Descending into Greatness

Please take your Bibles and find Luke 14:7. I want to share a message with you entitled, “Descending into Greatness.” 

 

That sermon title ought to surprise you and cause you to think twice.  In our country and in your culture, you don’t go down to be great.  You go up.

 

If you want to be great, you go up at work in sales and in revenue.  If you want to be great in school, you go up in GPA and test scores.  If you want to be great in sports, you go up in wins and points per game.

 

However, Jesus said if you want to go up to greatness in the kingdom of heaven, you have to go down.  Jesus advocated descending into greatness.

 

I wish I was smart enough to come up with that title on my own.  However, Bill Hybels wrote the book in 1993.

 

In our verse by verse and chapter by study of Luke’s gospel, we have come to 14:7.  In reality, it is a continuation from last Sunday.  Today’s text is the same story on the same day in the same house with many of the same characters.

 

Jesus told a parable.  A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual meaning.

 

Jesus used parables to reveal mysteries to those who had received Him.  He used parables to conceal realities from those who had rejected Him, and He used parables to fulfill prophecies for both.

 

Remember from last week that it is the Sabbath.  Jesus was the guest preacher at the synagogue, and was customarily invited to a local house for lunch after the morning worship.

 

The local house belonged to some Pharisees who were Jewish religious leaders.  However, they had not invited Him to get to know Him better or show hospitality.

 

They invited Him to trap Him.  Not only did they invite Jesus, but they had also invited a man whose body was significant swollen. He was retaining fluid in his arms and legs and abdomen from an illness with his heart or liver or kidneys.

 

The Pharisees wanted to see if Jesus would heal this man, and He did.  It was that healing that put Jesus more at odds with Him.  However, it wasn’t because He had dishonored or broken Sabbath law.  He had just gone against their man-made convictions or unbiblical applications.

 

Today’s text continues on the same day and at the same house and with the same people. We will see an observation, an illustration, and an application.

 

 

1. An Observation of a Problem, Luke 14:7

7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them.

 

Jesus is the He of verse 7, and I have already told you what a parable is and why Jesus used them.  The parable to follow was addressed to those who were invited.

 

Who was that?  Go back to 14:3.

 

3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

 

Those in attendance for lunch included Jesus, the man who sick, lawyers, and Pharisees.  Again, the Pharisees were Jewish religious leaders and experts in the Old Testament Law.

 

What was the problem that Jesus observed?  They were scurrying to get the best places to sit at lunch.

 

In this day, that would have been those places seated closest to the guest of honor.  In our day, it would be the places closest to the food or at the front.

 

 

2. An Illustration with a Parable, Luke 14:8-10

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.

 

In this instance, Jesus used this parable to reveal mysteries.  He told this parable to make a point.

 

The parable begins in verse 8 and is at wedding feast.  The instruction is not to sit at the best places so that someone better doesn’t come and need you to move.  That would be humiliating.

 

Instead, choose the worst place to sit.  If you do that, then you might be asked to move up to a better place.  If this happens, you won’t be humiliated.  You will be honored as those around you think highly of you.

 

 

3. An Application for the People/Us, Luke 14:11-14

11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

 

What was Jesus’ point?  Look at verse 11. 

 

Whoever exalts himself with be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.  In the language of the NT, this verse is in the theological passive.

 

In other words, if you promote yourself, God will humble you.  If you humble yourself, God will lift you up.  Even though the word God is not present, God is implied.

 

Jesus then goes one step further and not only promotes humility but also generosity. Look at verse 12-14.

 

Again, He spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees. When you have a dinner, don’t only invite those who will simply return the favor like your friends and family and neighbors.

 

Instead, invite those who have no means at all to repay.  Invite the outcasts of society and culture.  Invite the poor and crippled and lame and blind.

 

In return, you will be blessed.  This act will also demonstrate your salvation, and you will be rewarded in heaven.

 

 

Conclusion

So last week, we saw that a disciple of Jesus does the right thing even in the face of criticism.  Today, a disciple of Jesus will demonstrate humility by considering others more important than him or herself.

 

Turn to Philippians 2:5.

 

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

 

What mind are we talking about?  See 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.

 

How did Jesus model this for us?  See Philippians 2:6-11.

 

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

In other words, Jesus demonstrated humility by considering our needs more important than His needs.  Specifically, He died on the cross because we needed a Savior.

 

What might this look like our lives?  First, think about home.  What would happen if spouses thought each other’s needs were more important than your own and acted in the same manner?  Marriage would be saved and thrive.

 

What would happen if children thought their parents’ needs were more important than their own?  It might mean rest and recovery for parents to better serve their children.

 

What would happen at school and work if students demonstrated humility by thinking the needs of others’ needs were more important than your own or your coworkers were more important than you?  I would suggest learning and production would increase. 

 

What would happen if church members demonstrated humility by thinking others’ needs were more important than your own?  I know what would happen.  Our prayer room ministry schedule would be full, we would have more nursery volunteers than we need, and we might not have to borrow funds to build a FLC.

 

If you want to be great brothers and sister, go down.  Jesus will lift you up.