Lesson #60

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #60
THE PARABLE OF THE AMBITIOUS GUEST (LUK 14:7-14)

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 18:4

• THE PARABLE OF THE AMBITIOUS GUEST (LUK 14:7-14)
• READ LUK 14:1-14 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• THIS IS THE LAST SABBATH BEFORE JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION. HE WAS INVITED TO EAT AT A PHARISEE’S HOUSE SO THAT THEY COULD WATCH HIM TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIND SOME CHARGE AGAINST HIM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE MAN WITH DROPSY WAS INVITED AS A TRAP TO SEE WHAT JESUS WOULD DO ON THE SABBATH. OF COURSE, JESUS HEALED THE MAN ON THE SABBATH.
• WHY WAS IT SO BAD FOR JESUS TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH?
• THE PHARISEES BELIEVED THAT TO DO ANY KIND OF WORK ON THE SABBATH BROKE THE MOSAIC LAW.
• WHAT WAS JESUS’ ATTITUDE?
• JESUS BELIEVED THAT MAN WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SABBATH, AND MERCY WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KEEPING AN EXTERNAL LAW.
• TO WHOM DOES JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE?
• JESUS IS SPEAKING TO A MIXED GROUP OF LAWYERS, PHARISEES, AND THE DISCIPLES.
• WHAT ACTION PROMPTED THE PARABLE?
• JESUS SAW HOW THE PHARISEES CHOSE THE BEST SEATS. (7)
• WHAT DOES THE CHIEF SEAT REPRESENT? (8)
• THE PHARISEES WANTED TO SIT NEAREST THE HOST. THE PERSON WHO SAT ON THE HOST’S RIGHT WAS THE HONORED GUEST. THE PERSON WHO SAT ON THE HOST’S LEFT WAS THE NEXT HONORED GUEST. THEREFORE THE CLOSER YOU SAT TO THE HOST, THE MORE HONORABLE WAS THEIR POSITION.
• JESUS WAS SITTING ON THE SIDELINES WATCHING THE PEOPLE AS THEY CAME IN.
• HE SAW THE STRUGGLE FOR PRECEDENCE, PROMINENCE, POWER, AND INFLUENCE.
• HE SAW THE EVIL MOTIVE BEHIND PEOPLE’S ACTIONS.
• THE DESIRE OF THE PHARISEES WAS TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS IN THE COMPANY OF SOMEONE IMPORTANT.
• DISCUSSION: IN WHAT WAYS DO WE SEE THIS SAME ATTITUDE TODAY?

• JESUS SAYS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO SOMEONE’S HOUSE, YOU SHOULD TAKE THE LOWEST SEAT, AND THE HOST WILL ELEVATE YOUR STANDING IF HE SO DESIRES. IF YOU TAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT SEAT, IT WOULD BE VERY EMBARRASSING IF SOMEONE OF HIGHER STANDING CAME IN AND YOU TOOK HIS SEAT. THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO MOVE TO A LOWER SEAT. THE ONE OF HIGHEST STANDING IN THE PHARISEE’S HOUSE WAS JESUS, AND HE TOOK THE MOST INSIGNIFICANT SEAT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IMPORTANT TO HIM TO IMPRESS ANYONE.
• AT A FORMAL DINNER PARTY IN OLD ENGLAND, THE PRACTICE WAS TO PUT THE SALT SHAKER AT A CERTAIN POINT ON THE TABLE. IF YOU WERE INVITED TO SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE SALT SHAKER TOWARD THE HOST, YOU WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THOSE WHO WERE TOLD TO SIT BELOW THE SALT. THE LOCATION OF THE SALT SHAKER BECAME THE DIVIDING MARK BETWEEN THE SOCIALLY IMPORANT AND THE SOCIALLY UNIMPORTANT. THEREFORE, WE GET THE SAYING IN ENGLISH, “HE IS NOT WORTH HIS SALT.”

• IN THE PARABLE, WHO DOES THE HOST OF THE WEDDING FEAST REPRESENT?
• THE HOST REPRESENTS GOD, THE FATHER.
• WHO DOES THE MAN INVITED TO THE WEDDING REPRESENT? (8)
• THIS INVITED GUEST REPRESENTS THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST BECAUSE WE ARE ALL INVITED INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO BE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. THOSE WHO AGREE TO ATTEND THE WEDDING ARE WELCOMED.
• WHAT DOES “THE CHIEF SEAT” REPRESENT? (8)
• THE CHIEF SEAT IS THE MOST HONORED POSITION NEARER TO GOD. SOME OF THE DISCIPLES HAD THIS SAME ATTITUDE THAT JESUS OBSERVED AMONG THE PHARISEES.
• READ MAR 10:35-44
• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY VERSES 12 AND 13?

“Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.”