03-19-2022, 03:35 PM
Jesus was invited to a Sabbath meal at the home of a Sanhedrin Pharisee. It would have been a rather large crowd in a fancy mansion somewhere in or near Jerusalem. Before they had taken their places, the guests would have chatted a bit with formal greetings and so forth. Among them was a fellow who was bloated with excess fluid in his body. Jesus faced this issue often: Was it proper to heal on the Sabbath? He handled it the same as He always did, mentioning how the Covenant people of God were at least as valuable as good livestock that was taken care of on the Sabbath. Nobody could argue with Him.
Meanwhile, the fellow hurried away from this social occasion to release the water. Would this embarrass him or his host?
The Pharisees were obsessed with social ranking. The guests at this particular event would have spent some time discussing who ranked above whom, and seated themselves accordingly, as if the host had little to say about the matter. Jesus warned them that if they failed to consult the man who invited them, they might end up deeply embarrassed. Perhaps he had a special guest whom he wished to honor on this occasion, and whomever presumed to take the most honored seat would be forced to move down to a lower place. Instead of making everyone shift, this fool would end up near the bottom. Meanwhile, the guests more valued by the host would be promoted in front of all.
This is a divine principle. Never presume to know what God has in mind for you in any situation. Humility means you count yourself fortunate just to be involved, and you'll cheerfully take a seat next to anyone. People who take themselves too seriously would balk at this rubbing elbows with nobodies, always competing for favor from those who outrank them. Everyone loves the big shot who acts like he's just a regular Joe, and this typically reflects a strong moral frame of reference. You never know what divine treasures God hides in unimportant people.
To their host, Jesus made the comment that he should consider organizing a dinner for the social outcasts. If you invite only your social peers, they'll repay you in kind, and still likely be considering how to stab you in the back, as it were. If you invite nobodies and treat them with respect, they'll have the time of their lives and be awfully grateful, because they could never repay you. Rather, it is God who will take notice and reward you in the Day of Judgment.
Someone among the guests was triggered by this. We can only guess at his motive, but he spoke up with a socially approved gusto about how wonderful it would be to find oneself invited to the Messianic Kingdom, often depicted as a great supper like this one. The Pharisees regarded themselves uniquely worthy, and had built up a teaching about Messianic Expectations. The Gentile nations of the world would come rushing to Judea dragging all their wealth, each begging to be made the slave of a Jew. Whatever else he meant, the man was referring to this notion.
Jesus told this man a parable in the hearing of others. The business of healing the fellow with dropsy had already gotten everyone's attention. This was an illustration He used often. It would have been painfully obvious to everyone that this was about the just mentioned Great Supper at the inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom.
God would invite His Chosen People to come to the Great Supper, but the leadership would all beg off. All of them would have too many other concerns, going on with life as if nothing had really changed. So His servants could come back to tell God that the Jewish leadership had turned Him down. Then God said He wanted the nobody Jewish peasants brought in and seated. That done, there was still room, so He had His servants go out and invite the rest of the world to come join Him.
Jesus declared that God would see to it the Jewish leadership would never taste the eternal blessings of the Messianic Kingdom. Instead, it would be all they people they despised. Obviously, they didn't have a clue what God considered important.
Meanwhile, the fellow hurried away from this social occasion to release the water. Would this embarrass him or his host?
The Pharisees were obsessed with social ranking. The guests at this particular event would have spent some time discussing who ranked above whom, and seated themselves accordingly, as if the host had little to say about the matter. Jesus warned them that if they failed to consult the man who invited them, they might end up deeply embarrassed. Perhaps he had a special guest whom he wished to honor on this occasion, and whomever presumed to take the most honored seat would be forced to move down to a lower place. Instead of making everyone shift, this fool would end up near the bottom. Meanwhile, the guests more valued by the host would be promoted in front of all.
This is a divine principle. Never presume to know what God has in mind for you in any situation. Humility means you count yourself fortunate just to be involved, and you'll cheerfully take a seat next to anyone. People who take themselves too seriously would balk at this rubbing elbows with nobodies, always competing for favor from those who outrank them. Everyone loves the big shot who acts like he's just a regular Joe, and this typically reflects a strong moral frame of reference. You never know what divine treasures God hides in unimportant people.
To their host, Jesus made the comment that he should consider organizing a dinner for the social outcasts. If you invite only your social peers, they'll repay you in kind, and still likely be considering how to stab you in the back, as it were. If you invite nobodies and treat them with respect, they'll have the time of their lives and be awfully grateful, because they could never repay you. Rather, it is God who will take notice and reward you in the Day of Judgment.
Someone among the guests was triggered by this. We can only guess at his motive, but he spoke up with a socially approved gusto about how wonderful it would be to find oneself invited to the Messianic Kingdom, often depicted as a great supper like this one. The Pharisees regarded themselves uniquely worthy, and had built up a teaching about Messianic Expectations. The Gentile nations of the world would come rushing to Judea dragging all their wealth, each begging to be made the slave of a Jew. Whatever else he meant, the man was referring to this notion.
Jesus told this man a parable in the hearing of others. The business of healing the fellow with dropsy had already gotten everyone's attention. This was an illustration He used often. It would have been painfully obvious to everyone that this was about the just mentioned Great Supper at the inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom.
God would invite His Chosen People to come to the Great Supper, but the leadership would all beg off. All of them would have too many other concerns, going on with life as if nothing had really changed. So His servants could come back to tell God that the Jewish leadership had turned Him down. Then God said He wanted the nobody Jewish peasants brought in and seated. That done, there was still room, so He had His servants go out and invite the rest of the world to come join Him.
Jesus declared that God would see to it the Jewish leadership would never taste the eternal blessings of the Messianic Kingdom. Instead, it would be all they people they despised. Obviously, they didn't have a clue what God considered important.