According To Luke: Timeless Table Manners

According To Luke: Timeless Table Manners

Opening Illustration:

It’s something like what Coach John McKay of USC said to his team after they had been humiliated 51-0 by Notre Dame. McKay came into the locker room and saw a group of beaten worn-out and thoroughly depressed young football players who were not accustomed to losing. He stood up on a bench and said, "Men, let’s keep this in perspective. There are 800 million Chinese who don’t even know this game was played." That’s what you call perspective.

Point:

To many times to count, I have been laid low. Humbled and humiliated. I remember when I I thought that I had it all together, that I had the world by the tail, where no one could tell me anything, only to find out that I did not have it all together, that the world had me by the tail, where I crashed and burned. We have all been there. Prideful. Spiteful. Arrogant. We are the center of our own universe and everything and everyone revolves around us. Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, God shakes us up. He interrupts our lives revealing that we are not in control. 

Point:

It remind me of a certain play. You probably remember the play. Let me set the scene for you. The game was out of control. The Dallas Cowboys were going to beat the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. The score would eventually end up 52-17. Frank Reich fumbled the ball after being hit by Jim Jeffcoat of the Cowboys. Leon Lett picked up the ball and ran for what should have been an easy extra score that would give the Cowboys the all time Super Bowl point record. Instead, Don Beebe ran the lumbering Lett, who was already celebrating by the way, down and knocked the football from his grasp just as he was about to enter the end zone. 

Lett, while visiting this year’s Super Bowl, gave an account where a random fan came up to him and told him to “not drop the ball”. It is still a play that haunts him even to this day. A play that he can’t run from. A play that has led to his humiliation when he should have been a Super Bowl hero. 

Point:

Friends it is better to remain humble than have to suffer humiliation. If Lett would have just run the ball in, he would have sealed for himself Super Bowl glory, but instead, he put his arrogance on full display, having himself humiliated. 

Fill in those blanks this morning.

 It’s Better To Be Humble Than Humiliated!

Definition:

So, what does it mean to be humble? Well according to the theologian Google, it means the following:

-having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.

-of low social, administrative, or political rank.

-lower (someone) in dignity or importance.

-decisively defeat (another team or competitor, typically one that was previously thought to be superior).

Can you see why most people do not enjoy the humble life? I can. Who wants to live low, shun dignity or importance, or be defeated. Yet, Jesus’ example of humility was vastly different than that of Google. Humility, at least in Biblical terms is different than the world’s standard. 

When I think of what Biblical humility means, I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

To be humble, we must have faith that God will lead us in the best way to live and what to avoid in temptation. We are to put complete trust in the Lord and not deceive ourselves with vanity or lust. We should lean on the understanding, wisdom, and divinity of God to show us the righteous path through prayer, meditation, fasting, and other faithful practices. It means setting our “ego” or self aside in favor of God’s “logos” or Word. His way is better than my way. His thoughts are above my thoughts. 

Background and Context of Scripture

If you remember, Jesus has been invited to eat with Pharisees and teachers of the law. He has been invited to eat by an unnamed Pharisee which seems like a nice thing to do. However, we discover that this Pharisee’s motives were not pure. He invited Jesus to come to his house so that he could observe Him. They were looking for a weakness in Jesus. They wanted to expose Him as a fraud. They tried to trap Him into breaking the Sabbath law and that failed in dramatic fashion. Today, we are continuing this dinner date. Today, Jesus will instruct those in attendance, and us as a matter of fact, what humility really looks like. One interesting point, there is always a reckoning for the arrogant. One day they will be exposed and humiliated. Oh may it not be said of us that we are prideful. So, let’s read this morning from God’s Word, Luke 14:7-11.

Scripture:

Luke 14:7-11 ESV

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.”

4 Testimonies From Jesus’ Table

I. The Example of The Haughty

A. Pharisee’s Pride Revealed vs. 7-8

Luke 14:7-8 ESV

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…

Point:

It is said that the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with them so that they could observe Him. That is a dangerous move because when you invite Jesus in to be observed, Jesus will also observe you. Clearly, as Jesus reclined and ate, He did not like what he was seeing. He saw from religious people haughty arrogant behavior. He saw from worshippers naked favoritism. He saw from those that knew the ancient religious texts prideful, arrogant behavior. Jesus saw men who were once called to care for the less fortunate, the poor, the widows only care about their standing and popularity among their peers. Jesus noticed that these men were passively squabbling over their placement around the table. Who would recline in the most powerful place and who would receive the position of greatest respect? Their standard of prestige was measured in human eyes and contrived by human hands. 

Illustration:

I once heard a story of a missionary working on the foreign mission field with a previously unreached people group. They did not have a translation of the Bible that they could read from so this missionary decided to start translating a copy of the New Testament for them. He was doing well but he began to struggle to come up with an adequate word for “pride”. He was having trouble explaining what pride looked like to his new brothers in Christ. So, he decided to use some of their own words to describe pridefulness. Their translation of pride reads “ears being to far apart”. In other words he conveyed the idea of an “inflated head” to solve the issue of the word “pride” translation. 

Point:

Can you see the scene. The Pharisees had let their head get to big. They had swelled egos. They thought to much of themselves and not enough of others. Here they had the Savior of the World, the Alpha and the Omega sitting at the table with them and they were arguing who would sit in the most prestigious seat. It is almost a joke. 

Point:

Brother and sisters, do you struggle with humility? Do you find yourself thinking that you are better than others? Because you have nicer things, better homes, sweeter cars, more expense clothing, are you somehow better than someone less fortunate? Do we look down on others because of their race, their creed, where they come from, how they smell, their education level, and their backgrounds? If so, then you might have a pride problem. 

There is no room for haughty behavior in the Kingdom of God because we are all standing on level ground at the foot of the cross. 

Galatians 6:3 ESV

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

I. The Example of The Haughty

A. Pharisee’s Pride Revealed vs. 7-8

B. Pharisee’s Pride Rebuked vs. 9

Luke 14:9 ESV

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. 

Illustration:

Muhammad Ali, the great wrestler was never known for being a kind person. Once he was on an airplane and he often said, “I'm the greatest.” The stewardess looked at him and saw he didn't have his seatbelt fastened. She said to him, “Mr. Ali, you'll have to fasten your seatbelt.” Ali responded, “Superman don't need seatbelt.” The hostess then replied, “Superman don't need airplane either.”

Point:

Jesus sees what is going on and He states a parable. He talks about a hypothetical dinner party where guests are invited. A person arrives and begins to angel for the best seat in the house. Jesus states that the master of the house is not pleased with this behavior and he demands that this selfish arrogant person be removed to a lower seat. What is interesting is the phrase “give your place to this person”, specifically “your place”. The Greek word being used here is “topos”. It is where we receive our English word for topic or topical. Of course it means an inhabited place like a city, a village, or a certain space. It also means opportunity, power, and an occasion for acting. Jesus is speaking directly to the hearts of the Pharisees. These men were looking for more than a good seat to observe Jesus, they were looking for power. They believed that their rightful place was a place of power, authority, and position. When this master came and rebuked the man sitting in the wrong spot, he rebuffed his play for power and authority. 

Have you ever heard the statement that absolute power corrupts absolutely? Well, for the Pharisees, this is clearly true. They did not want just a seat at the table, they wanted all the power with it. I remember a conversation I had with the first pastor I ever worked with at FBC Birmingham. We were talking about the role of deacons in the church. They were to be men of service, not a board of directors. He told me once, “Stuart, if you ever have a man politicking to be a deacon, run!” I asked him why he felt the way that he did and he told me “if a man is politicking to be a deacon, he is not interested in serving the body, he is interested in supervising the body.” 

Well these Pharisees were not interested in serving anything but themselves. They certainly wanted to supervise others and be in the managers seat. 

Application Point:

By the way, there have been so many times in my life where Jesus has rebuked this nature in me. He has probably done it to you as well. Humans, all humans, even pastors, struggle with pride and arrogance. We all struggle with wanting to be recognized, wanting to be appreciated, and longing for people to praise us instead of God. There are times in everyone’s life where they have to examine their motivations. Is there pride in me? Is there haughtiness in me? The answer is absolutely yes. I can speak for myself. Admitting to it does not mean that we have to act on it. Remember, we are here to reflect God’s glory, not accept it. It is not our glory to be received but to be given to Him. So, moving from here, ask God to reveal the areas of pride in our lives so that we can properly give God glory. 

Proverbs 16:18 ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

C.S. Lewis

II. The Example of The Humble

A. The Practice of Humility vs. 10

Luke 10:14 ESV

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.

Point:

So Jesus tells us that the master removes the haughty man from his position of esteem giving it to another. Jesus gives the advice to take the position of weakness and allow the master to promote you instead of you promoting yourself. 

This is a difficult thing to achieve when we live in a society filled with self promotion. I would dare say that 99% of social media is nothing but self promotion. Look at me. Listen to my view. Watch my activity. See my food. Weird but true. 

So, how do we practice humility? How do we practice Biblical humility?

1. We pray for it. 

While this may seem obvious, if you’re like me, you often forget that this is where it starts: we can simply ask our Heavenly Father who gives us all good gifts. He wants to bless us with humility because having a humble and teachable spirit allows us to experience more of the joy and peace he offers.

2. We guard our eyes and ears, develop a filter.

Social media often has the tendency to make us envious, snarky, and prideful. It’s important to recognize when an app or website we frequent is having a negative impact on us and developing very un-Christian qualities in our lives. If this is happening, it may be time to step back and take a break from social media (maybe use the time you normally scroll through Facebook or Instagram to instead read Luke!).

3. Serve.

That’s right, there is nothing better than serving others. Serving others often changes your mind and changes how you see things. Serving others is a constant reminder of Jesus and His love for others. Defeating pride is tough but putting others above yourself is a good start. 

Illustration:

A truly humble man is hard to find, yet God delights to honor such selfless people. Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady. 

The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. ‘It's perfectly all right, Madam,’ he replied. ‘Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it's always a delight to do something for a friend.’ She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.

Proverbs 29:23 ESV

One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

B. The Principle of Humility vs. 11

Luke 14:11

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

Point:

Humility does not come naturally for anyone. There are humble people in this room, there are. However, that humility was developed over time and experience. Some people have to be humbled to embrace humility. The principle of humility is pretty simple, it must be practiced. To be humble, you must put yourself in positions of humility. The other day, I was working with Bryant and Johnathen at Upward basketball. After all the crowds had left, it was time to clean up. Everyone pitched in and got to work. As we were nearing competition, I heard the Lord say “Stuart, what about the bathrooms”. I said what about the bathrooms Lord. They need to be cleaned. Ok. 

I did not want to clean the bathrooms. The thought even crossed my mind, I am the pastor of the church, I should not have to clean the bathrooms. Then the Lord said to me because I am the pastor of the church, I have to clean up the bathrooms. The Lord, even then was developing humility in me. I have witnessed the humility of others over and over in this church. Men and women working hard for others. 

You know, there are really two sorts of Christians in the world. There are the Christians who wear aprons. They are the ones cooking, cleaning, wiping up the grime of the world. They are the servants. They are the saints. The disciple makers and evangelizers. 

Then there are the Christians who wear bibs. They are the babies. They have to be force fed. They make messes and expect others to clean up after them. They are the ones who complain over silly things, those who are not mature in their faith. 

Friend, are you wearing a bib or and apron. Oh Ive worn both! I pray to God that I wear an apron more than a bib. 

Illustration:

Nik Wallenda is an American follower of Christ who has become the most-watched high wire artist and daredevil in the world. His two most recent feats were seen by a billion people across the world. In 2012 Wallenda walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls. In 2013 Wallenda became the first person to high-wire walk across the Grand Canyon.

Wallenda knows that he will be tempted by pride, so after the huge crowds and the media fade away he engages in a simple spiritual discipline: he walks where the crowds have just stood and quietly picks up trash. Wallenda recently wrote,

My purpose is simply to help clean up after myself. The huge crowd left a great deal of trash behind, and I feel compelled to pitch in. Besides, after the inordinate amount of attention I sought and received, I need to keep myself grounded. Three hours of cleaning up debris is good for my soul. Humility does not come naturally to me. So if I have to force myself into situations that are humbling, so be it …. I know that I need to get down on my hands and knees like everyone else. I do it because it's a way to keep from tripping. As a follower of Jesus, I see him washing the feet of others. I do it because if I don't serve others I'll be serving nothing but my ego.

Remember, ego is another word for edging God out. 

Quote:

Winston Churchill was once asked, "Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?" "It's quite flattering," replied Sir Winston. "But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big." 

Romans 12:16 ESV

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Go The Jesus Way And Embrace Humility!