WEBVTT 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:04.559 Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:06.440 Father and our word and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:10.859 Would you pray with me, please? Lord God, we 00:00:10.859 --> 00:00:12.699 thank you that you build faith in our hearts 00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:14.359 through the power of your word and the working 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:17.679 of your Holy Spirit. As we consider the word 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:19.480 you bring to us this day through your servant 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:22.359 Luke, we pray that you would open our minds to 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:24.660 understand and transform our spirits and our 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:28.160 hearts to believe. Let your spirit guide us in 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.829 living in the way you have chosen for us. so 00:00:30.829 --> 00:00:33.950 that we might serve you and serve others humbly 00:00:33.950 --> 00:00:44.609 and joyfully. Amen. Up is down and down is up 00:00:44.609 --> 00:00:48.329 in the kingdom of God. Or so it seems to those 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:54.289 of us who are living here in this world. But 00:00:54.289 --> 00:00:57.950 for God's perspective, The way things are in 00:00:57.950 --> 00:01:02.590 his kingdom are the way things ought to be. The 00:01:02.590 --> 00:01:05.329 kingdom is all about turning things right side 00:01:05.329 --> 00:01:11.109 up. But sometimes right side up looks upside 00:01:11.109 --> 00:01:15.670 down to those of us living in this sinful world. 00:01:17.170 --> 00:01:19.370 In our gospel text for this morning, Jesus made 00:01:19.370 --> 00:01:24.969 one of his many paradoxical statements, a statement 00:01:24.969 --> 00:01:29.719 that initially looks upside down from our perspective, 00:01:29.819 --> 00:01:33.680 but is very much right side up from a kingdom 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:38.819 point of view. Jesus said, for everyone who exalts 00:01:38.819 --> 00:01:42.379 himself will be humbled and he who humbled himself 00:01:42.379 --> 00:01:49.659 will be exalted. This is so typical of Jesus. 00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:55.340 If you remember, he said in last Sunday's Gospel 00:01:55.340 --> 00:01:59.599 text, There are those who are last who will be 00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:06.859 first and first who will be last Later on in 00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:10.879 the book of Luke We will hear Jesus say the very 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.259 same thing that we heard him say in today's gospel 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:16.919 text And this is something we find to be true 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:21.300 in many places in the Bible for instance Mary 00:02:21.300 --> 00:02:25.340 said of God He has scattered those who are proud 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:28.280 in their inmost thoughts He has brought down 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:32.759 rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:37.680 humble. Both James and Peter in their epistles 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:41.219 quote the very same verse from the book of Proverbs 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:44.620 when they write God opposes the proud but gives 00:02:44.620 --> 00:02:50.180 grace to the humble. This theme runs throughout 00:02:50.180 --> 00:02:54.860 the entire Bible and theologians call this the 00:02:54.860 --> 00:02:59.400 great reversal. The idea that in the end God 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:02.219 is going to turn everything around from the way 00:03:02.219 --> 00:03:07.060 it is right now. He will set things right side 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:12.580 up from his perspective. And he is already at 00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:18.500 work doing exactly that. You and I, in our human 00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:25.599 nature, are sinners. And in our faulty human 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:31.289 wisdom, We hope that we can be good enough, that 00:03:31.289 --> 00:03:36.289 we can be moral enough to earn God's favor. We 00:03:36.289 --> 00:03:39.629 go through life living in a way that seems right 00:03:39.629 --> 00:03:44.409 to us, but the Bible tells us that is the way 00:03:44.409 --> 00:03:49.750 of death. Faithfully living under God's precepts 00:03:49.750 --> 00:03:53.250 does not come easily or naturally to mankind. 00:03:54.150 --> 00:03:59.189 No one is able to do it without God's power at 00:03:59.189 --> 00:04:02.389 work in them and the Holy Spirit's guiding us 00:04:02.389 --> 00:04:08.009 in humble obedience. And who better to demonstrate 00:04:08.009 --> 00:04:10.830 this for us than the one whom God sent into this 00:04:10.830 --> 00:04:16.329 world in a humbling way. Jesus came into this 00:04:16.329 --> 00:04:21.250 world through a virgin's womb. Maybe the greatest 00:04:21.250 --> 00:04:29.920 paradox, God... as man. Born in a stable, surrounded 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:35.399 by noisy, smelly animals, born into a lowly carpenter's 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:40.379 home, having to flee to Egypt to escape the hateful 00:04:40.379 --> 00:04:43.879 infanticide inflicted by Herod and not able to 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:47.720 return to live in Galilee until after Herod's 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:54.740 death. This humbling was done for us. for our 00:04:54.740 --> 00:04:59.839 salvation. Jesus gave up the glory of heaven 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:06.079 and took on human flesh. If he did not take this 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:09.259 low place he would never experience hunger or 00:05:09.259 --> 00:05:14.399 thirst. He would not be a man of sorrows. He 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:17.879 would not be one who had no place to lay his 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:25.540 head. If he did not lower himself. He could not 00:05:25.540 --> 00:05:29.459 be under God's law. He could not fulfill all 00:05:29.459 --> 00:05:34.959 of God's law for us perfectly in order that we 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.259 would not suffer the punishment that our breaking 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:45.079 God's law deserves. And who could whip, beat, 00:05:45.180 --> 00:05:49.300 and crucify God if God did not first humble himself 00:05:49.300 --> 00:05:56.560 and allow them to do so. So who better to teach 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:01.639 a lesson in humility? In our gospel reading Jesus 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:04.220 had been invited to a dinner party at the home 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:07.339 of a prominent Pharisee and the text tells us 00:06:07.339 --> 00:06:11.879 that their intent was to watch him very closely. 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:15.660 Most likely to embarrass or to humiliate him 00:06:15.660 --> 00:06:20.060 or even better to find a reason to get rid of 00:06:20.060 --> 00:06:23.959 him. And present at this gathering was a man 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:26.720 with dropsy, a disease which causes the body 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:33.860 to swell with fluid. Disfigured, ceremonially 00:06:33.860 --> 00:06:38.860 unclean, certainly not an appetizing sight or 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:43.519 presence. And the host seated Jesus across from 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:47.980 this man at what would be the lowest place at 00:06:47.980 --> 00:06:53.399 the table. This was certainly a humiliating snub 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.839 to a teacher who'd become well -known by this 00:06:56.839 --> 00:07:01.439 time. In the Pharisee not only placed Jesus at 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:05.959 this most disgusting seat to humiliate him, but 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:11.480 he also placed a challenge before him. Then he 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:16.560 and all of his guests watched Jesus waiting for 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.759 him to rise up in outrage and demand to be moved. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:26.519 But Jesus turned this challenge upside down. 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:30.180 He asked the guests gathered at the table, is 00:07:30.180 --> 00:07:34.860 it lawful to heal in the Sabbath? And no one 00:07:34.860 --> 00:07:37.800 could answer that question. So Jesus answered 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:44.060 it by healing the man with dropsy. From that 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:47.740 humiliating place at which Jesus had been seated, 00:07:49.060 --> 00:07:55.699 he used his power to heal the disease that was 00:07:55.699 --> 00:08:01.139 humiliating and ravaging this man. But this physical 00:08:01.139 --> 00:08:04.060 healing was only an outward sign of what Jesus 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:09.300 had really come to do. God would use the blood, 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:14.959 sweat, tears, pain and death of his son to heal 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:20.079 and redeem the spiritually sick, the sinfully 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:25.920 disfigured. the morally humiliated. These are 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:29.399 the ones that Jesus came humbly into this world 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:36.500 to heal, to rescue, and to save. Jesus proceeded 00:08:36.500 --> 00:08:39.679 to challenge the men sitting around the table 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:46.659 to adjust their thinking some more by comparing 00:08:46.659 --> 00:08:53.110 his act of healing with another situation. but 00:08:53.110 --> 00:08:57.809 another situation that presented the very same 00:08:57.809 --> 00:09:01.730 ethical issue. If one of you has a son or an 00:09:01.730 --> 00:09:03.929 ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, 00:09:04.210 --> 00:09:09.070 will you not immediately pull him out? The essential 00:09:09.070 --> 00:09:12.250 question that Jesus was asking is, is it lawful 00:09:12.250 --> 00:09:17.350 to show mercy? To help? To rescue on the Sabbath? 00:09:19.549 --> 00:09:23.360 Again, they did not answer. They could not answer 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:26.840 because their answer would demonstrate how their 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:30.840 man -made idea of keeping God's law had turned 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:33.860 the intent of God's commandment with regarding 00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:41.659 the Sabbath upside down. Then, having witnessed 00:09:41.659 --> 00:09:44.120 all the guests arriving and eagerly choosing 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.759 the places of honor at the dinner table, Jesus 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:52.100 began to teach by means of a parable. He spoke 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:55.620 about a wedding feast and the choosing of seats 00:09:55.620 --> 00:10:00.659 there. He did not tell them that he was referring 00:10:00.659 --> 00:10:05.159 to their own actions earlier in the day. He simply 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:09.220 taught them about true humility and how it might 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:15.080 lead to true honor. Choosing seats stood for 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:19.019 something else in this parable. The parable was 00:10:19.019 --> 00:10:24.720 not intended to instruct men on how to choose 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:29.259 seeks at a banquet in hopes of their own glorification, 00:10:30.659 --> 00:10:37.740 but rather about who and how God chooses to raise 00:10:37.740 --> 00:10:42.519 up and glorify. How God does things radically 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.960 different in his kingdom than men do in their 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:50.830 world. Jesus was turning their finite understanding 00:10:50.830 --> 00:10:56.669 of these things on its head. In this passage, 00:10:57.049 --> 00:11:02.090 Jesus clearly demonstrated the difference between 00:11:02.090 --> 00:11:08.250 being humble and being humbled. He was teaching 00:11:08.250 --> 00:11:15.129 how to live in God's right side up way of living 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:20.519 by faith. And there was one man at this dinner 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:27.600 party who got it. One man who understood that 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:34.259 Jesus was not talking about how to give or to 00:11:34.259 --> 00:11:39.600 attend a banquet. We know that because the verse 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:44.539 immediately following our text today says, When 00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:46.320 one of these at the table with him heard this 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:49.240 he said to Jesus blessed is the man who will 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:53.059 eat at the feast in the kingdom of God Apparently 00:11:53.059 --> 00:11:58.519 this person had been watching Jesus very carefully 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:03.700 How about you The lesson for us in Jesus teaching 00:12:03.700 --> 00:12:07.080 today is that humility will lead more surely 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:13.320 to honor and glory than will pride Self -importance 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:18.700 most often results in humiliation. We who are 00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:21.879 citizens of the Kingdom of God are not to seek 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:25.179 honor and position for ourselves. We are not 00:12:25.179 --> 00:12:30.340 to presume that we are better than others. Rather, 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:34.820 we are to understand that we are sinners, confessing 00:12:34.820 --> 00:12:38.360 to God and seeking His forgiveness and salvation 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:43.240 and guidance for living. the life of faith and 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:47.799 to that end the Lord invites us to come to the 00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:51.059 feast which is set before us today to his holy 00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:54.759 supper and the places of honor at this table 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:59.399 do not belong to those who choose them but to 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:04.840 those who have been chosen by God each one of 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:12.830 us deserves to be outside We are nothing and 00:13:12.830 --> 00:13:17.789 we deserve nothing from God We are not here on 00:13:17.789 --> 00:13:21.629 account of our worth our wealth our status our 00:13:21.629 --> 00:13:27.450 skills our intelligence or our cunning We are 00:13:27.450 --> 00:13:33.789 who we are and Where we are by the grace of God 00:13:33.789 --> 00:13:38.039 Our Lord Jesus is at the head of this table And 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:43.659 we are here by His grace alone. So let us come 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:46.360 to this table today, delighted that we have been 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:49.960 invited and prepared, rejoicing in His goodness 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:54.600 and grace and mercy. And let us not look for 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:59.759 a place of honor or position. Rather, let us 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:03.720 take the lowliest place and consider others to 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:08.759 be more important than ourselves. Let us be humble. 00:14:10.059 --> 00:14:14.440 Then we can await together the ultimate invitation 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:17.840 of the Lord to come up higher to that great and 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:24.860 glorious wedding feast in heaven. God is at work 00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:28.840 turning things right side up by bringing fallen 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:33.539 broken lost sinners like you and me to faith. 00:14:35.210 --> 00:14:40.210 Christian faith truly is a divine work. It has 00:14:40.210 --> 00:14:45.009 to be because everything about faith is contrary 00:14:45.009 --> 00:14:50.070 to human nature. It is unnatural to us and it 00:14:50.070 --> 00:14:54.309 goes against our natural proclivities. It is 00:14:54.309 --> 00:14:59.450 upside down to us. God works faith in us by the 00:14:59.450 --> 00:15:03.129 power of His Word and His Holy Spirit. God opens 00:15:03.129 --> 00:15:05.850 our minds to understand and He transforms our 00:15:05.850 --> 00:15:11.029 hearts and our spirits to believe. God also guides 00:15:11.029 --> 00:15:14.350 us every step of the way in order for us to do 00:15:14.350 --> 00:15:18.789 what is right and good and to remain faithful. 00:15:20.769 --> 00:15:26.809 So let us come before God in humility. This humility 00:15:26.809 --> 00:15:29.710 is to be found only by living outside of our 00:15:29.710 --> 00:15:35.830 worldly selves and living in Christ Jesus. Only 00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:39.529 in Christ Jesus are we freed to set aside the 00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:45.309 upside down world's ways and thinking. Only in 00:15:45.309 --> 00:15:49.769 Christ are we free to show love to others, to 00:15:49.769 --> 00:15:54.470 do good to them, to be the source of joy and 00:15:54.470 --> 00:15:57.330 happiness in their lives without any concern 00:15:57.330 --> 00:16:00.370 for their worthiness or what we may receive. 00:16:00.669 --> 00:16:09.110 return. As God's people let us live humbly toward 00:16:09.110 --> 00:16:15.090 one another and walk humbly before our God to 00:16:15.090 --> 00:16:20.529 take the lower position and to let God exalt 00:16:20.529 --> 00:16:27.789 us. This is the way of greatness and honor in 00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:32.500 God's right side up. Kingdom. This is what the 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:37.279 apostle Paul encourages in his letter to the 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:41.259 Ephesians. As a prisoner for the Lord then, I 00:16:41.259 --> 00:16:43.720 urge you to live a life worthy of the calling 00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:48.100 you have received. Be completely humble and gentle. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.919 Be patient, bearing with one another in love. 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:58.419 The kingdom of God is all about turning things 00:16:58.419 --> 00:17:03.500 right side up. It is all about the great reversal. 00:17:05.619 --> 00:17:08.980 Jesus came to become sin for us so that we might 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:16.839 become righteousness in Him. Our sinful, haughty, 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:21.440 arrogant hearts are changed and renewed so that 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.680 we might joyfully take the lowest position and 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:30.960 be a servant to others. On that last day, death 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:37.980 will be life. The judge will be our savior. The 00:17:37.980 --> 00:17:42.140 humility that we know now will become exaltation 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:46.839 in heaven. The poverty we experience here will 00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:53.220 become riches. And there will be no last or lower 00:17:53.220 --> 00:17:58.660 seats at the table. Only the seats of the highest 00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:03.059 honor for those who are forgiven and redeemed 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:07.480 by our Lord Jesus Christ. That's how things are 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:10.839 in the Kingdom of God. Right side up from His 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:15.220 perspective. Just right. The way things ought 00:18:15.220 --> 00:18:21.000 to be. How good and gracious our God is that 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:26.230 He invites us in. Amen. Now may the peace of 00:18:26.230 --> 00:18:28.410 God which passes all understanding keep your 00:18:28.410 --> 00:18:31.109 hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus 00:18:31.109 --> 00:18:31.630 our Lord.