Luke 14:1-6
Christians Should
Perhaps it is just me, but it seems that sometimes we forget one of
the important purposes of walking with Christ. There are many:
1. To glorify God
2. To lead mankind to salvation
But perhaps third in importance on the lists is to changes the way we
live. Jesus makes us better people. The world could certainly use
some better people in it and walking with Jesus is the only way that
goal will ever be accomplished.
Tonight, there are no spiritual mysteries in the words that we will
be studying—at least none that I have observed. There are no
unfilled prophecies. It is just Jesus teaching the disciples how
Christians should live. He gave three exhortations.
I. \\#1-6\\ Christians Should Be Humane
A. \\#3\\ The topic of healing on the Sabbath Day came up yet
again. Jesus asked:
Luke 14:3 …Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day
B. I say "again" because it was raised in:
1. \\#Luke 4:41\\
2. \\#Luke 6:1\\
3. \\#Luke 6:6\\
4. \\#Luke 13:10-17\\
C. I know you have heard me say it but to the Jews, this was a
major issue. Perhaps it was the single most important reason
for their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.
D. There is really nothing new added to the debate here. (It is
the fifth time it has been discussed.)
1. We have noted before that Jesus did not break the Sabbath.
a. Why?
b. Because if He had, Jesus would not be the Messiah. He
would have been a sinner.
2. And we also noted what Jesus said:
Luke 6:5 And he said unto them, That the Son of
man is Lord also of the sabbath.
a. Jesus was not stating that He was above the Law there.
b. He was stating that He was the Author of the Law.
c. Instead of them condemning Jesus for what they
believed the Law said, they should have been learning
what the Law really meant.
E. By Jesus’ actions, we learn that the Law was never intended to
hurt man or to prolong man’s hurting.
1. The Law was given to help man understand God and promote
worship.
2. This was happening on the Sabbath.
a. The man had "dropsy" which was probably fluid building
up on his body, most probably causing breathing
problems.
b. Jesus could have waited until the sun went down then
healed the man, but He would not.
c. Why?
(1) Because it was not God’s desire that this man or
any man suffer even another hour when there was
help that could be given.
(2) And because it was NOT against the commandments
to help him.
(a) Jesus wanted us to know that!
(b) Paul emphasized this truth in listing the
fruits of the Holy Spirit \\#Ga 5:22-23\\.
Gal 5:23 ...against such there is no law.
(c) \\#Gal 5:23\\ There is no law against
loving, being good, being gentle.
(3) This is exactly what Jesus was doing for all of
those He healed on the Sabbath Day,
F. This is our exhortation as well.
1. Be humane: kind, gentile, loving.
2. Don’t let your religion get in the way of your living.
3. In times of war, it is a crime to give comfort and aid to
the enemy.
a. For the Christian, it is our command.
b. We must especially give comfort and aid to our enemy
for it is only with such acts of love we can win
them.
II. \\#7-11\\ Christians Should Be Humble
A. In that culture, the sitting rank meant much!
1. That might seem silly, but it is no more so than us being
selective in the name brand we wear!
2. Someone (Kerry) told me once that he wore $100 shoes for
two reasons:
(a) for comfort
(b) Because he deals with important people.
3. These people didn’t have name brands, all their camels
came pretty much with standard equipment, and every house
was pretty much of mud and thatch so they used seating
order!
4. Do you remember when the mother of James and John came to
Jesus with her request?
Matthew 20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt
thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my
two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand,
and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
5. In that seating order…
a. Right hand was preferable to the left hand.
b. Nearer was preferable to farther.
B. According to this parable, some got to seat themselves.
1. Obviously, the human thing to do was to push yourself as
far up as possible!
2. But there was a danger.
a. You could seat yourself higher than the master thought
you should be.
b. If so, you would be pulled back down when the host
entered!
3. Jesus’ advice was to sit at the lowest level so that you
could only be promoted!
C. Jesus was trying to get the concept of humility across to us!
1. Most Christians have the wrong idea about humility.
a. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. That is
inferiority.
b. Humility is not saying you can’t when you can. That
is dishonesty.
c. Humility is certainly not about accepting failure.
That is laziness!
2. Humility is placing yourself in the lowest position.
a. Jesus is THE example of humility.
b. God was walking among men as a man, doing what others
would not do! (i.e. washing the disciples feet)
John 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say
well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed
your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s
feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye
should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is
not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent
greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do
them.
c. Jesus placed Himself in the lowest human position
possible.
a. He was born into a lowly estate…
b. …lived on the supplies of others…
c. … served His followers.
d. If Jesus, the greatest and highest, could place
Himself into the lowest position, how much more
should we—who are among the lowest—be able to place
ourselves in the lowest position?
3. But humility not only places itself in the lowest
position, it does so with humblest of attitudes.
a. Humility completes its tasks with the greatest amount
of diligence.
1Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or
drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory
of God. \\#Col 3:17, 23\\
b. Humility expects no reward or recognition for what it
does from man or God.
Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have
done all those things which are commanded you,
say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done
that which was our duty to do.
c. Humility understands that the world won’t care who we
are or what we have done—even for them. They will
only be interested in what you will do for them now.
d. Despite all of this, humility will continue to place
itself into the low positions.
D. This is that to which Jesus was introducing the disciples.
III. \\#12-14\\ Christians Should Be Helpful
A. Jesus was teaching that when we have an opportunity to do good
for someone, we should do good to those who cannot repay us.
B. Some customs of antiquity may be very strange to us, some are
not.
1. To this day, we all give and party, and celebrate with
those like ourselves. (i.e. our family, friends, co-
workers)
2. Jesus was telling the disciples that they should give, and
party, and celebrate with those who were the more
unfortunate.
C. It was from this passage that the concept of our Thanksgiving
Offering came.
1. We want to give to those who cannot give in return.
2. What better time of the year to do that than around
Christmas?
These are three exhortations that Jesus gave to help us to understand
that those who walk with Him should walk differently. I don't
suppose some of His disciples understood it any better at that time
than some of us, but we try to get it. Being like Jesus is not just
about being spiritual. It also about being a better person.
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