By Dan and Brenda
Cathcart
Moed
Ministries International
The video version
of this teaching is available at:
Scripture reading
for this teaching:
Luke
14:1-15:32
A
good portion of Yeshua’s teaching occurred on the Sabbath while He was a guest
for a Sabbath meal. On one Sabbath, He was invited to the home of a prominent
Pharisee so he and his other guests could examine Yeshua’s teaching. Would
Yeshua heal on the Sabbath, and how would He justify it?
Luke
14:1 KJV 1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief
Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
While
at the dinner, Yeshua, in turn, observes the guests and their competition for
the best seats at the table. His teaching on this Sabbath reflected His
observations. Who would be invited to the banquet table in the kingdom of
heaven and how will the seats be assigned? What is the significance of the
banquet table?
I’m
Brenda Cathcart and this is Shadows of the Messiah.
The
setting of the Sabbath table for Yeshua’s teachings is an important detail. The
Jewish sages have long recognized the Sabbath itself as a shadow of the
Messianic kingdom and the world to come. Rabbi Irving Greenberg in The
Jewish Way states “The Sabbath is the foretaste of the Messianic Way.” He
explains that every time we enter into its rest, we in a sense enter into the
kingdom of Yahweh God. The second century sage Rabbi Akiva in The Letters of
Rabbi Akiva told a parable about the importance of the Sabbath that
concluded with an exchange between Israel and God.
“And
Israel said before God, “Master of the Universe! Show us an example of this Olam
Haba (The world to come).” God replied, This is Shabbat.”
If
we look at this Sabbath meal that Yeshua shared with a chief Pharisee and his
guests as a foretaste of the days of Messiah, we can understand Yeshua’s
observations and parables at a deeper level.
The
first thing we see is that Yeshua invites discussion of the Torah. He may have
been seated near a man who obviously needed healing. The man was most likely
placed in close proximity to Yeshua just to see what He would do. Yeshua began
by posing a question of Torah. The host of the meal, a prominent Pharisee would
surely have an opinion on the topic of healing on the Sabbath.
Luke
14:2-4 NKJV 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3
And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it
lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 4 But they kept silent. And He took him
and healed him, and let him go.
The
Pharisee declined to venture an opinion, so Yeshua was free to act; He
immediately healed the man and explained His position in terms of accepted
practice on the Sabbath.
Luke
14:5-6 NKJV 5 Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a
donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out
on the Sabbath day?" 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these
things.
What
does this tell us about the Kingdom of God and the world to come? The kingdom
of God values the alleviation of suffering. If it is to be a delight as the
Sabbath is a delight, then suffering detracts from delight. John wrote that
when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, there will be no more pain or
sorrow.
Revelation
21:3-4 NKJV 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 "And God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away."
After
healing the man, Yeshua turned His attention to the behavior of the guests.
They were jockeying for position seeking the best seat they could get, trying
to get as close to their host as they could.
Luke
14:7-11 NKJV 7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted
how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 "When you are invited by
anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more
honorable than you be invited by him; 9 "and he who invited you and him
come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to
take the lowest place. 10 "But when you are invited, go and sit down in
the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you,
'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who
sit at the table with you. 11 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Yeshua
is teaching from the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs
25:6-7 NKJV 6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not
stand in the place of the great; 7 For it is better that he say to you,
"Come up here," Than that you should be put lower in the presence of
the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.
This
passage in Proverbs puts Yeshua’s teaching in the context of the kingdom of
God. Don’t exalt yourself before the king, God, and be put in the position of
being put lower in the presence of the prince, Yeshua. Yeshua had once observed
His own disciples disputing among themselves about who would be the greater in
God’s kingdom. He rebuked them and told them if they wanted to be great they
needed to be a servant to others.
Mark
9:33-35 NKJV 33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He
asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"
34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who
would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of
all."
On
another occasion John and James came to Yeshua asking that they would be given
the seats of honor at Yeshua’s right and left hand when Yeshua came into His
kingdom. When the ten heard about their demand, they were predictably upset
with John and James. Yeshua put them all in their places telling them that
lording it over others would not be accepted in His kingdom.
Mark
10:42-45 NKJV 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You
know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 "Yet it shall not be
so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your
servant. 44 "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give His life a ransom for many."
Yeshua,
then, turns His attention to His host of the day, the chief Pharisee, and
instructs him about who he should invite to his dinners.
Luke
14:12 NKJV 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a
dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor
rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
We
can infer that the guests who were focused on getting the best seats were those
counted as friends, relatives and influential neighbors. The host is described
as a “chief” Pharisee. The Greek word translated as “chief” in the New King
James Version of the Bible is translated as “ruler” in the king James Version.
The Greek word is “archon,” #758 in Strong’s Concordance. It means first in
rank or power and, thus, the chief, magistrate, prince or ruler. This Pharisee
had a lot of political power. I can imagine that there was a lot of currying of
favor and influence peddling going on at the dinners he hosted. Yeshua is redirecting
his host to focus on the kingdom of God instead of the world around him. Yeshua
instructs his host to invite those who cannot repay favor for favor.
Luke
14:13-14 NKJV 13 "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed,
the lame, the blind. 14 "And you will be blessed, because they cannot
repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
First
Fruits of Zion in The Chronicles of the Messiah explain the concept of
two tables, one in this world and one in the world to come.
“A
popular rabbinic adage says, ‘Not everyone has the merit of two tables,’
meaning that some who regularly enjoy a full table in this world will not have
the same privilege in the kingdom. Yeshua offered His host some advice on how
he might procure the privilege of enjoying two tables.”[i]
One
the people attending the feast recognized Yeshua’s references to the kingdom of
God.
Luke
14:15 NKJV 15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these
things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom
of God!"
Offering
and eating the “Bread of God” is a priestly right and responsibility. God
instructs Moses that the priests are to be holy because they bring the
offerings and the bread of God!
Leviticus
21:6 NKJV 6 'They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their
God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of
their God; therefore they shall be holy.
Any
man of the lineage of Aaron who has any physical defect cannot bring the offering
by fire nor the bread of God. However, any son of Aaron may eat the bread of
God.
Leviticus
21:21-22 NKJV 21 'No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a
defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has
a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 'He may eat
the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy;
When
God pronounced judgment on the sons of the high priest Eli, He said they would
beg to be allowed to do their priestly duties and have a right to eat the bread
of God.
1
Samuel 2:36 NKJV 36 'And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in
your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of
bread, and say, "Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I
may eat a piece of bread."'
Yeshua
feeding the five thousand from five barley loaves and two small fish is a
picture of eating the bread of God. Each person there had enough to eat and be
satisfied, and there were enough fragments left to fill twelve baskets!
John
6:11-13 NKJV 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He
distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and
likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He
said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that
nothing is lost." 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve
baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by
those who had eaten.
Yeshua
explained that God gave them bread to eat, but that He was true bread of God.
John
6:33-35 NKJV 33 "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and
gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us
this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of
life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall
never thirst.
Paul
warns believers in Yeshua not to treat the bread of God lightly but to examine
themselves before eating the bread that represents Yeshua’s body.
1
Corinthians 11:29-30 NKJV 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner
eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For
this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
Paul
goes on to explain how we are to eat, connecting it with judging ourselves
before eating.
1
Corinthians 11:31-34 NKJV 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be
judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may
not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come
together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat
at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order
when I come.
What
does Paul mean when he equates judging oneself with eating at home and facing
judgment if one comes and eats the bread when hungry? Paul’s words call to mind
Yeshua’s observations about the guests of the chief Pharisee who were concerned
with their position at the table. Could Paul be referring to the way the guests
at the banquet of the chief Pharisee tried to exalt themselves, jockeying for
position? Are these believers hungry for position? Does judging themselves and
eating at home refer to humbling themselves and putting down pride before
eating bread in the kingdom of heaven?
Yeshua
told a parable to those gathered at the table of the chief Pharisee about those
who were invited to a great banquet but were too busy to come. They made excuse
after excuse including taking care of fields, trying out new oxen, and being
newly married as to why they couldn’t be bothered to come. The NKJV Study
Bible explains that this invitation to the feast was not a last minute
invitation.
“In
the ancient world, invitations to a feast were sent out well in advance of the
meal. Then on the day of the feast, servants would announce the start of the
meal.”[ii]
The
man, whose guests couldn’t be bothered to come when the start of the feast was
announced, sent his servants out to invite those who were suffering and
hurting.
Luke
14:21 NKJV 21 "So that servant came and reported these things to his
master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out
quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and
the maimed and the lame and the blind.'
These
guests were from the same city that the banquet was being held. In a Messianic
context, the original guests and those invited from the streets and lanes of
the city could be the Jewish people. After filling the banquet with all those
from the city, the servant noticed that there was plenty of more room for more
guests!
Luke
14:22-23 NKJV 22 "And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you
commanded, and still there is room.' 23 "Then the master said to the
servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that
my house may be filled.
Now,
the servants were sent out into the region beyond the city to invite more guests.
These guests may represent the Gentiles who are also invited into the kingdom
of God!
Yeshua
wraps up this parable saying that the host of the banquet pronounced judgment
on those who refused his invitation.
Luke
14:24 NKJV 24 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall
taste my supper.'"
Even
though the invited guests may, then, come to the banquet after it has been
started and knock to gain admittance, they will not be allowed to taste the
supper. Yeshua told a parable to His followers about those who counted
themselves “friends” of Yeshua who will be surprised to find themselves outside
of the kingdom of heaven.
Luke
13:25-29 NKJV 25 "When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut
the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord,
Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you,
where you are from,' 26 "then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in
Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' 27 "But He will say, 'I
tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers
of iniquity.' 28 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you
see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and
yourselves thrust out. 29 "They will come from the east and the west, from
the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.
Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, along with all the prophets will be there at the great
banquet in the kingdom of heaven but those who aren’t ready when the start of
the banquet is announced will find themselves outside the kingdom of heaven.
The
gospel of Matthew records Yeshua speaking a parable similar to this parable
about the great supper. In Matthew’s account, Yeshua is speaking to the chief
priests and rabbis. The parable is not just about a certain man giving a great
banquet, but about a king giving a wedding banquet for his son.
Matthew
22:2-3 NKJV 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a
marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were
invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
Once
again, the invited guests are not ready or willing to come, so the king sends
his servants out to invite guests to fill the wedding hall.
Matthew
22:10 NKJV 10 "So those servants went out into the highways and gathered
together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was
filled with guests.
Yeshua
invites both the bad and the good into the kingdom of heaven. It is not our own
righteousness that allows us to enter the kingdom; it is our repentance, our
desire to do the will of the Father, and our faith in Yeshua, the one God sent
to bring us in! John wrote that those who are invited to the wedding supper of
the lamb are blessed!
Revelation
19:9 NKJV 9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the
Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Don’t
turn down your invitation to the wedding feast. Mark it on your calendar, and
when you hear the call that the banquet is starting, drop everything and go!
Don’t worry about your position; rejoice that you can sit down in the kingdom
of God and eat with the king at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I
can’t wait to see who’s coming to dinner!
Study Questions:
1. Part
of the “foretaste of the days of Messiah” included in Sabbath observance is
that it is to be a delight. (Is58:13). The Feast of Sukkot is also considered a
foretaste of the Messianic kingdom. In what ways is it also to be a delight?
2. After
feeding the five thousand, Yeshua told the disciples to collect the bread that
was leftover “so that nothing is lost.” What could this mean in a messianic
context?
3. Paul
said in 1 Corinthians 11:27 that those who eat the bread and drink the cup
unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of Yeshua. The word “unworthily” is
#371, anaxios meaning irreverently or unworthily. It is from a noun. #370,
meaning “unfit.” In what way does this compare to the priest eating the bread
of God in Leviticus 21:6? Paul goes on to say that those who eat the bread
unworthily have not discerned the LORD’s body. How can discerning the LORD’s
body refer to both eating reverently and treating others with respect?
4. Read
Luke 20:46-47. How are these scribes jockeying for position?
5. The
wedding parable in Matthew 22 says that a man was found at the feast without a
wedding garment in verses 11-13. Read Jude 4-15. Compare the man without a
wedding garment with the men Jude describe?
©
2018 Moed Ministries International, All rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment
You must include your name, city and state at the end of your comment. I do not accept comments from any one who identifies themselves as anonymous. All comments are moderated prior to appearing on this blog.