AN EYE ON JESUS

Luke 14:1-14

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.

Everyone was keeping an eye on Jesus. Looking for something wrong! Hoping to catch Him in a mistake!

But Jesus was also keeping an eye on them and He didn’t like what He saw - He noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table…

He reminds them it is better to humbly seek a lesser seat to avoid the embarrassment of perhaps having to give way if a more honored guest shows up.

And to leave open the possibility of the host honoring you by offering a better place.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Does the Teacher have a right to talk like this? Let’s see. Jesus came to earth not as a king in a palace but a baby in a stable. He didn’t live as a rich man but as a servant of all.

Yes, He humbled Himself and even now has been offered a better seat at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

Jesus was keeping an eye on them and looking around He must have noticed the guest list only included the well-connected.

Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Does the Teacher have a right to talk like this? When we stop to think that we are invited to His banquet, the answer is obvious. We who could never repay Him for His life and death are the welcomed guests at His party. Do you think He is still keeping an eye on His guests?