Lesson 148 - Senior
Memory Verse
"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
Cross References
I At the Pharisee's House
1. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath Day, [LUK:14:1-6].
2. Jesus teaches humility in the choice of a seat, [LUK:14:7-11].
3. Jesus instructs the Pharisee as to which guests to invite to supper, [LUK:14:12-14].
II The Refusal of Those Who Were Bidden to the Gospel Feast
1. A great supper is prepared and the invitation extended, [LUK:14:15-17].
2. Temporal interests are put ahead of the divine call:
"A piece of ground" is considered more important than the "promised land," [LUK:14:18].
"Five yoke of oxen" are deemed of more value than heavenly possessions, [LUK:14:19].
"A wife" is regarded as of more importance than the things of God, [LUK:14:20].
III The Invitation to the Poor, the Maimed, the Halt, the Blind
1. The call reaches out into the streets and lanes of the cities, [LUK:14:21].
2. It is extended even to the countryside, to fill the house, [LUK:14:22-23].
3. The first group are excused and excluded from the feast, [LUK:14:24].
Notes
The Sabbath and the Lord's Day
The Pharisees were very zealous for their Sabbath Days. The Lord had commanded them to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, but they had gone far beyond the laws of God with their traditions as to what could and could not be done on the Sabbath Day. As Jesus entered a Pharisee's house on the Sabbath Day they watched with critical eyes to see if He would keep all their traditions concerning the day. Jesus did not wait for them to ask the question; but, knowing their thoughts, He put the question to them, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?"
This question arose frequently in the ministry of Jesus. The ruler of a synagogue once told the people not to Come to be healed on the Sabbath ([LUK:13:14]). On one occasion when the question came up, Jesus said, "It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days" (Matthew 12:12). He told them, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27, 28). The Law commanded that the Sabbath be kept. Christians today are not under the Law but under Grace. We do not observe the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), but we observe the Lord's Day (Sunday), the day on which Jesus rose from the grave, for our justification. Christ was the "firstfruits" of the resurrection. The Mosaic Law pointed forward to this day when it instructed that the first fruits be offered on the "morrow after the Sabbath," which would be Sunday.
The "first day of the week" was the day on which Jesus rose; it was the day on which He made His several appearances to His disciples after His resurrection; it was the day on which the power fell (Acts 2), at which time Christ established His Church; it was the day on which the disciples met to break bread in commemoration of the Lord's Supper, and brought their offerings unto the Lord; it was the day which the early church observed from 100 A. D. to 324 A. D., according to the universal testimony of the fathers from Ignatius to Eusebius.
The first day of the week was not instituted as the "Lord's Day" by Constantine, by the Catholic pope, or by any other prelate. It became accepted as the day of worship immediately after Jesus' resurrection, and has been observed by all true Christians, under the new covenant, from that time down to the present day. As Christians, today, we should regard the Lord's Day and not transact business, do shopping or unnecessary work, on Sun-day. (See [NEH:13:15-22]; [ISA:58:13-14].)
Choosing the Chief Rooms
Jesus watched the guests, which were bidden to dine with Him at the Pharisee's house. He noticed how they chose the places of honour. This was contrary to their Law. Solomon had told them, "Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince" (Proverbs 25:6, 7).
We are instructed to "let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each es-teem other better than themselves" (Philippians, 2:3). We are to humble ourselves "under the mighty hand of God" and let Him exalt us in due season. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased. It is better that we hum-ble ourselves instead of waiting for the Lord to humble us. He will do that, if need be, but we may find it hard to take. Jesus humbled Himself. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." God has prepared great things for us, if we will walk before Him in humility here below.
The Right Guests
When you make a feast, call the "poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind." Our love should go beyond those of our own household, our friends, relatives, or rich neighbours. "If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matthew 5:46). Christ died for the ungodly. God loved us while we were sinners. We are exhorted: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which de-spitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:44, 45). If we are children of God we will manifest some of that same love that He has shown toward us. It is good to entertain friends for the sake of friendship, but God has promised us a blessing in the Resurrection Day if we show kindness to the "poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind."
The Gospel Call
The parable of the great supper sets forth the attitude of the mass of humanity to the call of God from the beginning of time to the present day. Primarily, it shows the rejection of Christ by the Jews, the bidden guests. However, the same puny excuses that were made by the bidden guests of olden days are being made by the world at large today.
A Great Supper
This was a great supper. It was prepared at ail infinite cost. The price of our redemption cannot be reckoned in temporal values. It cost the life of the divine Son of God. God spared no effort that He might reconcile the world unto Himself. Jesus, in His ministry on earth, came to His own, the Jews. He said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). Israel lightly esteemed her opportunities and rejected and crucified the Saviour and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matthew 27:25). Today, the universal call has gone forth, "Come; for all things are now ready."
Excuses
The guests were informed of the feast that was to come. Jesus told the Jews, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). When suppertime came the servant went out to call those, which had been bidden. "And they all with one consent began to make excuse." And what excuses! The first man had bought a piece of ground and had to go and see it. Apparently, he had already bought it without looking at it, and now he was going to see it at suppertime in the dark. The trans-action was closed; the land was not going to move away; but he could not wait until after the supper. He let a business deal stand between him and eternal life. Many a man today is engrossed in the affairs of the world to the extent that he is neglecting eternal life. He is letting eternal issues slide, in order to obtain a few perishing things of this world.
People today are making every sort of excuse for not accepting the Gospel invitation. Many are not willing to give up the fashions and sinful pleasures of this world. They do not realize the seriousness of neglecting God. God said, "None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." All the excuse-makers were excused and excluded from the feast.
Questions
1. Enumerate the various healings that Jesus performed on the Sabbath Day.
2. Why do we observe the Lord's Day (Sunday) instead of the Jewish Sabbath?
3. What answer did Jesus give to the question, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?"
4. What embarrassment are we likely to encounter if we choose the chief places?
5. What will happen to the man who exalts himself?
6. When will we be repaid if we invite the poor or lame to supper?
7. What is the meaning of the parable of the great supper?
8. What were the excuses offered by those who were bidden to the feast?
9. What happened to those who offered the excuses?
10. What are some of the excuses given today for not serving God?