Theme: God
Will Exalt You in Due Time
1) Whether you
are guest or host
2) As you
trust in the “resurrection of the just”
Luke 14:7-14 So He (Jesus) told a parable to those
who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:
8 "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in
the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 "and
he who invited you and him come and say to you, `Give place to this man,' and
then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 "But when you are
invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you
comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in
the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 "For whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted." 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give
a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives,
nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13
"But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the
blind. 14 "And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you
shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
Football
season just around the corner. If you’re interested in a particular team or
maybe a fantasy player, you’ve no doubt heard plenty of predictions and
analysis of the upcoming season. Both players and teams are scrutinized before
the season, probably because there’s not much else to do until the official
games begin. The measuring stick for each criticism seems to come down to one
mantra, “What have you done for me lately?”
Most areas of
life today are all about what’s happening right away. People are measured by
their most recent accomplishments or failures. Glory is fleeting. This is most
certainly true in an area like sports, where participants are constantly analyzed.
It’s all about what you’ve done lately. But that phrase sparks up another
thought. Not just doing something lately, but doing something for “me”. It
sounds a bit presumptuous to measure someone’s merit based primarily on what
they have done for you. Though this phrase is tossed around a lot in sports,
most professional athletes could care less about what you and I think. They
certainly aren’t out there for us.
Even though
that’s the truth, it’s easy for us to think like everything revolves around us.
Some sports fans are so superstitious that they believe their participation by cheering
is essential to victory. It’s really quite foolish but every diehard fan has
felt that way at one time or another. Bottom line, it’s never good to think too
highly of yourself.
Shift now to
the thoughts our text and we see how Jesus teaches that very same thing, in an
area of life that is much more important than sports. Jesus speaks a parable
that is directed at how we treat one another. Much like the thoughts of our
text last weekend, Jesus wants us to think about not only what we’re doing but
why. When it comes to helping others, why do you do it? Do you have an attitude
that says, “I’ll help, but what you done for me lately?” Do we show kindness
with the expectation of getting re-paid at some future date? If you’re honest
about it, you know that it’s so easy to think this way. As long as what we’re
doing is noble, we have a way of convincing ourselves that our intentions don’t
matter so much.
Is it possible
that the “what have you done for me lately?” mantra is so commonplace in our
minds that we’ve also applied to our faith? Jesus would have us listen to these
words as a reminder that He will take care of exalting us. We don’t have to
worry or fight for attention from others. Glory seeking doesn’t have to be the
priority behind our thoughts and actions. The point of this parable is that God
will take care of giving us our due. He knows when we’re doing right and doing
it for the right reasons. And He rejoices in that, even when it seems like no
one else notices.
Jesus uses the
picture of wedding feast or an invitation to a supper, but the meaning of the
parable extends much further. Essentially, it comes down to anything someone
does for you and anything you do for someone else. In every circumstance, Jesus
wants whatever we’re doing to be done for the right reasons. When someone does
something for you, or in the parable, invites you to a feast, be humble in your
acceptance. Jesus doesn’t say we should shun any semblance of gifts or
significance. It’s okay to receive nice things. It’s also okay to receive
glory. But, even in the midst of those blessings, don’t make it all about
yourself. Look for ways to serve others, even when you’re being served.
When the roles
are reversed and you are the host, in other words, when you are doing someone
for others, don’t do it just to receive something in return. If your attitude
in helping others is first and foremost on what you can gain, then it really
isn’t an act of service. It really isn’t helping if you’re only thinking of
yourself. In the two pictures of both a guest and a host, Jesus covers just
about every circumstance that we might find ourselves in. And it’s a fitting
picture for more than the visual that it brings to mind. Whether you are a
guest or a host, in every gathering there is an invitation.
In both
settings Jesus talks about the invitation. Another way of translating this word
is “calling”. It’s the same thought that’s used when the Scriptures speak of
the Holy Sprit’s call to faith through the gospel. That same call should be on
our hearts in every dealing we have with others. As Christians we have
opportunities to both be served and to serve others through the call of the
gospel. We are guests when fellow brothers and sisters in the faith hear our
confession of sins and respond with forgiveness. We receive blessings upon
blessings when fellow Christians put us before themselves. We, in turn, can
then be hosts of that same call when we invite others to learn about Jesus or
when we share the bounty of forgiveness to someone who is seeking hope.
But, in both
cases, just like a dinner party, making it too much about ourselves can have a
negative impact. It takes the spotlight off of the selfless acts of service to
one another and puts it on us. But, more seriously, it takes away from Jesus,
who is the source of power behind it all. Without Jesus, our dealings with
others are just hollow transactions. Without Jesus, everything really does
become a matter of “what have you done for me lately?” Jesus give us
perspective in life to see beyond our own wants and cares, but also power to
serve others instead of always trying to find our own piece of the pie. And
Jesus gives validity to the call of the gospel because through His atonement on
the cross there is indeed a blessing behind the invitation.
We need to
remember Jesus because He offers something that is truly unique. In our
context, He calls it the “resurrection
of the just.” That’s the reward Jesus promises to those who wait patiently
for Him. And that’s precisely how He exalts us. It’s so easy to seek for a
lesser reward. Those kind come cheap and easy but aren’t nearly as gratifying
as the promise of the resurrection.
At the time of
this parable Jesus was in the home of one of the Pharisees, in fact we’re told
it was one of the rulers of the Pharisees. To human observation this is where
Jesus belonged. If He really was God’s Son He would be present among the
religious leaders of God’s people. This seemed fitting. But, in reality, Jesus
was out of place. Jesus was not present there to fit in and fell comfortable.
He was there to give a message that needed to be heard.
The Pharisees
were the “it” crowd back then. To the people, being among the Pharisees was
equivalent to being among God. It was where everyone wanted to be spiritually.
If you were in that group you were good to go. But the truth was exactly the
opposite. From God’s perspective to be among the Pharisees was to be in a
dangerous place. They were the ones Jesus spoke to in our text. The ones who
wanted to best seats. The ones who invited others only to get something in
return. They wanted glory in present because it was cheap and it was easy.
Jesus wants
true followers who strive for something much better, the “resurrection of the just”. It’s not an easy road to follow. Just
last weekend, from Luke 13, we saw how Jesus called it the path to the narrow
gate. It’s a path beset with troubles and difficulties from those opposed to
Christ. You can be sure that the more you confess Jesus the more flak you’ll
get from the unbelieving world. At the same time, it is also a path that is
hard because God is continually testing you along the way. Remember how He
said, “The Lord chastens the one He
loves” (Proverbs 3:12)? To live in the love of God and to seek His
resurrection is not an easy thing. And it’s certainly not a path where we ask
along the way, “What have you done for me lately?”
This text
should resonate in your heart because you know how it feels. You know what the
Pharisees were thinking because you’ve had the same attitudes in your life.
Have you ever worried about getting enough of your favorite meal? Have you ever
cut in line? Have you ever been angry over missing out on something? Of course,
we’ve all done those things! And they all fit into that first image, choosing
the best seat for yourself. Have you ever concealed something about yourself
because you wanted to fit in? Have you ever felt that someone wasn’t good
enough to be around you? Have you ever straight up lied because you weren’t
sure how someone would accept the truth? Sure, we’re guilty in those areas too,
almost daily. And they fit into that second image, someone who invites others
just to get something out of it; a dishonest host.
We like to
think that we’re off on some distant plane from the Pharisees, but really,
we’re just like them. These words strike to our hearts because they are meant
for us too. We do these things and more because we’re worried about losing out.
We’re worried about saving face with others we care about. We’re concerned that
no one is paying attention to our gifts, talents, and hard work. All corruption
in the human heart centers on self-preservation. Even from the beginning, Adam
and Eve were worried about missing out on so they chose something for
themselves at God’s expense.
Jesus tells us
in this text, relax. Take a deep breath and stop worrying. Stop being concerned
about getting attention for yourself or popularity with others. Jesus says,
“let Me exalt you.” He says to you, just as He did in the parable, “Friend, go up higher.” You don’t have
to be concerned about carving out a niche of glory for yourself. Even if you
could it wouldn’t last in the end. Jesus wants you to focus, and also trust,
what He has done for you. The resurrection of the just. If that is your hope,
then God is your glory.
The pursuit of
worldly things can be blinding. They can lead us to spend less time at the foot
of the cross. They can lead us to forget why we need to repent of our sins and
receive forgiveness. They can keep us from thinking we need to be around church
and fellow Christians, where we share that most important invitation with each
other. Thinking only of what can be done for me can also lead us to reject our
Savior’s Words; to put human opinion and desire above that which the Holy
Spirit inspired.
God invites
you to real glory. God calls you to the resurrection of life eternal. The
invitation is on your heart, day after day. Receive it in humility. Amen.
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