He tries to open their eyes to see that the Sabbath is a time for saving life, not seeking to destroy it, for experiencing the love of God, not for practicing hatred.
The lectionary has assigned Proverbs 25:2-10 as the Old Testament reading for the day. This creates a correspondence between the Old Testament and the Gospel. In Proverbs 25, we hear about practices of humility and honor in the presence of a king and in Luke 14, we see Jesus, the true King, at a dinner, reflecting on practices of humility and honor. In a sense, we see Jesus, Wisdom itself, recalling the wisdom of Proverbs.
I wonder, however, what it would be like to read this text with a different proverb in mind. Rather than Proverbs 25:2-10, I would like to read these verses in light of Proverbs 15:17.
Proverbs 15:17 reads, “Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fatted calf where there is hatred.” In that proverb, we are encouraged to see how hatred can destroy even the most wonderful feast and how love can bless even the humblest meal.
When you look at the gospel reading with that text in mind, you begin to see what Jesus is doing more clearly. Jesus is helping God’s people see how their lives are filled with opportunities for showing and sharing in His love.
Luke tells us Jesus was invited to dine at an occasion of some importance. It was the house of a ruler of the Pharisees and it was the Sabbath. Unfortunately, however, this was an occasion when hatred tried to destroy a wonderful feast. Luke tells us, “They were watching Him carefully” (14:1). The Pharisees were turning this meal on the Sabbath into an occasion of entrapment.
Earlier, Jesus had a conflict with the Pharisees and teachers of the law (11:37-54). He contrasted their detailed fulfillment of rules and regulations of their own making with their neglect of the love of God. As Jesus departed from them, Luke tells us the scribes and the Pharisees were “lying in wait for Him, to catch Him in something He might say” (11:54).
It is now another sabbath and another dinner and they are still lying in wait. They are carefully watching Jesus. Although Luke tells us the scribes and the Pharisees are watching Jesus, He wants us to see something else. “Behold,” Luke says, “there was a man before Him who had dropsy” (14:2). Whereas the Pharisees were watching Jesus to entrap Him, Jesus was seeing someone who needed to be freed. Rather than use this dinner as an occasion for hatred, Jesus sought to use it as an occasion for love. Jesus took the man “and healed him and sent him away” (14:4). It would have been wonderful if the man could have stayed. We would have then had a Sabbath meal turned into a celebration of the love of God. But Jesus still had work to do, to change these hearts which were looking for sin into hearts that could see and celebrate God’s love.
But Jesus still had work to do, to change these hearts which were looking for sin into hearts that could see and celebrate God’s love.
The proverb teaches us that it is better to have a meal of vegetables with love than a fatted calf with hatred. But what is best of all is to have a feast with love. That is what Jesus tries to teach the Pharisees in this text. He tries to open their eyes to see that the Sabbath is a time for saving life, not seeking to destroy it, for experiencing the love of God, not for practicing hatred. Jesus will continue to teach this until they kill Him for it and then, when He dies on the cross to forgive all sin, the table will be opened to celebrate God’s unfailing love.
In the closing parable, Jesus offers us just a glimpse of what the Kingdom of Heaven will be like. Jesus prophesies of a feast where “the poor, the crippled, the lame, [and] the blind” (14:13) are present. In His ministry of mercy, Jesus will open the Kingdom of Heaven to everyone who does not deserve it and to anyone who can never repay Him for the gift He gives. God’s Kingdom comes by grace. God surprises us with the power of His love to bless any table.
When Luke’s text is read in light of Proverbs 25:2-10, the question posed for us is, “What seat do you choose at the table?” When Luke’s text is read in light of Proverbs 15:17, the question is, “What do you see at the table?” Jesus encourages us to look carefully, to watch and see. The Lord will surround you with moments for practicing mercy every day.
You are eating dinner with your family. Who do you see at the table? Is that your brother with whom you are still angry because, when your mother got sick, he was not around? Or do you see something different? Do you see an opportunity for love, an occasion to show mercy?
You are standing out on the porch, listening to the sounds of a party inside. Your dad has come out to invite you in. Your brother has come home and your dad wants to celebrate. Who do you see at the table? Your father’s younger son who took his inheritance early and squandered it all, a fool who has now come back to take even more from your dad and make him out to be an even greater fool. Or do you see your brother, a sinner in need of forgiveness, and this meal as an opportunity to show love? God’s love has the power to transform any meal, no matter how tense and conflicted, into a celebration.
You come to the Lord’s table and, as the minister brings you the chalice, you see your reflection in the silver. Who do you see? A proud member of this congregation? An upstanding parent of a model family? Or a sinner in need of forgiveness whose life is transformed by this meal of love?
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Luke Luke 14:1–14.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Luke 14:1–14.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
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