Luke 14:1-24 Again, at a special banquet set to trap Jesus, he uses the opportunity to challenge his opponents. The question arises in my mind: does doing good merit evil responses? How do we as Christians respond to such deceptive and manipulative attacks on our faith when we encounter them?
Introduction
Mealtime is the best time for sharing, and for building each other up. It is also a time when families can share with each other building strong bonds. It ought to be a place of honesty, commitment, love and understanding. We guarded our mealtimes with our children as they grew up.
Dr. Luke Johnson points out, in his commentary on Luke, another purpose for meals within both Hellenistic and Jewish society in the times of Jesus: such gatherings were called a symposium, or a gathering of academics, leaders, philosophers to discuss important ideas. Again, we see the Pharisees inviting Jesus to such a gathering around a meal on the sabbath – and each time this has happened, Jesus heals someone to the dismay of the hosts. From Luke chapter 6, we see the Pharisees and lawyers plotting to discredit Jesus, indeed,: “they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.” Luke 6:11
The question arises in my mind: does doing good merit evil responses? What does that mean for us as Christians when we share Jesus with this world?
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Obviously Jesus knows the intentions of the Pharisees when the chief Pharisee invites him, so why does he go? He obviously is not afraid of their power, authority, anger or threats. He is confident and sure of himself. Is he looking for confrontation or to win a fight and thereby gain even more followers? No, but his objective is to fulfill his purpose as in Luke 4:18: ““THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,” This is his great Love for all people, not just to bring deliverance to those who are literally blind, but also to those who are so caught up in themselves that they are deceived about who God is and His purposes in life. It is for love that Jesus goes onto these events to expose sin and God’s forgiveness and deliverance for all who will repent. As Luke’s mentor, Paul stated in 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
Occasion is the sabbath, a time of deliverance. Sabbath is to be a time of rest and in the 7th year a time of liberation and deliverance as well! But the rabbinic testimony claims nothing resembling healing to be done on the sabbath! So the silence of the leaders is interesting, possibly leading to increased anger against him not abiding by their rules and showing them up as hypocrites.
This healing is a test for Jesus who heals the swelling anyway, and sends the man away with a rebuke to the lawyers who need to know God’s love as much as the Pharisees do. The result is he is left with the leaders and he addresses them with parables.
What does that mean for us today?