Jesus Dines at the Devil's Dinner Party

Welcome to the teaching ministry of Kungsvinger Lutheran Church. Kungsvinger is a beacon for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone.

And now here's a message from Pastor Chris Roseberg. The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath and Defends Mercy

Chapter 14 verses 1 through 14. One Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold there was a man before him who had dropsy. Jesus responded to the lawyers and the Pharisees saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?

But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, which of you having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?

And they could not reply to these things. Now he told a parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they chose the places of honor saying to them, when you were 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.

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. 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 the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. He said also to the man who had invited him, when you give a dinner or a banquet do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.

But when you give a feast invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. In the name of Jesus.

The Devil's Problem Is Pride and Self-Exaltation

Alright, if you think about family holiday meals they can be awkward. Those meals can either be really pleasant or they can actually be quite painful and oftentimes things go badly during a holiday meal because someone foolishly brought up the subject of either religion or politics.

But what happens when you're God in human flesh? Every meal that you attend is going to steer into the subject of religion. There's no way around it. That's kind of how things go. But what happens when the host of the dinner party is one of the sons of the Now I know that might sound really harsh but bear with me.

Keep in mind John chapter 8 verse 44. Jesus said to those Jews who did not believe in him, you are of your father the devil. Your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.

When he lies he speaks out of his own character for he is a liar and the father of lies. And that's kind of the setup if you would for today's gospel text. Jesus the Son of God is dining at a dinner party hosted by one of the sons of the devil.

Now how many of you remember The Muppet Show? Okay now that's a confession. Me too. Okay now I remember The Muppet Show and I remember one particular episode where they showed Muppets who were well well dressed you know the tuxedos and beautiful dresses and things like that and they were at a banquet and they were dancing and what they did is they kind of like had little vignettes they would zoom in on one couple and they would say something and then they would pull back and they would zoom in on a different couple and I remember in one particular you know in this particular episode that they zoomed in on this couple and and and the male Muppet who was in a tuxedo says there was a fly in my soup and the female Muppet says well what was he doing.

Well he was doing the backstroke right and then they kept on dancing and doing their thing okay and and so the idea here is today's gospel text and we're gonna actually pick up the rest of this this is kind of like that this is the setup his Jesus the Son of God dining at the home of one of the sons of the devil and there's four little kind of pictures of what happens because the collision is spectacular if you pay attention to what's going on but to kind of help us before we dive back into our gospel text we're gonna have to frame this correctly.

Well I'll start by asking what is the devil's chief problem. All right. I mean if you were to meet the devil and you might say what is your problem anyway. Right. What is your problem. Well I'd like to propose that the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 14 actually explains to us the devil's problem and he does.

So we're familiar with this text how you have fallen from heaven O Daystar the son of dawn how you are cut down to the ground you who laid low the nations. All right. There's a picture of the devil there but I want to back up in the context just a little bit because I want to pull out the themes that are going on in our gospel text that appear in the verses immediately before that.

So we're in Isaiah 14 starting at verse 3 and there's a picture here of well prop that Isaiah is prophesying to the children of Israel. This is what's gonna happen. You're going into exile. But when you finally come out you will kind of taunt the king of Babylon and watch what he says verse 3 when Yahweh has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon.

How the oppressor has ceased the insolent fury ceased. The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked the scepter of rulers that struck the people's in wrath with unceasing blows that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution.

The whole earth is at rest and now quiet. They break forth then into singing the cypresses rejoice at you. The cedars of Lebanon saying since you were laid low no woodcutter comes against us. Notice the king of Babylon is now being laid low all right.

Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you. When you come it rouses the shades to greet you with all who were leaders of the earth. It raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. All of them will answer and say to you.

You too have become as weak as we are. You have become like us. Your pomp is brought down to Sheol the sound of your harps. Maggots are laid as a bed beneath you and worms are your covers. I don't ever remember the high study my Sunday school flannel graph teacher kind of showing us a bed of maggots that would have been cool right.

But see you can see this motif of the high and mighty the self-exalted now being brought down and knocked all the way down to the bottom. Right. And that so the picture then continues with a picture of what the devil is like himself.

How you have fallen from heaven O Daystar son of the dawn. How you are cut down to the ground. You who laid low the nations. You said in your heart. I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high.

I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to Sheol to the farthest reaches of the pit.

So what's the devil's problem. He has an eye problem. Right. It's all about him. He is his own deity and he despises God. Now the question then comes up what happens when you are actually one of the sons of the devil.

But you clothe yourself in religion. Or maybe even the law of God. That's not real Christianity. This is something different. So the answer. The answer is you become self-righteous. And you use religion to camouflage your ambition.

You use religion to camouflage your unquenchable hunger for the pleasures and the riches and the prestige that this life has to offer all right. So keep that in mind. But over and again we hear in Scripture that God opposes the proud over and again.

It's not that he tolerates them. He literally opposes them. Listen to what James writes in his epistle chapter 4 starting at verse 1. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you. Is it not this that your passions are at war within.

You think of passions is like you're yearning your desires. And we're talking about sinful passions. You desire and you do not have. So you murder. You covet and you cannot obtain. So you fight and you quarrel.

You do not have because you do not ask. And you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly in order to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God.

Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is of no purpose that the scripture says he yearns jealously over the spirit. He is made to dwell in us.

But he gives us more grace. Therefore it says God opposes the proud. Yeah. He opposes them. But gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you.

And notice the resisting of the devil is in the context of not yielding to your sinful passions. Those demonic passions that we learned from. Well the devil himself draw near to God. He will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands. You sinners purify your hearts. You double-minded be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

And we sit there and go. Yeah. But when it's kind of a long time to wait maybe it's best if I just exalt myself just a little. Right. So now with that all kind of framed up in your mind these are our motifs that we're going to be working with.

Let's return to this devilish dinner party put on by one of the sons of perdition. All. Right. And the Son of God shows up. Here's what it says. One Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees they were watching him carefully.

Why were they watching him carefully. Oh it's real simple. They don't believe Jesus is the Son of God. They're looking for him to say something. They go. Ah ah we knew it all along. You're a fraud. You're not the Son of God.

You're a heretic. Stone him stone him. Right. That's what they're looking for. Right. And behold there was a man before him who had dropsy very serious condition. Dropsy people who have dropsy died dropped dead pretty quick.

It's a fatal heart condition. So Jesus responded to the lawyers and the Pharisees saying here's the question is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not. And then you can hear the Jeopardy music playing in the background.

Right. And they're not answering at all. They remained silent. The reason why they're silent by the way is because they know perfectly well that there are some people who do work on the Sabbath and it has to do with the mercy of God.

Let me give you an example. Numbers chapter 28 verses 9 through 10. Every single Sabbath this is commanded by God. Two male lambs a year old without blemish. Two-tenths of an ephah a fine flour for a grain offering mixed with oil.

And it's drink offering. This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath besides the regular burnt offering and it's drink offering. Every single Sabbath the priests would offer two male lambs a food offering and a grain offering as a burnt offering which means they had to kill these animals prepare this offering and burn it all up.

That requires them to prepare a fire as well. But scripture forbids these things on the Sabbath. But see all of this has to do with God's mercy because offerings point us to the forgiveness of our sins and God's grace and his mercy.

So here are these Pharisees and lawyers. Right Jesus is it is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not. And they know perfectly well that not all work is forbidden. Work that is well related to God's mercy and grace continues to go on day after day.

So they don't answer him. So what does Jesus do. He took the guy healed him sent him away and he said to them which of you having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out.

And they could not reply to these things. So there's kind of picture number one at this dinner party. Right. Jesus is kind of warming up and already things are how did the kids say it nowadays. Awkward.

Right. Absolutely. So there's been yet number one. But the party continues and Jesus is just gonna go from group to group to group and whole boy it gets really cool. So now he told them a parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they chose the places of honor.

So Jesus is at this demonic dinner party and watching these people jockeying for position who's gonna have the best seats who's sitting at the head table who's really gonna be honored. And who's. Well not so much.

Right. And they're all jockeying for position because they're all about me. I want people to think I'm important. I want honor for myself. So Jesus says all right. Hey guys I got an idea. It's like who are you.

Where'd you come from. Right. All right. Listen listen listen. When you're invited by someone to a wedding feast don't sit down in the place of honor. What. What. I have a better idea. Okay you don't do that.

And it well less somebody more distinguished than you it had been invited shows up. And then both the he'll come the head of the banquet will come to both of you and say give your place to this person.

And then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you're invited I know go sit in the lowest place so that when your host he may say to you friend move up higher. Then you'll be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. He who humbles himself will be exalted. Notice that last bit Jesus is talking in future tense. This is future tense relating to what the day when Jesus comes again and glory to judge the living and the dead.

The one who halt exalts himself will be humbled. And there's their problem. True sons of the devil they're all about exalting themselves. And so Jesus at this dinner party like is insulting everybody and saying you know you guys who are exalting yourself why don't you come in and just sit in the lowest place first.

But but it's all about me. That's the problem. Right. So Jesus is now smashing all of their self idolatrous self-centered self-exaltation sinful desires. Right. So we went from awkward to no. He didn't.

Oh yes he did. Right. Oh it gets better. Okay. Snapshot number three. The party continues and already a lot of the guests are offended. So Jesus decides he's gonna really turn up the heat. He goes to the man who had invited him and he says hey I have an idea when you give a dinner or a banquet don't invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.

Well what's the point of having a party. Then if I'm not gonna invite all these people to recognize how great I am. Right. Jesus says this. But when you give a feast invite the poor the crippled the lame the blind.

Now so that you understand just how offensive this is. Let me remind you of a little story in the Gospel of John chapter 9. In the Gospel of John chapter 9 we have the story of the man who was born blind and the question that the disciples asked Jesus who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind.

And Jesus said neither he was born this way so that the glory of God would be demonstrated in his life. Roseboro's paraphrase. Right. So he heals the guy. He heals him by basically sending him to a pool and washing.

And then his eyes can see. Right. And he comes back seeing and everyone's marveling. And of course the Pharisees wait wait wait a second who opened your eyes. How did you. How did you now have good eyesight.

And they interrogate him twice. They interrogate his parents once. And his parents are so freaked out by it. They basically say talk to him. He's old he's of age. He can talk for himself. Right. And in the final part of the exchange the guy actually has the chutzpah to say to the Jews interrogating him.

We know that God does not listen to sinners. But if anyone is a worshipper of God and does as well God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

He's defending Jesus. If this man Jesus were not from God he can do nothing. And here's what the Pharisees said. You were born in utter sin and you would teach us. And they threw him out of the synagogue.

You see what's going on here. Jesus says don't invite your rich friends the pretty people the people who have it all together. No no no no no. When you throw a party you invite those who are cursed the poor the crippled the lame the blind.

In other words all those people who you think are cursed by God because they're poor crippled lame and blind. Oh this is not going to go over. Well all right. He says do this. And you will be blessed.

Because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just Jesus. Here is talking about what's spoken of in Proverbs 1917. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord and he will repay him for his deed.

Oh this party is really warming up. Now Jesus is turned into the proverbial bull in the China shop. And he is taking all of their false religion and just mercilessly smashing it in front of their eyes.

Everything they think they know about God has now been turned over. Who is this Jesus fellow. But the story continues. It's good for us to look at the end of this dinner party. So when one of those who reclined at the table with Jesus heard these things he blurts out.

Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God. It's like he just says this into the kind of like the awkward silence after Jesus said why don't you invite all those cursed people all those sinful people the ones who God hates the crippled the lame the poor the blind.

And it's like you can hear a pin drop in the room. And one goes blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God. All right. But keep in mind Jesus in John 651 says. I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. You see Jesus is the living bread. And this guy's completely clueless to this. And so Jesus figures.

Well let's just keep going now that all the China's sitting in pieces on the floor. Let's just stomp it just a little bit more. And so he said to him. And now he goes into parable story. Oh this is fun.

A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited come for everything is now ready. Now Jesus has taught us how to understand parables.

We need to find Jesus in the story. Who's he referring to here. What's going on. So the man who gave the great banquet this is none other than God the Father. All right. The banquet being referred to here is that eschatological banquet coming at the end of the age.

It is the great wedding feast of the Lamb. That's the banquet that's being referred to here. I'll save the Jesus part for just a minute. But listen to this come. Everything is now ready. This by the way is the call of the gospel.

Everything is prepared. The law has been fulfilled. The devil that narcissistic tyrant has been defeated. The curse is about to be lifted. The darkness is being rolled away. And it's time to party like it's the eighth day of creation.

Yeah that's the day of the new creation. There's nothing to do. All the preparation has been done by God. Come relax. Have a glass of wine. God's picked up the tab. In fact that this party it's an open bar.

Sit and eat the best meal that you've ever had. No expense has been spared. And all of it has been purchased with the blood the Son of God. Right. But they all alike began to make excuses. Who are they who began to make excuses.

Jesus is talking about the men in whose presence he is at the time the Pharisees the Jews who did not believe in him. So the first said to him I've bought a field. Sorry I got to go out and see it. Please have me excused.

Another said well I just bought five yolks of oxen. You know how those oxen are. I got to go examine them. Please have me excused. And another said I just married a wife. Therefore I cannot come. So a field is more important than the one who is hosting the great banquet.

Five yolk of oxen are more important than the one who is hosting the great banquet. Betting your wife. And that's what this guy's referring to. Betting your wife is more important than the one who is hosting the great banquet.

What are these people thinking. Notice where all of their focuses the temporal riches and pleasures and things that happen in this life. Right. You see that's how the devil operates. It's not that these things and these pursuits are more important than the one who is hosting the banquet.

It's that the people pursuing these things think that they are more important than the one hosting the great banquet. They love themselves. They will not deny themselves any earthly pleasure. They hate God and have no desire to do anything with him yet alone feast with him in his kingdom.

You see the setup. Boy this is a great party. This is one that everyone's gonna talk about for like millennia. Right. So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servants go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in the poor the crippled the blind the lame all those who are cursed by God those sinners.

You go invite them to my party. And now we see where Jesus is in the story. Jesus is the servant. Right. And what's he doing. He's bringing in the sinners those cursed by God the blind the lame. Whoa.

Right. So the servant said sir what you've commanded has been done and still there is room. And the master said to the servant go out into the highways and the hedges compel people to come in that my house may be filled.

Highways and the hedges that's where the robbers and the prostitutes hang out compel the people to come in so that my house might be filled. For I tell you none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.

Yeah. This is why Ephesians 5 5 through 14 says you may be sure of this everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who is covetous that is an idolater has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. And God let no one deceive you with empty words.

For because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them. For at one time you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light.

For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord and take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. Instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

But when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says awake a sleeper rise from the dead Christ will shine on. So Jesus is the servant.

They don't want to have anything to do with the invitation because they are self-centered self-exalting little sons of the devil perfectly mimicking their father. But see Jesus isn't like that. Philippians 2 starting at verse 3 says that Jesus though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

But he emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave and being in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on the cross.

And see Jesus is the one who perfectly humbled himself and became your servant and mine. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven on earth and under the earth.

And every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So there's Jesus at a dinner party hosted by one of the sons of the devil and the Son of God cannot help but use the occasion of this demonic banquet to contrast it with the party that God the Father is about to throw.

The contrast is stark. We see Jesus is that servant in the parable who was sent to compel. Now listen carefully to compel you to come to the banquet. He's the one looking for the blind lame the crippled those who are cursed by the law of God those who are sinners to come to the banquet.

And I have the invitation right here. I'd like to read it to you by order of God the Father Almighty. You are cordially invited to the great wedding feast of the Lamb. All is prepared and it's all a gift.

And immediately following the banquet is life without end. In the new earth there will be no more suffering no more funerals no more cancer no more heart disease no more Alzheimer's no more walking by faith and not by sight.

Not only will you see Jesus with your own eyes he himself has promised to wipe away every tear from your eyes. Come. All are welcome. Come. It is all paid for Christ has paid the price by laying down his life for you.

And if you think that I'm not talking to you yes I'm actually talking to you. You have a seat of honor waiting for you at this amazing feast. Put aside your pursuits of your flesh in this dying and passing world.

Christ has died for those pursuits he had to because they are sinful wicked and devilish. This invitation is no cruel joke. This invitation is for you. And it's further in it is the real thing you Cinderella are going to the ball.

And don't worry that your clothes are dirty and soiled with sin. Christ has provided you with the robes of his righteousness. And when you enter the great banquet hall you will sparkle and shine with the brilliance of God's own glory and holiness.

Come. All is prepared. Believe. And you have it all already believe. And you will live with Christ happily ever after in the name of Jesus. If you like.

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