The Parables of Jesus - The Wedding Feast

Today, we are going to look at one of these characteristics, which is humility according to Jesus, and not the world.

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Transcript

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Welcome to this new episode of the Gospel for the Nations podcast. This podcast has been brought to you by Pastor Kareem. Our desire is to open the Word of God with you and to speak in a way that is clear, simple, and full of grace. Wherever you are listening from, we pray that the Holy Spirit will touch your heart through his word, strengthen your faith, and draw you closer to Jesus.

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So today we continue the journey through the parables. We are reaching parable 19. Praise God. I still remember the first one I did in our previous location. I said, Lord, guide me. Because it's all about you, and I'm still learning. And every Sunday, it's a challenge. Every Sunday, sometimes I ask the Lord to guide me and just to yeah, to do your will, Lord. So this is the word that the Lord wants to give to each one of us, and first of all, for myself. Amen. So the parable we're gonna see today is called the wedding feast. It's in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, from verse 7 to 11. So this morning we are going to look together again at a parable that is a part of a series of teachings concerning what Jesus came to reveal in the world, namely the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven, and the character that produce the kingdom of God, and that we shall reflect as the believers, as sons and daughters who belong to Him. Those who have been touched by His word, convinced of the truth, and who have believed in Him, and have therefore been justified by the Father and saved. Amen. So one of these characters or one of these characteristics of being a child of God is called humility. According to the dictionary, a secular book, it's not a holy book. But I wanted to let you see the difference. According to the dictionary, humility is the recognition of one's limitations and the refusal to place oneself above others, is the refusal of putting oneself above others. This is called humility according to the dictionary. However, according to the word of God, humility goes much further than that. It consists of recognizing that God is sovereign, that everything comes from Him, and that the highest place belongs to Him alone. Amen. It is this humility that, of course, characterizes the heart of Jesus. And Jesus throughout his entire ministry, so that those who belong and follow him may understand that life is no longer about self. But rather about complete submission and sincere dependence upon the holy will of God. But this is not a burden for us, right? This is not a burden in our lives, but rather a constant joy produced by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Lord, you are the first in my life, and I rejoice. So this parable shows that biblical humility is completely contrary to the humility promoted by the world. It does not place ourselves before the eyes of others, but instead places God first in all things, all in every aspect, every circumstance. But more specifically, in this parable, Jesus shows that social advancement, it is not the issue, but rather the exaltation that is desired and directed by God in order to what? To reflect the glory of his beloved Son. Yet there is also false humility, one that may appear pious and honorable from a human and outward perspective. But in reality, it only comforts or feeds our flesh. While presenting a religious image that is completely contrary to what God desires, false humility. God desires self-denial and diminishing of our own importance so that Christ alone may be exalted in our lives. So then, how can we reconcile being a child of God, grateful and full of joy, while at the same time remaining humble, submissive, and not seeking to shine before the eyes of the world. How? Well, this is what we are going to see together this morning. But at the same time, the answer is simple. The one who must shine is Christ in us. Christ in us, the hope of glory. The one who died and rose again, who is seated at the right hand of God and intercedes for us, so that we may have eternal life with him. But before we read the parable, we have to see the context of this parable. As always, there is a context to give more weight on the teaching of Jesus. So one Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of the ruler of Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. Amen. So Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. And throughout his journey, he encounters Pharisees on several occasions. So these religious leaders continue to observe him closely and examine his teachings. One of them invited him to a meal on Sabbath day. As was a custom in Jewish tradition. In what seemed to be a friendly and intimate setting, right? Come to me. Come, I invite you for dinner. Come, let's celebrate Shabbat together. In order to know him better, yes, and to watch him more carefully. But the word who is used here, the word watching, comes from the Greek word parate raomenoi, which means something very specific. It means to observe carefully, yes, but to inspect closely. Often with a hidden motive. He carries the idea of looking for evidence, inspecting against someone or seeking an opportunity to accuse them. So it's not just watching, it's expecting, examining. The Pharisees were not simply listening to Jesus. They were looking for a reason to make him stumble according to their understanding of the law and the prophets. So this attitude assured them in their own religious behavior, which was not truly for the glory of God. They professed to worship the Creator, yes. Yet their actions often stood in opposition to what God required. It is at this very moment that Jesus performs a miracle that leaves the Pharisees speechless as he heals a sick man before their eyes. But through this act, Jesus once again reveals that the mercy of God is greater than the religious traditions, to which the Pharisees were so attached. He healed during Sabbath. What a blasphemous act, right? Now that we have seen the context in which Jesus finds himself, we can better understand what's the message, what is the message of humility. This parable meant to those who first heard it, and what he still teaches us today. So let us read now the parable. Luke 14, verse 7 to 11. He told the parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they choose the places of honor, saying to them, When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor. Lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him. And he who invited you both will come and say to you, give your place to this person, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, friend, move up higher. Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Amen. So let us now unpack verse by verse in order to better understand what Jesus is teaching here. Verse 7. He told the parable to those who were invited. When he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them. Yet, despite the fact that everyone received the same invitation, this is important. Jesus highlights two different categories of people through their attitude before God. This is the message. The first category described in this verse is made up of those who choose and take the place of honor for themselves. They consider themselves to be the most important among all those who have been invited. They did not wait, as was the custom and still is today, for a servant of the master to assign them to their place and give them the seat they were meant to occupy. Instead, they took for themselves the seats reserved for important people, the places seen by everyone, close to the bride and the groom, where social and religious importance could easily be seen and recognized. But God does not look at outward appearances, He does not look at the way a person dresses, nor at the social status, not at the financial position. The highest place according to man is not necessarily the place that God gives in his kingdom. The standards of God are not the standards of men. Throughout all scripture, God repeatedly shows us through the words and ministry of Jesus that his attention is often directed toward the weak, the sick, the rejected, and those without hope in this world. People who humbly wait for God to place them where He desires them to be. Then Jesus says to them, When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor. Lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him. The place of honor at a wedding feast was something very important in the Jewish culture. It was a position of respect and distinction among the guests. Yet, who truly knows the guest list except the master of the houses himself? When we are invited somewhere, we should follow the order that has been established rather than taking a place that may not belong to us. Is that not true? Do we know the list of guests today? No, right? Only the master knows. Yet do we know the place we are called to take? Yes. The lowest, symbolizing humility before all people and in all circumstances. But it is also interesting to note that Jesus says, When you are invited, he's speaking about future occasions when someone may invite them or us to a wedding feast or an important gathering or feast. In other words, Jesus is not only addressing the religious leaders before him, but teaching a timeless principle that every disciple and his church are called to apply. When you are invited, he didn't say today, remove your place. He said, When you are invited, it's a general principle. What Jesus teaches here is later repeated by two of his closest servants. James, the brother of the Lord, and Peter, the one who was entrusted with shepherding his flock. James 4 10 says, Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. And Peter, humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt. You. Amen. So when Jesus speaks of someone more distinguished than you, He makes us aware of the danger of comparing ourselves according to the standards and the values of this world. Today we may be at the top of the social ladder, yet tomorrow we may find ourselves at the bottom. Tossed about by the circumstances and trials of life. But when we willingly take the lowest place, the fall is often far less painful. Amen. And he continues. And he who invited you both will come and say to you, give your place to this person. And then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. So Jesus shows us here that He is the master, who places and who removes according to His own will. We might think we are the first, but we might end the last. God can and does remind us that He reigns over our lives. He alone raises up and brings law. God has invited us to His wedding feast. And it is our responsibility to submit ourselves to His perfect will. When we become children of God, our values change. Our priorities change. Indeed, everything changes. We become new creatures, walking in obedience in the hope of his return. Perhaps before coming to Christ we held an important position. Or perhaps we consider ourselves important because of a particular role, achievement, or social standing. Yet God desires that we learn to submit to our new heavenly identity and that we be conformed to the image of Christ. We may lose many things in order for God to work our hearts and detach us from this present world so that we may sincerely and faithfully abide in Him. Our only hope and give Him first place in our lives. So humility often comes through suffering because of our flesh is naturally opposed to the life of the spirit. We tend to choose the easy way, the things we know best, and the things we understand from our former way of life and condition of heart. But God, in his love, sometimes uses the circumstances of our lives to teach us to detach ourselves from self and to depend fully on him. Indeed, God, as a loving father, disciplines us, transforms us, refines us, so that we may bear more fruit and bring greater joy and glory to his name. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place. So that when your host become comes, he may say to you, friend, move up higher. Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. The second category of people through their attitude before God is described in this verse. When Jesus tells us to take the lowest place, he is speaking of taking the place of the weakest, the least visible, the one who does not seek recognition. So this demonstrates not greatness in the eyes of the world, but value in the eyes of God. It is a voluntary humbling of oneself. In this parable, before others, it may seem like a loss or lack of importance. Yet before God, it is a tremendous gain. Because it is God Himself who exalts the one who humbles himself. But you may ask why? Well, because God desires that we be thankful to Him. He has raised us from the lowest place to the highest place. Not through our own abilities or our own strength, but through His grace and through miracle that He Himself has accomplished in our lives. This is how Jesus calls his disciples his friends. And this is also how he calls us his friends. When we trust him in our humbling, knowing that he alone must have the highest place. To be a friend of Jesus is to be clothed with the Spirit and to reflect His character. The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:12 put on them as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. It is Christ who seats us at his table. When we are conformed to his humility, his discretion and his love for others, we manifest something of the character of the one who has invited us. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. And he who humbles himself will be exalted. In this verse, Jesus gives us a truth that is both simple and unmistakable. The one who exalts himself will be humbled. This means that God warns his children, those who belong to him, that pride and self-exaltation are not pleasing in his sight. Proverbs 16, verse 18 tells us pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Indeed, pride is completely contrary to God. We see it from the very beginning in the fall of humanity, when man desire to take the place that belongs to God alone. Pride seeks independence from God, not dependence, independence, while humility submits to his authority and will. This is not merely a threat of punishment, not at all, but a loving warning from God. He desires his people to understand that representing the kingdom of God requires sincere humility. The Apostle Paul teaches the same principle. Do nothing from self-ambition or conceit, but in humility. Count others more significant than yourselves. Let each one of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Amen. Yet it is important to humble ourselves and to consider others above ourselves. Because God delights to see his love manifested through submission to Christ first, but through heavily humility rather than a worldly one. The second part of this verse also reminds us that God exalts the humble. This is what God seeks. Hearts that are submitted to His will, hearts that trust Him completely, and at a proper time, God Himself will exalt those who walk in humility, so that all the glory, all the honor may belong to Him alone. Amen. So to conclude this message today, when we think about humility, we immediately see Christ giving himself to be the atoning sacrifice at the cross, the spotless and blameless lamb of God to save all who belong to him. So, a question. Right? Just as his disciples did. Then, if we truly believe that Christ lives within us, why should we not give him the first place in our lives? This is an essential question for us to consider. If the Spirit who lives in us is leading us in our sanctification, then we must remember that we no longer belong to ourselves. The Lord desires to have the first place in everything we do in every area of our lives. So humility is to exalt Christ, to live for Christ, and to serve one another as Christ served. It is to live as servants and ambassadors of Christ. Gospel of Matthew chapter 18, verse 4, and Jesus reminds us here: whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The greatest. May the Lord help us to walk in that humility for his glory. Amen. So what can we learn and apply from Luke and this passage? Pride is trusting in self. But humility is trusting in Christ. Pride is seeking recognition. Humility is reflecting Christ. Pride is following self. Humility is following Christ. Pride avoids suffering. Humility grows through suffering with Christ. And pride exalts self. And humility exalts Christ. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Almighty and Sovereign God. We first of all want to thank you and your word for your grace that enables us to know you more, to worship you more in the spirit and the truth. We know that you are merciful and compassionate. We ask you to grant us hearts of humility and a deeper desire to become like you, to depend upon you alone in every circumstance in our lives. We want to surrender every aspect of our lives in your hands, truly and fully, walking by faith. Keep us in the narrow path, O Lord, to continue sanctifying us, transform us in the likeness of Christ. We thank you for your Son Jesus Christ and the head of this church. We pray all these things in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah. Praise God.

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Thank you for listening today. If the Lord used this message to bless you, feel free to share it, so others can also be encouraged and strengthened for the coming days. Keep seeking Him, keep reading His Word, and keep trusting His grace every single day.