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Book: Luke
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Luke 14:11 The Way Up is Down
Intro. Jesus has been invited to eat at a Pharisee's house. This is
the third time Luke tells us of Pharisee's inviting Him to
dinner. It would appear that this is a set up, for they had a
man with dropsy there at dinner, and it was the sabbath day.
We are told that they watched Him to see if He would heal on
the sabbath.
I. Jesus had been observing them. He watched how the invited guests picked
their places to sit.
A. At the Eastern feasts there were always places of honor to be
seated.
1. Often the seating was arranged in what was called the
triclinium. Small tables for three, and the middle or
second place at the table was the place of honor.
2. If you had 15 guests they would be numbered, and the
guests with the numbers 2,5,8,11,14. would be the
honored guests.
3. They had upper and lower rooms, the upper rooms more
honorable.
B. He watched them how they were seeking to be seated in the
places of honor.
C. In the 20th chapter of Luke Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes
which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the
markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief
rooms at feasts."
D. The parable of Jesus was prompted by their vying for the seats
of honor.
1. When you are invited to a wedding feast, He said,
"Don't take a seat in the highest room, for you might
be embarrassed when a guest of greater honor comes, and
the host will ask you to step down.
2. Rather take a seat in the lowest room then if you are
asked to take a higher seat, you will be honored.
3. This then brought forth the principle
II. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased.
A. How opposite this is from the philosophy of the world.
1. The world honors the go getter, the man who will push
ahead, the aggressive.
a. Note the politicians.
b. The T.V. personalities.
2. They look at the humble man as rather wimpish.
B. Surely history is full of illustrations of this principle.
1. Nebuchadnezzer who was perhaps the greatest monarch who
ever lived, who built Babylon to it's zenith of glory.
2. He was warned by God in a dream concerning his pride,
so he sought to be careful, but one day as he was
walking through the hanging gardens which were one of
the wonders of the ancient world, he said, "Is this not
the great Babylon which I have built by the might of my
power and for the glory of my majesty."
3. At that moment God showed him who was boss, and how
expendable he was. For He took his sanity from him for
a period of time, and he began to dwell with the beasts
of the field, and to eat grass like the oxen. The dew
of heaven fell on him at night and his hair grew long,
and his fingernails became as claws.
4. When he regained his sanity he proclaimed,
DNL 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes
unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I
blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth
for ever, whose dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, and his
kingdom [is] from generation to generation:
DNL 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing:
and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and
[among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand,
or say unto him, What doest thou?
DNL 4:36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory
of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me;
and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was
established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto
me.
DNL 4:37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of
heaven, all whose works [are] truth, and his ways judgment: and
those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
5. Later when Daniel was rehearsing these facts to his
grandson he said,
DNL 5:18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a
kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
DNL 5:19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and
languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew;
and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and
whom he would he put down.
DNL 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride,
he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory
from him:
DNL 5:21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made
like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they
fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew
of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the
kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he
will.
DNL 5:22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart,
though thou knewest all this;
DNL 5:23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they
have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and
thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in
them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of
brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know:
and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all
thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
C. Look at how many proud men have been abased.
1. In the political world.
2. In the financial world.
3. In the world. I was telling Kay, no matter how
the jury decides, the world of O.J. Simpson is over, he
will never be able to return to N.B.C. or jump over
suitcases in airports again.
III. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
A. The prophet Samuel said Saul, "When you were little in
your own sight the Lord made you king over Israel.
B. There is a proverb, 18:12, Before destruction the heart of man
is haughty, and before honor is humility.
1. Another well known proverb, "Pride cometh before
destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
2. Basically what Jesus is telling them is that the way up
is down, and the way down is up.
3. Take the lowest place and you will be invited to come
up, but take the highest place and you will be asked to
step down.
C. James said, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He
shall lift you up."
D. Peter said, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand
of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
E. Both Peter and James tell us that God resisteth the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.
1. If you are proud, God is resisting you.
2. Any pride is the exalting of yourself against God.
3. God is the only one to be glorified, and any glory you
take for yourself is taking away from God.
F. In another place we read how that Jesus was observing how they
gave their offerings in the temple.
G. Seek to do your righteous acts so that you do not call
attention to yourselves.
1. Let your light so shine before men, that when they see
your good works, they glorify your Father which is in
heaven.
a. You can shine your light upon yourself, so that
you draw attention to yourself and men glorify
you.
b. Or you can shine your light on Him, so that men
glorify him.
2. So what Jesus is saying is that if you keep shining
your light on yourself, He is going to punch your
lights out.
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