Kingdom Life

As of this morning, I’ve broken the text, Luke 14:1-14, down into these thoughts.

Exegetical Theme: A Pharisee invited Jesus to supper. (Was it one of the “some” in 13:31?) Sitting at the table, Jesus taught several important lessons about kingdom living. The first three, which we will cover this Sunday, include unaffected service, genuine humility and sincere kindness.

Bottom Line: Jesus is teaching us how we ought to live, in effect, reversing the curse of Adamic selfishness. He’s not turning the world upside down. He’s turning it right-side-up. This is the way it used to be and will one day be again…and permanently.

I’ve put the text together like this.

           First: The Heart of Unaffected Service. 1-6

Jesus is unaffected by the Jews’ abuse of the Sabbath and heals a hurting man.

           Second: The Heart of Genuine Humility. 7-11

Genuine humility does not think less of oneself but of oneself, less.

           Third: The Heart of Sincere Kindness 12-13

The difference between sincere and insincere kindness is expectation.

IMP: At some point, I’ll connect all three of these characteristics to Adam in the Garden, demonstrate how he failed at each of them, illustrate how we are affected by his sin and then demonstrate how Christ’s perfect service, humility, kindness serve as the model for the world as it ought to and will be.

Friends, Jesus is creating the most wonderful world. This little eco-system that surrounds him in his incarnational ministry is a review of Eden and a preview of the New Jerusalem. Now, we live in the ‘already’ – there are already people who live like this – and the ‘not-yet’ – everyone does not yet live like this (but they will!). The challenge is to believe Jesus, to live like this even though it is counter to the world around us. But the way the world lives now is self-destructive. We witness it every day. Yet Jesus is rebuilding the real world. (He’s not building an alternative world). The challenge for us as Christian disciples and as shepherds of our people is to live this way and to encourage others to live this way. What will it take? Looking to Jesus, not to ourselves, others or the world at large. That can be so discouraging. Instead, “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin [think about the weights and sins of Luke 14:1-14] which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:1-3).  

Thank you for loving Jesus, his church and the world over which he cries, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…” No one’s heart ever broke like the heart of Jesus because no one else has ever seen how beautiful it was, understands how terrible it has become and longs for it to be reconciled to the Father. No one’s heart ever broke like the heart of Jesus because no one else has ever seen how beautiful it was, understands how terrible it has become and longs for it to be reconciled to the Father like our Savior.