Luke 14:1-24 Oh what a FEAST

1. SEE He cares more about the condition of peoples hearts than about His own acceptance

1. Reminds me of Methodist Preacher in the 1800s by the name of PETER CARTWRIGHT he didn’t care about men’s Reputations

1. But was given to speak the truth –concerning mans need to be Born again & have SALVATION.

1. One Sunday Peter Cartwright was told that Pres. Andrew Jackson was in the Congregation / sure enough he was escorted by Body Guards

1. LISTEN TO WHAT PETER CARWRIGHT SAID

1. Talk about Pulling no punches – He said it like it was / he was shockingly Honest & Our Lord Jesus was the same way.

1. What Happened on that day – w/ Peter Cartwright ?

1. Pres. Jackson sat there stunned!/ He had never been so addressed / afterwards he went up to greet Pastor Cartwright & said this :

1. If you are taking notes – Divide these 24 verses into 4 sections /
2. In v. 1-6 He speaks to the Pharisees who are watching Him about their Pseudo or False Spirituality
3. In v. 7-11 He speaks to the Guest who are surrounding Him about their Pride & Pursuing of POSITIONS OF HONOR
4. In V. 12-14 He speaks to the Host who invited Him about His wrong motives in Hospitality
5. Then in v. 15-24 He speaks to the man who interrupts Him about His Mistaken Assumption concerning their ETERNAL DESTINY .

1. Sabbath Day hospitality was an important part of Jewish life, so it was not unusual for Jesus to be invited to a home for a meal after the weekly synagogue service. ( Always excepted – Liked People)
2. Issue was FELLOWSHIP – Jesus Loved to sit w/ people & let them experience His Presence
3. Also note – Jesus was willing to mingle w/ those who didn’t believe in Him

1. Because it was against their Sabbath Day Traditions you were not allowed to kindle any fire on the Sabbath Day,
2. So if you were to have anything that was hot it had to be hot before the Sabbath and somehow there had to be ways to maintain it being hot.

1. Now, in those days they had definite rules of things you could & Could not do to keep food hot

1. Today they have relaxed a little bit in their stance / Today, if you plug in your hot plates & coffee pots before the Sabbath actually begins;

1. You are Ok – but in Jesus day it was a little tougher

1. And here we see that once again Jesus is invited to such a meal
2. NOW Sometimes the host invited Him sincerely because he wanted to learn more of God’s truth.

1. But many times Jesus was asked to dine only so His enemies could WATCH HIM and find something to criticize and condemn.

1. That was the case on this occasion/ for at this meal they planted a man next to JESUS who had a Disease called DROPSY

1. This was a painful disease in which, because of kidney trouble, a heart ailment, or liver disease, the tissues fill with water.

1. This man was invited to this feast on the Sabbath day & placed right in front of Jesus

1. Because they knew that Jesus could not be in the presence of human suffering very long without doing something about it.

1. I LOVE THAT ABOUT OUR LORD !!!!!

1. V. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
2. Guys did you catch that – JESUS ANSWERED - answered what ? There was no question that was asked – not verbally at least

1) But Jesus knew their Hearts - & He knows Ours

3. I love it when people come to me – say – We were just talking about that

Or We came here today w/ specific questions & you answered them

4. The Lord is faithful to minister to our Hearts / meet you in the Word / or to Challenge you in areas where you are wrong.

1. So Jesus answers their unasked question – "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

1. What Jesus was implying here is that it was IDIOTIC to suggest that it is

ok to help out an animal that is in TROUBLE / & ignore a man who’s hurting

2. What Jesus was saying to them – In all your rules & Pseudo spirituality – you are missing the big picture – of LOVE & COMPASSION.
3. An oh how we need to be so careful that we don’t fall into those traps of developing our own systems & programs – how we do things & respond

1. To the point where we are failing to show GENIUNE LOVE & COMPASSION.

1. Today in this country we hear so much concern for the Whales & this endangered species & that one.
2. In Or. There is Legislation that states you can get 5 yrs in prison for destroying an EGG of a SPOTTED OWL /

Amazing that Egg of a spotted owl more protection unborn Child

A) They claimed to be defending God’s Sabbath laws, when in reality they were denying God by the way they abused people and accused the Savior.

2. The next thing that Jesus does is He turns his attention toward the guest at this meal – who were caught up in Jostling for Position

Now usually when they had a feast the guest would sit at a small table with three pillows around it. They were called Tricliniums ( Recline)

1. So they would sit three at a table and the middle pillow would be the place of honor at that table.
2. Now say you were gonna to invite nine guests you would have three tables set up in this Triclinium

1. and at each of the tables you'd have the center pillow for your guest of honor

C) So Jesus noticed when these guest came in how they were all Jockeying for position – how they were all seeking to sit in that / Guest of honor place

1. I this / I that / I think this / I did that / I was used in this way / concerns me because it is usually an indication of PRIDE in the HEART

1. What A BLESSING to come across those who know it is not about them but it is about what Jesus is doing !!!

James 4:6 "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

B) RESIST THE PROUD - // But GIVES GRACE TO HUMBLE

C) Hudson Taylor once noted that "God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him."

A young seminary graduate came up to the PULPIT very self confident and immaculately dressed. He began to deliver his first sermon in his first church and the words simply would not come out. Finally he burst into tears and ended up leaving the platform obviously humbled.

There were 2 older ladies sitting in the front row and one remarked to the other, "If he'd come in like he went out, he would have gone out like he came in."

1Peter 5:5,6 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."

1. And Brings up His Wrong motives in showing Hospitality / This really would have been an interesting LUNCH

B) Talk about Working the ROOM - MAN ALIVE !! NO ONE WAS SAFE

READV. 12-14

NOW Jesus knew that the host had invited his guests for two reasons:

1. In this situation Jesus is challenging the Motives of this man’s actions & Challenges him to give to those who can’t give back

1. His Point /Purpose is to address the MOTIVE of the Heart in showing that only that service /giving done from right motives will be rewarded

At this point I would bet this dinner was getting a bit Tense : Pharisees have been struck down/ Guest put in their place / Host rebuked & corrected

1. They would be together w/ Him in the Kingdom having this feast

1. Now it is important to understand that w/ this statement – this man is making an assumption – We are all going to be there in the Kingdom

1. It was a common assumption of the Jews that they were going to be there because of their Heritage /Religious affiliation / / Rituals

1. GUY SAYING OH IT IS GOING TO BE GREAT WHEN WE ARE ALL TOGETHER – FEASTING IN THE KINGDOM !!!!

A) In Matt. 22 Jesus tells a similar Parable to the one recorded here in Luke’s gospel – But in that one – a King as Prepared a Banquet for his Son

1. Both speak of the WEDDING SUPPER OF THE LAMB recorded in

Rev. 19 / Great Wedding FEAST W/ OUR LORD

1) For all who Have received Jesus as Lord & Savior

2. WEDDINGS – Another RECEPTION / That is what Jesus is referring to

here

1. And like today the people would have to RSVP so the host knew how much food to make / seats to have etc.
2. Now what was a little different from today was / When you were invited to a GREAT FEAST – You Knew the Day / but not the Hour

1. You did know that it was going to happen in the EARLY EVENING on that DAY /

1. Because No conventional ovens / Microwaves / wouldn’t know the exact time
2. So just before the meal was ready to be served – a servant would go out & let the Guest know – the time was NOW / READY / COME

1. The first guy says I just bought a field & I must go & look at it
2. Again understand – that to throw a Banquet before SUNDOWN was considered EXCESIVE / so usually started at or around dark

1. This guy says I have to go & Look at my field in the DARK

1. Plus buying a piece of property in that day would mean that this man would have most likely seen in many times already

1. This man represents the person who is Wrapped up in His Profession

Perhaps a farmer or a Land BARON –

1. This Man represents the man DISTRACTED BY his POSSESIONS

1. What is he saying - I am married now I can’t have any fun / I married I have no time for such things
2. This guy REPRESENTS THE PERSON – who DISTRACTED BY RELATIONSHIPS
3. We see that People are still Giving these same Excuses today

1. Today is the Day of Salvation – get your hearts right
2. Some people give the excuse that they don’t have any time for the Lord because they are too wrapped up in their PROFESSIONS

1. Too much work to do - / I’ve got to close that account – I got to finish this DEAL -

1. They might have a solid family but they miss out on the most important thing – having a RELATIONSHIP W/ CHRIST

1. Left out of the Kingdom / Had to tell a Youth Pastor – Good kids - Good kids that are going to end up in Hell

1. Dinner is on the table it is 6:15 & Hubby is not home

1. You are Exasperated – Where is He – I have slaved all day over this meal

& now He is going to eat Cold –No I’ll feed it to the DOG !!!!

1. When People fail to see the BIG PICTURE – This life short walk in the Park compared to eternity
2. If not a Christian – This life is as GOOD as it gets – all down hill from here / "Only Live Once" WRONG
3. But if you are a Christian / Know this / THIS LIFE IS AS BAD AS IT GETS FOR YOU / All upward & Onward from HERE

1. Eternity is what Matters Most !!!!!!!

1. I Love what happens next – servant comes back & says – THERE IS STILL MORE ROOM
2. That is what the Lord is saying today – the meal is ready – but there is still more ROOM – SO HE WAITS / SERVANT IS SENT OUT AGAIN

23 "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

3. Go to the Obscure parts highways / the Hedges & Compel them to come !!!!
4. That word COMPEL means to constrain or to strongly PERSUADE

1. He will keep Knocking – He will wait a little longer

2Peter 3:9

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

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.

2. 2^nd thing we shouldn’t give up either / sharing or praying / compel seek to strongly persuade - until person says leave me alone !!!