One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 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?” 6 And they could not reply to these things. 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,8 “When you are 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, 9 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. 10 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 table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Have you ever had those moments where things seemed to stand still a bit? Even if it is not lasting, nonetheless, for just a moment…you seem to see things more clearly. The veil is lifted and the glimpse is breathtaking. Circumstances might not have changed at all from yesterday, but circumstances are not the point, they set the context, but they are never the point.
No, there is that moment, when the world slows down and you nod your head and say, “I see it…I get it…this is as it should be, it all makes sense.” Maybe it is when you are in your home, with friends and guests and your children literally, surrounding you. And there is laughter, deep laughter, joy of the kind that makes life so good, and the scene is frozen in your mind.
Maybe this is what the psalmist was experiencing when he said:
“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house. Your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.”
But maybe the most profound moments like this come to us in worship. Those times when faith is full and we know ourselves to be before the face of God.
When I was younger I would hear people talk about heaven as the place where we worship all the time. Truth be told, I didn’t get it. That just didn’t seem like that could possibly be all there is and be so wonderful, worshiping ALL the time?
But I get it now. In the presence of God, in the worship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, everything is right, nothing else matters, nor presses. There are those Sabbath worship experiences, and I only wish they were more frequent, where I understand, and never do I want them to end. The mystical presence of Jesus is so real…it is palatable.
This is the way it is supposed to be, it is when we are the most our true selves, when we are in heaven in the spirit, and we find the sweetness of our Savior…this is what He wants us to know, this is what He has set for us to experience.
I realize I may be digressing a bit, and right at the beginning, but please don’t take these things for granted. Don’t ever take the blessings of our Savior and the life that He gives and that He sweetens, don’t ever take them for granted.
When I read the text, I thought to myself, this IS vintage Jesus. The whole scene at the Pharisees house and on the Sabbath day no less! There is a challenge and Jesus demonstrates his power and compassion on a sick man, all of which shows the truth of Sabbath, what it is really about and the life that it preaches and the joy that it brings. And then the way He rolls into a parable to take those with ears to hear, those with faith, much deeper than what is on the surface of the parable.
We are used to Jesus teaching this way, and we not only love it, we expect it. We expect him to take a somewhat common event, do something great with it, thereby pulling back the veil to give faith a glimpse of glory. This is what Jesus is ALWAYS doing!
Luke’s gospel has more meal-time scenes than all the other gospels. It would be right to say that Luke sees the Christian life from one perspective as pilgrim-disciples, but from another, as a grand and great celebration.
Several times, Luke’s stories end with a festive meal, like for example the story of the Prodigal son that we have in the next chapter. These themes come together in the Last Supper and then finally with His breaking bread with the Emmaus road disciples after His resurrection.
This text begins with one of the rulers of the Pharisees inviting Jesus to eat with him on the Sabbath day. At first glance you might think that this was a kind display of hospitality, but that would not be the case. Luke tells us that, “…they watched Him closely.”
They are not interested in hospitality, they are looking for something with which to accuse Him. They are looking for some slip up, some way to discredit who He is and what He has proclaimed to the people. Some way to set Him against Moses, or against the Temple.
The world, and most sadly even some within the professing church, as that was the case for our Savior, sit and watch and watch you closely…waiting to see if you are what you say you are. Waiting to see if you will do that which brings dishonor to your profession, or even if you will do something that can be twisted by them to dishonor your profession.
It is a sobering reality that there are those who HOPE you fall, who wish for you to come crashing down. And there are those who will never let you forget it, if it does happen. It is sad that it is true, but it does keep us focused upon the Lamb and dependent upon the grace of God.
To be continued…
Prayer: Father, while I am deeply aware of my sinfulness and I am thankful for Your grace that alarmed and continues to alarm me, I am also keenly aware of the forgiveness and mercy that is found only in Jesus Christ. Having been cleansed, I continue to seek cleansing: Having been made holy, I continue to ask You for the power to live in holiness. These are Your gifts and I give you thanks for them, In Jesus name, Amen.
Hymn: There is a Fountain Filled With Blood