Luke 14:1-14
Jesus at a Pharisee's House
1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" 4But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.
5Then he asked them, "If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?" 6And they had nothing to say.
7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
12Then 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. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Jesus' opposition throughout His three year ministry was the Pharisees...One Sabbath Jesus went to a Pharisees house of a prominent Pharisee...Also in the Pharisee's house was a man with dropsy...Jesus asks the Pharisees and the experts of the law there if it were lawful to heal on the Sabbath?...But the Pharisees remained quiet and did not answer...So taking hold of the man, He healed him and sent him away...Jesus then asks the Pharisees, if their son or his ox fell into a well on the Sabbath, will you immediately pull him or the ox out (of the well)...The Pharisees had nothing to say...
Jesus also noticed that the guests in the Pharisees house, picked the places of honor at the table...He then told the Pharisees and guests a parable...When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished that you may have been also invited...If the host who invited both of you will come and say, "give this man your seat."...Then humiliated you will have to take the seat of least honor...But if you are invited and do take the least important seat, when the host comes and says, "friend, move up to a better place."...When this happens you will be honored among all the other guests, instead of humiliated (as you were in the first case)...For everyone who humbles himself will be exalted...
Jesus then said to the Pharisee host, "when you give a luncheon, or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, and 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."...
God wants us to be good...He wants us to do good...God wants us to be better...
Jesus teaches us that doing good on the Sabbath is a good thing...Helping a friend, someone, or even an animal out on the Sabbath is good...He also teaches us humility...Humility in our lives, should come before recognition and honor...Our pride can put us in a position where we can be humiliated...Jesus also teaches us that charity should come before show... Generosity considers the glory of God and the love of a needy or poor neighbor...When charity is done with the right motivation, God will reward us at the day of the resurrection of the righteous...