Sermon and Video for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost

 Video of Divine Service at St. Luke Rensselaer   

12th Sunday after Pentecost
Proverbs 25:2-10      
Hebrews 13:1-17      
Luke 14:1-14

O Lord, your word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. 

On the face of it, it appears that Jesus is giving the Pharisees and lawyers a much-needed lesson in etiquette. To avoid embarrassment, don’t assume your place or presume the status of your relationship with the host over the others present. Wait to be told where to be seated. This is age old wisdom that can quickly be forgotten by those filled with sinful pride. Apparently, this kind of presumption is a long standing problem and happens enough that King Solomon, a thousand years before Jesus, included a proverbial wisdom to the wise in his collection of Proverbs: “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” 

 

After seeing pride and its presenting face of presumption run amok as people are seating themselves around the dinner table in the host’s home, Jesus essentially quotes Solomon in his Parable of the Wedding Feast.   

 

If the lesson could penetrate the hearts and minds of His listeners, then that would be a good thing. But, there is a far greater teaching going on here than simply playing it safe so you don’t get embarrassed in front of all of your friends and associates. Jesus has once again turned the tables on those who considered themselves his betters.  

 

One commentator I read suggested that the man with dropsy was specifically invited to the Sabbath meal to see what Jesus would do. Why else would the lawyers and Pharisees remain silent when Jesus asked them a direct question? “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” At this point, perhaps they realized that silence was the best strategy in dealing with the Rabbi with the mystery powers? 

 

In chapter 6 after Jesus healed the man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, his adversaries responded with anger because of his healing. I suspect that after the episode passed, they realized that their display of anger rang false to those witnessing this spectacle. Shouldn’t the Pharisees be joining with the man’s family in rejoicing that he gained complete use of his all-important right hand? In chapter 13, Jesus himself put his adversaries to shame after he healed the woman with the disabling spirit. They did not learn their lesson, but they did decide it was best to be silent and let the people heap judgment upon Jesus for violating the Pharisees interpretation of the Sabbath. That did not work because they agree with Jesus that healing the body on the Sabbath is the visible expression of the fullness of the sabbath. The Sabbath is given to the faithful for restoration and healing. The earthly expression of the Sabbath points to the fullness of healing and restoration that is to come when the Messiah comes. 

 

Those whom Jesus heals on the Sabbath are visible signs of the brokenness of men. Sickness, deformity, decay, and death exist because of the pervasive presence of sin that is passed from one generation to another. Original sin and all the mayhem that it creates does not go away. We do not grow out of it. We cannot manufacture enough positive thoughts to escape it. We cannot through discipline improve ourselves to the point where we are no longer sinners. The man with the withered hand could not heal himself. Neither could the woman with the spirit that bent her over for eighteen years. And, neither can the man with dropsy. The suffering of these three people is visible to all. The man with dropsy is inexplicably bloated and his skin would be stretched out so that he can barely stand and walk. Someone beyond the reach of this sinful condition has to do the healing. On the Lord’s Day, the Lord himself heals. He lifts up the downtrodden. He restores the sick to good health. He releases them from their bondage. All of this points to Jesus’ work on the cross. 

 

As Jesus explains through the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The host of the Feast has the privilege and power to elevate the guest to the place of honor. Because the lawyers and Pharisees are blinded by their own pride, they do not yet understand what Jesus is saying to them. What they do understand is shame and honor. They understand the shame of being publicly humiliated by being taken from their presumed place of honor to a far lesser place far from the host. They understand the worldly sense of Jesus saying. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” But, they do not understand the spiritual dimension here. 

 

What the lawyers and Pharisees do not see is that they are not righteous but sinners. Nor do they see that their offensive display of presumption is directly related to the pervasive condition of sin they suffer from. They do not see that Jesus is the LORD, and that he is the host of the world. The Lord Jesus humbles himself by becoming man. He humbles himself by dwelling amongst us. He humbles himself by serving us. He does not expect to be served. He comes to serve. He serves us by taking up the cross.

 

When Jesus’ adversaries finally have their way and Jesus takes up the cross, his sacrifice takes away the ultimate power of sin to keep us from the host and His promises of salvation, forgiveness, and everlasting life. Jesus is the one who, through his shed blood, has the power to confer righteousness upon the unrighteous. He has the power to forgive the unforgiven. By Christ’s merit on the cross, we are exalted to a place of honor in the Lord’s kingdom. 

 

Jesus has the power to heal on the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus intends to elevate every repentant sinner into the gates of heaven. So that we may be with Him forever in the eternal wedding feast celebrating the marriage of Christ and His bride, the Church. 

 

We rejoice that our Lord has heard our confession of our sin and pride and on account of faith in Him we receive His declaration: You are my beloved and cherished. You are redeemed and you are forgiven. You will be with me forever in paradise. Please sit here beside me.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.