- Jesus exposes pride (14:1-9)
- Jesus encourages humility (14:10-11)
Summary: While dining at a house full of Pharisees on
the Sabbath day, Jesus was being carefully watched to see if he would heal
a man suffering from dropsy.
Knowing what the Pharisees were watching for, Jesus asks, “Is it lawful
to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” Jesus’ question served to expose the hearts of
the Pharisees, for under their silence was pride in all of its hypocritical and
self-centered ugliness. Next we
learn that Jesus “noticed how the Pharisees chose the places of honor”
(v.7). Seeing this, Jesus tells
the Parable of the Wedding Feast in order to further expose pride and encourage
humility. Followers of Jesus Christ must learn to pass up the high seat and make a beeline for the low seat, for humility
is the sure route to honor.
Discussion Questions:
- Why were the Pharisees watching Jesus so Intensely in v.1? Was Jesus actually breaking God’s law? How do Jesus’ questions (vv.3, 5) and the Pharisees silence (vv.4, 6) actually expose pride and hypocrisy and self-centeredness of their hearts? What is it that Jesus notices about the Pharisees in v.7 that would prompt him to tell the Parable of the Wedding Feast in vv.8-11?
- Jesus says, “Do not sit down in a place of honor.” In other words, don’t take the high seat! Is Jesus forbidding the pursuit of honor in v.8? What point is he making?
- Jesus also says, “go and sit in the lowest place (v.10).” In other words, take the low seat! What is the relationship between the low seat and being honored in v.10?
- Interact with these statements: “Honor is not to be given not taken…It is God’s prerogative to bestow honor. It is our prerogative to pursue humility…”
- How did Jesus make it possible for us to love the low seat?
- What are other examples of ways God would have us choose the “low seat”?
Application Questions:
- Studying the responses and actions of the Pharisees helps us to see something of the ugliness of pride. Just as Jesus sought to expose the pride of the Pharisees, he also seeks to expose the pride in his followers. Is there any area of pride in your life that you sense Jesus exposing? What is it? What ways have you tried to cover it in order to appear better than you are?
- Jesus exposes us in order to clothe us. How does being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ motivate and inspire you to pass by the high seat and make a beeline to the low seat?
- What would it look like practically to take the low seat in your relationships? With Jesus? With those at home? Church? Work? Etc?
- How will a focus on humility serve as the key to unlock many areas of spiritual growth in your life?
Prayer
Points:
- Ask God to, by His Spirit, expose and convict your heart of any pride in your life.
- Confess to God any pride in your life and any way you’ve sought to cover that pride, that is, any way that you’ve been content with looking righteous instead of being righteous.
- Thank God for how he mercifully exposes pride for your good.
- Thank God for how he has clothed you with the righteousness of his Son so that you don’t have to try and find significance and security in the rags of your own “righteousness.”
- Praise God for sending His Son to be born humbly, to live humbly, and to die humbly in order to put the very Spirit of humility within you. Praise God for giving you a new instinct and desire to make a beeline to the low seat!
- Pray that God would help you to make a conscience effort in your daily life to pass by the high seat and to occupy the low seat.
