Luke 14, Part One

Healing on the Sabbath (vs. 1-6)--This story is very similar to the one in 13:10-17 with Jesus healing on the Sabbath and arguing from helping one's animal on the Sabbath. The fact that the people in attendance were actuated by less than pure motives is indicated in verse 1: "they were watching him," obviously to see if He would do something blameworthy. Jesus knew this, of course, challenged them, and shamed them.

Humility (vs. 7-14)--Verse 7 begins "So" (NKJV), or "And" (KJV, ASV), which indicates this section is tied to the previous one, which makes the whole context different from 13:10-17. Jesus realized that the great problem of the Pharisees was their pride and self-glorification; from thence came their hypocrisy. They opposed Jesus because they could not humble themselves before Him, not because they could answer His arguments or even deny the miracles He did. So Jesus aims at the heart here. Those who exalted themselves needed to be humbled, so Jesus spoke a parable to that effect. If you go into a dinner thinking you are someone of high esteem, yet "one more honorable than you" arrives, you will be humbled in spite of yourself (vs. 8-9). But if you begin with a humble attitude--and you should (v. 10)--then you are in a position to be exalted. And that's the whole point. "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (v. 11). Jesus follows through with the same theme for the rest of this section. He certainly does not mean, in verse 12, that we should never invite our friends or loved ones to eat with us. What He counsels here is charity to the poor, concern for those who are less fortunate, who are not able to repay. Again, with no governmental welfare system to provide for the needy, it was of paramount importance that someone take care of them. That would, of course, be the demesne of the rich--voluntary generosity which, in Old Testament and New, was required by God as a sign of pure religion. Of course, in Jesus' day, very few rich people did this, just as in ours; can you imagine the Kennedys inviting the homeless to eat in their dining room? Well, perhaps they do, I don't know for sure, but it's much easier to pawn such off on the government than to do it ourselves. In Jesus' day, there was no such option, thus the plight of the poor was all the more grave. Payment, Jesus says, will be "at the resurrection of the just" (v. 14). Humble yourself to be concerned with those of lower estate. Indeed, it would take humility to do so.  There is a marvelous example of this "poor and rich" ideal in Luke 16:19-31, the story of the rich man and Lazarus, which I will deal with at that point.