Humility

Making the most of oppertunities

Jesus uses every opportunity to it's fullest. In Luke 14 He uses the events around a meal at a Pharisee's home to teach on humility. Humility is thinking less about ourselves so that we can think more about God's grace, God's glory and God's will. Comparing at the way the Pharisees and Jesus use the same opportunities differently gives us a chance to learn to be more like Jesus, to embrace humility and live for God's will and glory by trusting in His grace.

Scripture

Luke 14:1-24 ESV  One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.  [2]  And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy.  [3]  And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”  [4]  But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away.  [5]  And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”  [6]  And they could not reply to these things.  [7]  Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,  [8]  “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,  [9]  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.  [10]  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.  [11]  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  [12]  He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.  [13]  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,  [14]  and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”  [15]  When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”  [16]  But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.  [17]  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’  [18]  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’  [19]  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’  [20]  And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’  [21]  So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’  [22]  And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’  [23]  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.  [24]  For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Bible Study Questions

Who’s will are we seeking and doing?

The Pharisees told everyone that they were passionate about the law of God and for people to keep it. This Pharisee invited Jesus and a man who was very obviously and seriously ill. The Scripture says that they were watching Jesus carefully, and that He responded to them. What does the fact that Jesus is responding tell you about what He knew of their plans? Were they really passionate about God’s will being done, or their own?

Luke 14:1-24 ESV  One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.  [2]  And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy.  [3]  And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”  [4]  But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away.  [5]  And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”  [6]  And they could not reply to these things.

Who’s glory are we seeking?

Watching human behaviour gave Jesus an opportunity to highlight self-seeking, and teach humility. When we live our lives seeking our own glory over that of others, do you think we can live for God’s glory? Who’s glory should we be living for today?

Luke 14:7-11 ESV Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,  [8]  “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,  [9]  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.  [10]  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.  [11]  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Matthew 6:9 ESV  Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Isaiah 43:7 ESV  everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Giving grace, or earning favour

What kind of people do you think the Pharisee invited to this meal alongside Jesus, and why do you think they were chosen to attend?

Luke 14:12-14 ESV  He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.  [13]  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,  [14]  and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”  

Invited to grace

One of the people who at the meal, and who heard Jesus telling the host who he should be inviting to his banquets, raises the issue of the great feast of the Messiah, the celebration in the Kingdom of God. What feast is he talking about and who do you think this man expects to be invited and present there?

Luke 14:15-17 ESV  When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”  [16]  But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.  [17]  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’  

Refusing the invitation

Having agreed to come in advance the people in the parable now make weak excuses and refuse the invitation. What kind of people are making these excuses and how are they like the people who are usually invited to this Pharisee’s feasts?

Luke 14:18-20 ESV  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’  [19]  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’  [20]  And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’  

Grace extended to those we don’t extend it to

The master extends invitations to those who wouldn’t normally be invited to something like this, and who cannot reciprocate the invitation at any stage. How are these like the people not usually invited to the Pharisee’s events?

Luke 14:21 ESV So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’

Luke 14:13 ESV  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind

Many are called, few are chosen

After inviting all these other people there is still space for many more, what does this tell us about the number of people who will actually respond to God’s gracious invitation to mercy. forgiveness and eternal life?

Luke 14:22-24 ESV  And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’  [23]  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.  [24]  For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Matthew 22:14 ESV  For many are called, but few are chosen.”