Spiritually Yours

A Practical application of principles contained in the International Sunday Lessons

HUMILITY AND HOSPITALITY

LESSON THIRTEEN

 LUKE 14: 7-11, 15-24

KEY VERSE: “And the LORD said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED” (Luke 14:23).

 As this chapter begins, we find JESUS in the house of “one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath” (14:1). While they watched HIM “closely,” according to verse 2, “behold, there was a certain man before HIM who had the dropsy.” Evidently, the lawyers and Pharisees either asked JESUS a question in reference to this man or they brought the man before JESUS to test HIM and see what HE would do. Whatever the reason, verse 3 says, “And JESUS answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’”

This must have shocked them for JESUS to turn the table on them, as HE always does, because verse 4 says, “they kept silent.” It was at this point, JESUS proceeded to heal the man and “let him go.” 

JESUS went on to teach by way of parable, as HE saw those who had been invited “chose the best places” (v.7).

1.      TRUE HUMILITY...TAKE THE LOWLY PLACE (Luke 7-11)

 JESUS teaches in HIS parable that when one is an invited quest at an occasion, “do not sit in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited” (v.8). HE went on to teach that one would put the ‘host,’ as well as oneself in an awkward position if the ‘host’ had to ask them to move from that place to a lower place, in order to give that place to another invited quest. JESUS said, “you begin with shame to take the lowest place” (v.9).

Therefore, JESUS goes on to teach that if you are an invited quest, “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” (v.10).

Finally, JESUS ends this parable, before going on to another parable in our next section, by giving the essence of his teaching on humility, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (v.11). These same words HE used in Matthew 23:12, in the process of HIS chastisement of the scribes and the Pharisees in HIS teaching the multitudes and HIS disciples in the entire 23^rd chapter. 

JESUS knew that the Pharisees, which means “separatists,” tried to ‘separate’ themselves from unclean things and persons. They were the successors of a group of men known as the Hasidim, who were “ready to die rather than abandon their ancestral religion,” according to E. K. Mould in Essentials of Bible History. They believed that all effort should be bent toward keeping GOD’S law, that thus the nation would become pleasing to GOD. Mould further states that “their clear and steady faith commanded the loyalty of the masses of the people. They wanted others to ‘look up to them’ because of their position. In other words, they were just too full of themselves, as we say in contemporary times. They glorified themselves, praised themselves, and were simply filled with too much pride.

Pride in itself is not evil. There are two aspects to pride: one, is a proper sense of personal worth and dignity; that of which one is justly proud. That is to take pride in (oneself) for something. Another, is an arrogant or undue sense of one’s own superiority; just vain or filled with or showing undue admiration for oneself or one’s appearance, etc. In other words, just plain conceited.  

JESUS says that those people who exalt themselves shall be humbled, or made ‘low.’ But those who come with humility, which is simply “the state or quality of being humble, free from pride or vanity, will be exalted. These are those who are considered “modest,” which by definition means, having or displaying a moderate or unexaggerated regard for oneself or one’s abilities or accomplishments. They are not “showy, excessive or extreme” in their evaluation of themselves. It is these who will be “raised in rank, character, honor.” It is these who will be “glorified and praised” by all.

2.      EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES... (14:15-20)

 I have always, as far back as I can remember, used the quote that learned somewhere, that “any excuse is better than none.” That is because I have heard some excuses in my life for the simplest things. Especially as a middle school teacher in public school for 23 years, dealing with missing homework, missing assignments, low-test scores, not taking tests, etc. Rather than face up to the truth of the situation, we would rather come up with some excuse to get out of it.

I used to just drop the lowest grade from each student, in case they missed an assignment, before I averaged out their grades for the report period. I would tell them that I just gave them an excuse for that low grade: their pet rat died; their favorite roach got sick; the dog or the baby ate the homework; their girl friend or boyfriend quit them or made them mad; any excuse is better than none.

But JESUS is not teaching about school children. HE is teaching to learned leaders, lawyers and Pharisees. HIS use of the Parable of the Great Supper was in response to a comment from one of those in attendance at the meal said to HIM, when HE had finished the first parable, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of GOD” (v.15).

As always, JESUS uses “a certain man” to make HIS point, so that HE can emphasis the fact that it makes no difference about any background or culture of this man because it is not a factor. It could be “any man.”

 What is important is the fact that this “certain man” was having a “great supper” and “invited many” (v.16). And “they all with one accord began to make excuses” (v.18a). The first asked to be excused because he had bought a “piece of ground” and he needed to “go and see it” (v.18b). Another asked to be excused because he had “bought five yoke of oxen,” and he was “going to test them” (v.9). And finally, another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”

All of those invited were to be given a “high place” at the supper because they were selected by the ‘host’ as his special quests. Yet they, probably in JESUS’ illustration, assumed themselves too good or too important to attend the occasion. They were like the Pharisees and others who refused to accept the invitation of JESUS to join HIM as HE gathered HIS FATHER’S CHILDREN for the ‘building up’ of HIS KINGDOM here on earth. They did not realize that when they refused to accept JESUS’ invitation, they were rejecting their invitation from THE FATHER to occupy that place set for them in THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Even today, there are those of us who still make excuses for not accepting the invitation of CHRIST, offered to them through HIS servants, whom HE sent to invite them to the “great supper.” I have had people tell me that they were trying to get themselves together and then they would come to the LORD. However, I have to remind them that they cannot get ‘themselves’ together. Only GOD, WHO MADE US, can ‘remake’ us. All we have to do is “come to the potter’s house” to be remade in HIS image, as HE did “in the beginning.” Only GOD can take us back to “the Garden,” where HE originally “stooped down and picked up a handful of dust and shaped us in HIS LIKENESS.”

3.      WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM COME (vv.21-24)

 When the servant returned and told the ‘master’ of the excuses of those whom he had invited as ‘special quests,’ the ‘master’ in HIS anguish told the servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind” (v.21). Even after the servant had done as the ‘master’ told him, he said to the ‘master,’ “still there is room” (v.22). It was at this juncture that the ‘master’ said, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste MY SUPPER” (vv.23-24). 

JESUS uses this second parable to teach on hospitality, which by definition means, “the spirit, practice, or act of being hospitable.” Being hospitable simply means, “behaving in a kind and generous manner toward quests.” In other words, affording or expressing welcome and generosity toward quests. It does not just mean having a generous nature, or having gracious or noble qualities. It also means being ‘goodhearted,’ gentle and considerate of others. All proceeding from a nature of ‘goodheartededness.’

While I assure you that humility and hospitality can be developed, it is much more easily displayed or demonstrated when it is inherent or instilled within. The greatest teaching on humility, in my opinion, is found in Matthew 5:39 (cf. Luke 6:29) where JESUS teaches in HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT, that “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” If one can live within the principle contained within, I consider that person truly humble.

In reference to hospitality, Paul teaches in Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Max Beerbohm (1872-1956) said, “People are either born hosts or born quests.” The question is, “Which are you?” GOD has COMPELLED us to invite as well as attend ourselves ‘the great supper.’

In Matthew 11:28, JESUS extended the ‘universal’ and “eternal” invitation when HE said, “Come to ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take MY YOKE upon you and learn from ME, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, for you will find rest for your souls. For MY YOKE is easy and MY BURDEN is light. JESUS not only teaches us that we should be humble, but HE also demonstrated through HIMSELF what it means to be humble. JESUS knew that by being humble, HIS FATHER would EXALT HIM. He said that if HE were lifted up from the earth that HE would “draw all men unto HIM.”

JESUS’ FINAL COMMAND TO HIS DISCIPLES is our command today, in Matthew 28:18-20, which I call the answer in the back of the book, “ALL AUTHORITY has been given to ME IN HEAVEN and ON EARTH. Go ye therefore, and teach all 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; and lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE EARTH.” 

THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

Spiritually Yours.

Rev. Chris Lowe, Sr. DD