against Jesus, because they would say that He had broken the Sabbath.

Dropsy. Dropsy is the old-fashioned word for edema. It is the medical condition in which the legs and arms swell up with fluids. Eventually it can lead to heart failure. When Jesus saw this man, He instantly knew that He had been set up. The only question now, was what He was going to do in this situation.

Jesus answered. Wait a minute! How could Jesus answer them, if they didn’t ask any question? Well, they were asking questions in their hearts, and Jesus could read their hearts. They were thinking, “It is not lawful to heal on the Sabbath! Is He going to heal on the Sabbath, and break our rules? Is He going to incriminate Himself right in front of us?” So, Jesus answered their unspoken questions with a question of His own. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” Now, Jesus knew that’s what they believed, because in Luke 13:10-17, Jesus had healed a woman who was bent double for 18 years. Once He had healed her, the synagogue official became indignant and said, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Jesus knew that this official’s view of healing on the Sabbath would be shared by all the Pharisees. However, when Jesus asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not, they wouldn’t answer. They kept silent, probably because if they actually admitted that they believed it was not lawful, it would expose them as heartless legalists, who placed more importance on law than on hurting people.

Which one of you… If any of those religious men had an ox or a son fall into a well on a Sabbath day, they wouldn’t hesitate to pull him out. Why? Because that ox was a very valuable animal. They couldn’t afford to lose it, Sabbath or not. That son was very valuable to them, a dearly loved member of the family. They couldn’t stand to lose him, Sabbath or not. At this point, Jesus knew he had them. Of course they would pull out their ox or their son from a well on the Sabbath. So, why would they forbid a suffering man to be healed on the Sabbath? The reason, obviously, was that they valued those things that belonged to them, but didn’t value others. As long as it would help them, they were quite free in breaking the Sabbath. But as long as it would only help someone else, they insisted that the Sabbath be kept.

Application. What sin is Jesus exposing here? Hypocrisy! As long as the Law stood between them and their valuable ox or son, they felt quite free in bending the rules. However, when it came to a suffering person, who was not their friend or family member, the Law must be upheld rigorously! What these experts in the Law were really saying is that they were more committed to their own well-being than the strict keeping of the Sabbath. That is rank hypocrisy. They are putting on a mask, and pretending to be something that they are not. When they are around suffering strangers they put on the mask of a devout keeper of the Law. When they are in personal need, they do whatever they need to do to protect what is valuable to them, in spite of whether it is the Sabbath or not.

They were pursuing the wrong practice! They were practicing hypocrisy, rather than integrity. They were two-faced. They condemned things in others that they allowed in themselves.

Do you see any of this in your own life? I have noticed that if I am in a critical or judgmental mood, if I just take a minute to think about whatever I am criticizing someone else for in my heart, I will realize that I am guilty of the same thing! That’s stops my critical spirit right quick!

* Do you speak out against homosexuality, or same-sex marriage, or fornication, but look at internet pornography?

* Do you criticize the President or other politicians when they are caught in a lie, but then lie on your income taxes?

* Do you rebuke your wife when she doesn’t submit to you, but then refuse to love her sacrificially like Christ loved the church?

If you see hypocrisy in your own life brothers and sisters, repent this morning! Let’s learn from Jesus’ rebuke of the religious leaders of His day.

2. They Were Pursuing The Wrong Place (14:7-11)

We might think that after Jesus has spoken out at this dinner party once, He might make a quiet exit. However, He doesn’t leave, but stays, and exposes another sin!

The Occasion of the Parable. It was “when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table” that Jesus spoke this parable. As the invited guests came into the room, Jesus noticed that they were choosing those spots where they would be honored by men. They got as close to the front of the room as they could, preferably the head table. This would have been where all the attention would have been directed during the dinner. We love to be honored by others, don’t we? We love praise, attention, fame, and recognition. Left to ourselves, we will choose those things that exalt us in the eyes of others.

The Meaning of the Parable. The meaning of the parable is very simple. Jesus speaks of attending a wedding feast. Now, all of us here, no doubt have been to a wedding. After the wedding ceremony is over, usually there is a reception, and often there is a full meal. Jesus is saying that when we are invited to a wedding feast, we shouldn’t go up to the front and sit down at the head table, where the wedding party sits. Why not? Because someone is going to come up and say, “I’m sorry, but you can’t sit here. This table is only for those people who were in the wedding party. You will need to find another place to sit.” Then, you will be embarrassed, as you get up and relinquish your seat to someone else, while you go sit in the back. Rather, Jesus is saying, “Just choose the last place. Just go and sit in the back by the door to the kitchen. Then, when the bride and groom see you way back there, they will come up and say, “Brian and Debbie, what are you doing way back in the back?! Come up here. We have reserved a special place for you!” The result is that you are honored in the sight of all those at the wedding.

Jesus ends this little parable with a very important and oft-repeated statement – “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Peter puts it like this, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to

the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).

Application. The guests at this dinner party were pursuing the wrong place. They were seeking the Place of Honor. Jesus said they should be seeking the Last Place. Jesus exposed the pride, and the self-exaltation of these guests. He put His finger on their great need – humility. The result of our choices turns out to be the exact opposite of what we had anticipated. If we seek to exalt ourselves, God will make sure we are humbled. But if we will humble ourselves, God will make sure we are exalted! Here is just one more example of Christ’s upside down kingdom. The world says, “If you want to be exalted, choose the place of honor.” Christ says, “If you want to be exalted, choose the last place.”

The essence of humility is lowliness. It is make low, or bring low. Often we think that humility is to think less of yourself. Really, humility is to think of yourself less. True humility is selflessness. It is the willingness to be nothing in the eyes of men, that Christ might be everything. The person who is constantly thinking of Christ and others, and how they can serve others is the truly humble person. The missionary, William Carey, had this inscribed on his tombstone, “A wretched, poor and helpless worm, on Thy kind arms I fall.”

In 1989, our family was living in Hayward, but were driving across the Bay to San Francisco to attend a church there. One Sunday, our oldest son Josiah, who was 5 years old, was complaining of a stomach ache. Then, right in the middle of worship, he threw up all over the floor. The guy who was sitting in front of us, turned around and saw the horrible mess, and ran to the bathroom. In less than two minutes he was back, on his hands and knees, cleaning up that mess. That man was modeling humility. He was voluntarily taking the lowest place. He was thinking about others, rather than himself.

Lately, I have been thinking about the people planning on running for President in 2016. It has occurred to me that some are probably running because they want a great name for themselves. They are seeking fame. That automatically makes me not want to vote for them. I would like to find someone who loves this country, and just wants to serve it. That’s who I would like to see become President of the United States. Jesus taught His disciples that if they wanted to be great in God’s kingdom, they must become the servant of all.

We have opportunities to practice this all the time. When there is a job that no one else wants to do, take that job on! When there is food in the fridge that has become moldy, and you know is going to stink to high heaven, and nobody else wants to lift the lid on that stuff, you go ahead and clean out that tupperware! When somebody needs to go out and clean up the dog poop, why not volunteer? That gives God an opportunity to exalt you! You don’t have to exalt yourself. God will do it!

We naturally don’t want to humble ourselves, but really, that is the very best thing we can do. God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. He exalts the humble. He may not do it in this life, but He will certainly do it in the next.

Brothers and sisters, humility is one of the most beautiful of all the Christian virtues. Likewise,

pride is one of the ugliest. To make matters worse, often we can’t even spot pride in ourselves. I believe there was a desire in my life for recognition and honor. I think that’s why I strove so hard to excel with the banjo and practiced so hard for the 2005 National Banjo Championship. Oh, wherever you see the desire for self-exaltation in your life, kill it. Take it to the Lord, and ask Him to root it our of your life, so that your only desire is that Christ would be glorified! Scripture says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (Prov. 27:2).

3. They Were Pursuing The Wrong People (14:12-14)

At this point, Jesus turns from the guests, and starts speaking directly to the one who had invited him to this dinner! You would think He is trying to get Himself kicked out! But in order to be faithful to this man’s soul, Jesus speaks very directly to him.

Do not invite. Jesus tells them who are not to invite to their parties – friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Why? Because when you invite them, you are doing it so that they will invite you in return.

Do invite. Jesus tells them who they should invite – the poor, crippled, lame and blind. Why? Because these people have no means to repay you.

You can’t get your reward twice. It’s your choice as to who rewards you. Do you want man to reward you or God? Do you want to be rewarded on earth, or in heaven? If you are inviting others because of what you will get out of it, the only reward you will get is their invitation to their party. But if you invite others, knowing you will never get anything back, you will receive a heavenly reward from Jesus Christ Himself! Now, which one would you rather have?

Application. Jesus knew that His host was pursuing the wrong people. He was pursuing the rich and influential people, because he knew they would return his favor in the future. Rather, Jesus said he should be pursuing the poor, and crippled.

What kind of people are you pursuing? When you have others over for dinner, or for a party, who do you invite? Now, I don’t think Jesus is saying we can never have our relatives or friends over. I think he is saying we shouldn’t only have them over. We need to be thinking of the needy, and hurting. On Thanksgiving, who do you invite? Is it only those that are pleasant, and will invite you over next year? I would challenge you on holidays, to consider inviting folks over that have no other place to go.

I remember a Thanksgiving Day when Debbie and I were talking about what we were going to do that year. We normally would spend time with family. But this year, we were thinking about this passage of Scripture. I had been doing a church service on Sunday morning at a convalescent hospital. We had gotten to know some of the elderly people there. We discovered that they had no one to spend Thanksgiving with, so we invited them over. There was also a woman in our church, that was extremely needy and obnoxious. Whenever someone saw her, they headed the other way. It was exhausting to spend time with her. Well, the Lord put it on our hearts, to invite her and her two children over for Thanksgiving. Now, we weren’t doing this in order to get an

invite over to their homes, for we knew that would never happen. I think that is the kind of thing Jesus is talking about here.

Why is it wrong to have people over to your house, knowing that they will probably have you over to theirs? At the bottom of it all is SELF. We are being selfish. Instead of thinking about serving and blessing others, we are thinking about ourselves. In fact, that seems to be at the bottom of all of these sins that Jesus exposes. Those religious people who condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, but would pull out their ox from a well on the Sabbath, we really focused on self. If it made life uncomfortable for them, they would bend the Law to suit their desires. Self was at the bottom. The guests that were jockeying for the positions of honor really had the exaltation of self at the foundation of it all. And these folks that only invited over those who could repay them were really thinking all about self. We really need to pray that the Lord would break us of this ugly selfishness, and consider Him and others much more.

Christmas is a great time to practice this principle. Do we only give cards or gifts to those we think will give us one back? Or, do we deliberately look for someone who can’t give us a gift, and seek to bless them? Make it the goal of your life to do good to all, but especially to those who can never repay you.

Application

Before we could build another skyscraper where the Twin Towers had once stood, we would have to clear away all the rubble. Likewise, before the Lord can produce His righteousness in your life, He has to cleanse you from your evil ways. At one time or another, we’ve been around people who don’t shower often enough, and so they smell really bad. It is difficult to be around them, because of the stench. Well, that’s how we are, if we don’t allow God’s Word to cleanse us daily from our stinky attitudes and actions. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to use God’s Word to expose and scrub the filth out of our hearts. So often we have the tendency of thinking, “Wow, that’s exactly what my wife or my husband, or my child needs to hear.” What we need to be praying is, “Lord show me what I need to hear! Show me my hypocrisy! Show me my pride! Show me my selfishness! I need to get the dirt out of my life, by the power of your Holy Spirit.”

So, this morning, ask yourself, “Am I pursuing the wrong practice, or the wrong position, or the wrong people?” Is my sin that of hypocrisy, or pride, or selfishness? All the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart, that you can repent and seek deliverance from it today!

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