Jesus always cut right across the social standing and zeroed in on the individual. He saw not the status of the individual, but their need. When visitors come here we must make sure we are welcoming. Everyone is of value to God, even those who we may initially look down on. We must make sure that, when a new person comes with a need, our immediate attitude is to welcome them in. As we lift up God and humble ourselves before Him He will draw others to Himself.
It was interesting that when Jesus was on this earth, the Pharisees found it difficult to come to terms with what Jesus was doing in the lives of individuals. He seemed to know the ins and outs of the law, but more than that, He seemed to know the hearts of the Pharisees.
In this scripture He was invited to have a meal with one of the chief Pharisees.
It was a trap in which they wanted to catch Him out so as to boost their status.
Luke 14:1
Who asked a question, there hasn’t been a question?
Luke 13:11
So this had happened before; Jesus had healed on the sabbath day. We’re going to see the heart of Jesus; he didn’t write people off. This will help us deal with each other and also visitors who will come here.
Jesus answered what they were thinking.
Luke 14:3
I would like to meet that fellow one day. I do think he was put there as a test, because it was on the Sabbath day. They watched Jesus, and Jesus’ heart was to reach out to the man. He knew what they were thinking so He knew what they were on about. It wasn’t a matter of asking him if he wanted to be healed. He took him, healed and let him go. Can you imagine what he said to his friends when he got home? And now Jesus deals with the people around Him and their thinking.
Luke 14:5
They were concerned with their ox or their ass. He had been concerned with an individual who was in need; totally the opposite. We live in a society where you wonder if people are more concerned with animals than with humans. Now they go on into the house for the meal and as they were jostling for seats it was obvious that someone had placed themselves near the table. This was wrong because there were others, more important than him, who should be sitting in his place.
Luke 14:7
The Pharisees were hung up on status. Now Jesus talks, from this situation of the meal table and people jostling for position: ‘whosever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted’.
Micah 6:8
Do justice, love mercy, waLuke humbly. A humility of heart is a key part of being a Christian. There’s a value applied to each individual person. It shouldn’t be that you only talk to someone who has money. As far as Jesus is concerned, every person is of value. So when Jesus talked about not exalting yourself but being humble, it was a very practical thing to do.
James 4:10
What’s your view of yourself? You're in a situation in a company, there are things going on to sort out the workforce, reduction quite likely, is it a panic, or is it that you in your attitude of mind are trusting God? You know that you have been an honest employee and you are working as unto God. He will work things out. Your trust must be completely and utterly in Him in everything.
1 Peter 5:5
So my trust is in God. In my work situation my trust is in God. In a job or church context I’m not pushing myself for a position. If anyone be in charge let him be the servant of all. For a Christian, if you’re working as unto God and are trusting Him He will sort things out. He understands the situation you’re in. There is a humility, which Jesus highlighted here in Luke: there is a difference between someone who exalts himself and someone who humbles himself.
Luke 14:12
He’s just talked about being humble and now He’s saying to the host that when you throw a dinner party it should not just be for your friends every time – people you know will invite you back – you should invite those who will not be able to invite you back. When you make a feast call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind. It’s as if our mindset should be that we do everything as unto God.
We’re not out to do a deal with people or use people. People are to be valued.
We’ve got to be careful that, as a church, we don’t have a situation where there’s one group that never talks to another group. Humble yourselves in the sight of God. If somebody new comes in on Sunday, dressed awfully, we must be careful of what our attitude it toward them. Is it going to be that when God brings in an individual they’re not put to the bottom of the pile because they were not here when the church start, or is it the case that when someone comes in here in need we are welcoming and open? There should be no immediate categorisation of a person. We shouldn’t just talk to our own friends after a meeting. This is about people and God and the life of Christ in an individual.
This is about people being met by the living Christ. Let’s make sure, particularly with new people, that we don’t immediately categorise them or welcome them the first time but then after that we ignore them. From the scripture here, first with the man with the dropsy. Jesus knew what was in the Pharisees’ hearts and He wanted to show that that man was a person, an individual with a need. So Jesus healed them.
If someone comes here, is healed and never comes back, that is fine. But it is a problem if someone comes here and finds they can’t fit in because it is such a clique. We need to bear in mind how Jesus sees people. That is easy if we let ourselves be open to what God wants us to do. Don’t talk to people just to be polite when you’re really rather taLuke to someone else. We need to be aware of this because there are going to be more and more people who will come here.
That’s not me making a claim. God said that when we lift people up He will draw others to Himself. We need to be prepared to tell others about our faith. We have to share what is inside us to people in need. Jesus cut right across the social standing and ‘claim for status’ and zeroed in on the individual. I know that the heart of everyone here is to be that way. All I’m doing is to show that as we lift God up and are humble ourselves before Him, He will draw others to Him. Why is that a good thing? Because that is why Jesus came. Time will end when the church is made.
You and I are part of that church. I want to encourage you to be that living witness God wants you to be in this place. I want there to be such a welcome for any visitor that comes here. And then the next time they came, lets be welcoming too.
It is wonderful what God is going to do here.
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