Meal with the Chief Pharisee

Meal with the Chief Pharisee – Luke 14:1-24

                Jesus was invited to the house of a great Pharisee.  There in front of the Pharisees Jesus saw a man that was afflicted so he asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.  They had been watching Him very closely.  When they were silent to His question, He healed the man.  Then He told them that they would go and help an ox out of a well on the Sabbath and that is why He healed the man.  They still remained silent.

                Jesus then noticed how people were taking the best places at the meal so Jesus them told them the parable of the best place.   A person was invited to a feast and how they took a place of lower honour and how the host went and brought them to a higher place of honour.  Jesus said if however they took a prominent seat and the host asked them to take a lower place how they would be humiliated.  Jesus then said, “whoever exalt themselves will be humbled and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted,

                Jesus then asked His host why he had only invited all His friends and rich neighbours who could pay him back.  He told him that he should have invited, the poor, blind and lame.  These people could not pay him back.  That is how it will be in the time of the resurrection. 

                Jesus had a man who sat beside Him who said, blessed is he who eats the feast in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus told this man a story about a man who invited his friends and for one reason or another they could not come.  The man became angry and sent his servants to find the poor and when they still had room for more than the master sent out his servant’s once more.  When invited to the banquet of the Kingdom of God, come or your place will be taken by another.   A very good lesson to remember.