The Chief Seats

Luke 14:7-11

INTRO:
Good evening. I’d like to start this evening with a story about a man and his wife who were sitting at home in the evening wondering what to do. Have you ever done that? They called another couple to see what they were doing. Their friend said, "Oh, we're just drinking coffee and talking." As the woman hung up the phone, she demanded, "Why don't we ever do that? They're just drinking coffee and talking." Her husband said, "So make a pot of coffee." They sat with their freshly brewed coffee, just staring at each other in silence. After ten minutes the man said, "Well, call them back, and find out what they're talking about."

I guess the point is that table talk is something we all do when we are around the dinner table but there’s nothing worse than eating a meal with nothing to talk about.

Turn your Bibles to Luke 14. We are going to look at “The parable of the chief seats”, but first of course we need to set the stage.
Luke 14:1-3 – “1. Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?''” Since many of us are older we know the term “dropsy” but in case you don’t it is an old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. Called Edema today, it is more prominent in the lower legs and feet toward the end of the day as a result of pooling of fluid from the upright position. The Greek word for this is “hydrops”. Edema is typically a symptom of a problem elsewhere in the body.

It sounds like Jesus was doing a bit of table talk as He ate in the house of a prominent Pharisee. They were having a Sabbath meal and from the very beginning the Pharisees had been watching Jesus to see what He would do. As usual Jesus astounded them, He healed this man who was suffering from dropsy—on the Sabbath.

As we know the customs which were observed around the dinner table were quite different from today. The Greeks and the Romans ate their meals in the reclining position either on the floor or on low couches, drawn up against low tables. The tables were U-shaped which allowed the servants to serve food around the table more easily.
At the head of the table was placed the honored guest and with the Jews this was reserved for the rabbis.

The other guests were seated around the table in descending order of importance.
On most occasions the exact hour of the meal was never announced, so some guests came in earlier and others would come in later. It is likely the Pharisees had this down to a T. They would have this timed perfectly, especially those who were in prominent positions. Scholars tell us they would time their arrival so that they could make an unsuspicious entrance and in the presence of everyone else, they would receive the chief seats.

Scripture tells us of several times when Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath. Simon’s wife’s mother, Luke 4:38, the man with the withered hand, Luke 6:6, the woman crippled 18 years, Luke 13:14, the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, John 5:9, the man born blind, John 9:14, the man with a possession in the synagogue at Capernaum, Mark 1:21 and now here Jesus is, in a position to see a man afflicted by dropsy, in a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath.

I suspect this was not an accident. Certainly, we are not told. I believe though the Pharisees had every reason to believe that if confronted with the opportunity Jesus would surely heal on any Sabbath day; therefore, they contrived the incident before us. The invitation for Jesus to have a Sabbath meal, the appearance of a man with dropsy, and the presence of many distinguished guests, has to me, the earmarks of a carefully laid plan among the Pharisees to trap Jesus.

I. Jesus knows what is in the hearts of people. I think the scene in the build up to the parable is amusing. Jesus points out to the Pharisees and the experts in the Law this man with dropsy. Then He tries to reason with them. He asks them in Luke 14:3 – “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” They did not bring the topic up, Jesus did. He was not answering their words but their thoughts. If they said, "Yes," they had no case; if they said, "No," they would have spoken a lie, for the law did not condemn acts of mercy.
A. Luke 14:4 – “But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.” Jesus had silenced them then went ahead and healed the man with dropsy.
B. Let’s read on, in Luke 14:5-6 “5. Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?'' 6. And they could not answer Him regarding these things.”
1. Jesus has now asked two questions and received no answers. He totally silenced the critics.
2. I think this is an amusing scene because at this feast Jesus attended, the Pharisees were scrutinizing Jesus’ every move. They were observing Him but at the same time He was observing them. I think that’s quite funny.
3. Jesus was watching them slyly maneuvering around the table for the place of honor.
C. It’s after observing them, the Bible says in Luke 14:7 – “So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:”,
1. Jesus is about to rebuke the Pharisees and the experts in the Law because of their bad table manners. He is also going to point out to them that they are in danger when it comes to their spiritual condition.
2. This is not a parable which tells a story, but it is a parable in the sense that it is to be interpreted figuratively. It’s a parable in the true sense of the word because it is a comparison that teaches about right relationships in the kingdom of God. Now let’s hear what Jesus tells them.
II. Luke 14:8-11 – “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 abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.''”
A. Jesus is teaching them about humility, real humility. They were almost playing musical chairs, looking for the best seat in the house. Jesus says in Luke 14:11 - “whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
1. Jesus has used this phrase repeatedly in the New Testament. For example in Matthew 23 when Jesus is speaking to the crowds and His disciples about the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees who were displaying false humility He tells them at the end of verse 3, “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” Then in verse 12, He says to them – “And whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
2. Again, in Luke 18:9-13 when Jesus is teaching about self-righteousness and the two men who went up to the temple to pray. We know that story. One guy said, “Look at me, look at how much better I am then other men.” The tax collector said, “God have mercy on me a sinner.” Jesus goes on to say in verse 14 – “for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'”
B. That teaching didn’t stop when Jesus went back to heaven. It was carried on and taught to the early church. Paul taught it to the Philippian church in Philippians 2:3-4 – “3. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”,
1. James taught it to the church that was scattered in James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
2. Peter taught it to the young men in the church in 1 Peter 5:5-6 – “5. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'' 6. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,”
C. Folks, this lesson still stands as true today as it did when Jesus first uttered those words. It stands against everything the world teaches about becoming great. It goes against the grain. Jesus says if you want to go up into His kingdom then you need to learn how to go down into service.
1. The principle of humility is obvious and clear, but it isn’t always easy to find that path. How do we begin on that path to true humility? Where is the starting point of true humility?
2. I heard about a guy who wanted God to humble him, so he went out on the sidewalks of a busy city center and placed a sandwich board over his neck advertising a slogan, which said, “Nobody does humility like me.”
3. That may not be the idea, but the place to begin humility is with self. Not so much in public places where many people can see how humble we are or rather want to show that we are, but away from the rush of things. In quiet places of uninterrupted solitude, where a person needs to submit to the rigor of self-evaluation.
D. Because when we think about it there are many things that should keep us humble. For example, our physical and bodily weaknesses should keep us humble.
1. Psalm 103:13-16 – “13. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 15. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.” What’s he telling us?
2. Let me put it this way. A person can be an architect or an astronomer, they can be a soldier or a politician, but no person is as mighty as they would like to be. There are paths a person can’t go. There are cliffs and mountains that they can’t scale. There are galaxies they can’t subdue. There are galaxies that they never knew existed.
3. Because mankind lives their days amid suffering and tears, we don’t know how to ward off pain. We’re unable to defend ourselves against certain diseases.
4. We can’t disguise the inevitable marks of old age, even though some try with plastic surgery. We can’t bribe away death. When you think about it death alone is enough to keep us all humble.
5. You know when you think about our bodies they can so quickly get out of balance. Our body systems can be easily disturbed and so quickly break down, sometimes without any notice, all these things show us how insecure life really is. When we dare to remember these things, selfish pride will soon vanish away.
E. Another thing, which should keep us humble, is our mental limitations. For centuries mankind has been accumulating facts and perfecting methods. If you gathered all the knowledge mankind has together and placed it into a storehouse, it would still be infinitely smaller in comparison to all the things mankind doesn’t know yet.
1. It was not very long ago that we discovered what is called the water cycle. (various as: 1508, 1582, 1674, 1957, or?) Job knew about this before we did. Job 36:26-29 – “26. "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered. 27. For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, 28. Which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. 29. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, the thunder from His canopy?” What’s he talking about? He’s talking about the water cycle.
2. Many textbooks say it was discovered about 60 years ago. If those writers read the Bible they would have known the right answer already.
3. Advancements in technology and scientific breakthroughs come painfully slow. No one is more aware of this than the scholar. A real scholar in whatever field they specialize in, is continually shamed by their ignorance.
F. The learned Socrates was not the best loved person in Athens in his time. I heard that his favorite pastime was to go through the city of Athens looking for wise men and then he would corner them, drill them with unanswerable questions, and then leave them in the oblivion of their ignorance.
1. If Socrates was the wisest man in Athens at that time, it was only for the reason, he stated; “That he alone knew that he knew nothing at all.” If Socrates thought that, the wisest man of his time, what should we be thinking?
i. A man named Will Rogers once said that, “We are all ignorant, we’re just ignorant of different things.” Think about it!
ii. A man may be able to speak ten different languages, but he may not know how to change a fuse in his car.
iii. A woman may be an international authority on the literary classics, but she may not be able to drive a car.
iv. An expert in machines, computers and technology may not be able to spell a simple three-syllable word correctly.
2. The simple truth is that life has grown to such proportions that no one is able to be a master of all the arts. No one can master all of the sciences. The smallness of our knowledge ought to be enough to keep us humble before the Lord.
III. Another example of what should keep us humble is our weaknesses and failures. Thomas Carlyle once said, “It is in general more profitable to reckon up our defects than to boast of our attainments.” Nowhere are our defects more obvious to us than in our moral conduct. Christian’s should be aware of their sins.
A. The apostle Paul was very much aware of his sin. He said in Romans 7:21-24 – “21. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Paul found it a constant thing that when he wanted to do good, evil is right there with him. He delighted in God's law yet saw another law within him, waging war against the law of his mind and making him a prisoner of the sin that came in his actions.
B. When you think about Paul, he was so aware of this that when he looked at someone else, he didn’t condemn them, he looked at himself.
1. 1 Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
2. Francis of Assisi who continually helped the poor, pointed to himself and said, “Nowhere is there a more wretched, a more miserable, a poorer creature than I.”
C. Let us ask ourselves, when was the last time I examined myself? When’s the last time I stopped looking down at others and took a good long look in the mirror? If we did that, what would we see?
1. Do you see a person who is very religious and very proud of the religious things you do?
2. Do you see a person who says to them self, “You know what, I’m not a murderer, I never miss worship, I don’t get drunk, I don’t gossip!”
3. Folks, an honest examination of ourselves will bring us face to face with who we are. When we see ourselves clearly, we will come away from the mirror seeing just how small we really are.
4. And when we struggle to see our self clearly, I would suggest praying from Psalm 139 especially verses 23-24 where the text says, “23. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24. And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
IV. How many of us, I wonder, would be willing, right now, to face God in Judgment on the terms of our own natural goodness and based on the works which we have done in His name? The grand total of all our goodness and all our generosity and all our good deeds is shamefully small.
A. This fact should also make us conscious of our necessity of humility. You see folks, when a person meets Jesus Christ and places his life next to Jesus’ life the marked difference is huge.
1. We will always come to guilt and grief. Turn your Bibles to Luke 22:24-27. I think this is quite a sad story.
2. Luke 22:24-27 – “24. But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' 26. "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27. "For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”
3. On the last night Jesus was going to be with them a quarrel broke out among His disciples. We don’t know how their argument started but since Jesus gathered His group to eat the Passover, which was the most important Jewish observation, it is quite likely that the strife was over the seating arrangements.
4. That’s a strong possibility and what a sad picture it is. In the last hours of Jesus’ life, His own disciples are acting just like the Pharisees squabbling over the seats of distinction.
B. Jesus put an end to the dispute by asking them in verse 27; “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”
1. According to John 13 what did Jesus do? Jesus washed their feet. What did they do? I imagine they sat there dumbfounded, that they sat there utterly disgraced, not believing that they could act so selfishly. The people in Jesus’ day didn’t believe that a man who pushes himself would be lower. The people in Jesus’ day didn’t believe that a man who lowers himself would in the end be victorious.
2. Things haven’t changed today. The world still doesn’t believe it today, but what we need to remember is this. We do not listen to the words of the world; we listen to the words of Jesus.
C. Let me say this too, Jesus practiced what He preached to the Pharisees in Luke 14. When you think about His life, He had such humble beginnings and such a humble end.
1. Luke 2:7 tells us that “He slept in a manger.”
2. When He died according Philippians 2:8 “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death on a cross.”
3. When He was buried, Mark 27:57-60 tells us “He was buried in a borrowed tomb.” Neither at His birth nor at His death could He find a lowlier place.
D. When we think about Christ’s life and by that measure our own life, we see that His death was truly shameful for us. Not for Him but for us.
V. Let me ask, do we want to be great in the kingdom of God? If we do, we need to start from the bottom up. Whose feet would we be willing to wash today? Will we help wash the feet of a sister who has a debt needing to be paid, with prayers and an offering of money? Will we wash the feet of a brother who is struggling as a Christian and needs someone who will just listen to him with their ears? Will we wash the feet of the church by serving in ways that are needed? Will we wash the feet of our visitors by helping them feel welcomed?
A. I mean there are people’s feet all around us, all the time. They represent the needs that are there. If God was willing to come down to earth in the form of Jesus Christ and wash people’s feet, then surely we should too.
B. Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” He came to serve and in Philippi when a girl who had a future telling spirit in her was following Paul and Silas, she said in Acts 16:17 "These men are servants of the Most High God.” Jesus served. His apostles served. The church served. Folks, we should be serving too. Christians must serve.
C. Paul tells us something of serving in Romans 12:6-8 – “6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7. or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8. he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

CONCLUSION:
This is what I want us to think about as we close. Everyone here can serve. If you are a Christian who is already doing that then keep doing it. God bless you for great is your reward in heaven.

If you are not a Christian and you want to serve God, the way to do that is to serve Him with your obedience to His will.

Listen, you can get involved with church work and you can donate thousands of dollars to the church, but if you haven’t been obedient to His words, then all your good deeds are in vain and a waste of time.

I would hate to see that happen to anyone. I would hate for anyone to get to the Judgment thinking that they are saved by doing all these good things just to find out they aren’t.

Getting involved with church life doesn’t make you a Christian. Coming to worship every week doesn’t make you a Christian. Being christened when you were a baby doesn’t make you a Christian.

John 14:21 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” The question we should ask our self is; do I love Jesus?

Jesus commands everyone in Mark 16:16 – “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” He says to Christians in Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” .”

If you ever want to become a Christian, you need to obey Jesus. It’s as simple as that, and that will lead to your immersion and then you need to continue to obey Him.
After all the only ones which go with Him into eternal life are those He describes in Matthew 25, where He says to them in verse 21, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!”

Humility, serving...you can’t take the two apart, they are inseparable.
Let me leave you with Peter’s inspired words from 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
The invitation is there, if you need help in any way let us know while we stand and sing the invitation song.