So I have a baby boy who is very precious and I like to talk about him. Sometimes he’ll be crawling on the ground and eventually get fussy. If I give him a toy, it might not help. If I pick him up, that might not help. But if I lift him up on my shoulders and walk around, that is always the cure as he giggles, yanks on my hair, and enjoys life from on high. Meanwhile, I experience neck strain. In the first fourteen verses of Luke 14, Jesus tells some dinner guests how to be exalted to the best seat in the house.

Verses 1-6. 

This opening passage in chapter fourteen is very similar to the passage in chapter thirteen about the healing from the woman who was bent over with the spirit of infirmity. In both cases it occurs on the Sabbath, Jesus heals, religious rulers are displeased, and Jesus asks them if they would rescue one of their distressed animals on the Sabbath. In both cases, the rulers had no answer for Him.

These cases are unnerving to me because the religious leaders simply do not care about suffering people. In the previous chapter a woman suffered for 18 years being bent over. In this passage, a man suffered from dropsy, a condition in which water was retained in the body and led to swollen limbs. Jesus appeals to their humanity knowing that they would take care of their own livestock on the Sabbath. Perhaps the lawyers and Pharisees cared for their animals because it would convenience themselves that their animals are healthy or maybe they did have somewhat of a heart.

It ought to make your stomach sick that the religious leaders cared nothing for suffering people. Why? Perhaps they pretended to care when Jesus was not around. Their deeper sin was their attitude towards Jesus. While others worshiped Jesus the religious class “watched Him closely.” This word means they watched Him carefully and sinisterly. Instead of recognizing Him as the Messiah they viewed Him as a threat. Their hatred for Jesus was evident in their lack of compassion for this suffering man, and like the passage before, Jesus silenced them. We can be sure that a person’s lack of love for others is rooted in a lack of love for Jesus. 

Verses 7-14.

I remember it vividly, even though I was only about ten years old. Our family cat enjoyed the finer things in life. Instead of cat food, Muffy enjoyed bagels and cheese. She was used to coming inside and outside whenever she pleased, and one of her servants would dash to the door to let her in and out before she even had a chance to whine. That all changed when grandma came to live with us. Muffy loved to snuggle up on the rocking chair, probably because it had a really comfy cushion. During one particular snuggle session, grandma walked up to her, grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, put her on the ground, and claimed the rocking chair for herself. Muffy had been humbled. 

In ancient times, the best seats in a meal were next to the host. Then the order of prestige diminished the further away one was seated from the host. This event probably took place at the Sabbath meal after Jesus healed the man with dropsy. He noticed that people were trying to get the best places to sit at the meal, perhaps throwing elbows to secure their spot. Yet at any point the host could rearrange the seating, honoring some while humbling others. 

Jesus uses an example of a wedding to instruct the people on how they ought to take their seats. The most important social occasion in Jewish life was a wedding and so those who valued being honored would make sure they got as good a seat as possible. 

This jostling for position at a meal might seem immature and ridiculous at first glance, yet isn’t this desire to be exalted so prevalent in human nature? Our tendency is to desire the best of everything, whether it’s where we live, what we drive, how we look and are perceived, where we vacation, and how many achievements we can accumulate. 

Jesus knows this tendency people have, so He tells them to stop clamouring for the best seat and wilfully choose the worst. Then, if you are found worthy you will be honored with a better seat. Jesus had the best seat in the whole universe, yet chose to sit as a servant of all, and because of His humility God lifted Him up to the best seat forever. If we would choose to humble ourselves, then we will avoid being humiliated before others and instead exalted.

If you live in the west in the 21st century, it may seem difficult to apply verses twelve to fourteen in today’s context. Friends and relatives gather for holidays, birthday parties, and other events throughout the year, so it may seem unrealistic to “invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind” (13), unless they are already part of your social circle. In that case, they would probably be a friend or relative. 

In the context, Jesus is speaking to members of the Pharasaical class who were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of the community. It seems that they invited people into their homes in order to build their own social status. Imagine a pastor who only invited people into their homes who were wealthy congregants or influential community leaders, and completely ignored everyone else he considered less than. 

Who do we choose to associate with? Are we willing to associate with those who do not build our social status and may actually pull us down a rung or two? Do we buy things for people without expecting to be repaid? Or is all of our social dealings transactional? Jesus chose to dine with us, even though all we could offer Him was our sins. Are we willing to be uncomfortable associating with those who are lowly? Jesus underwent excruciating torture and death to associate with us. 

It brings me a lot of joy to lift my son up on my shoulders and listen to him giggle and have a good time. Our Father in heaven also delights in lifting us up, and our exaltation comes through humility. Jesus’ exaltation came through humility. He willfully went from the best seat in heaven, to the worst seat on earth, and because of His humble obedience He was elevated forever to the best spot seated at the right hand of the Father. Are we willing to be humble?

Questions:

1. When Jesus healed the man with dropsy (a fluid disease that could cause a face to be bloated), it said that the Pharisees watched Him closely, as with scrutiny. What do we learn about the Pharisees in these verses (verses 1-6)?
2. How has humility or lack thereof played out in your own life (7-11)? 
3. What does it mean to invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind in your own life and ministry (12-14)?