A teacher may say to a student who is not doing too well in school, “You need to give studying more priority in your life.” An employer may say to an employee who habitually arrives late to work, “You need to get your priorities straight.” A coach may say to a player who has become lazy and is not playing to his potential, “You need to give more attention to training and practice – your priorities need adjusting.” As we study God’s word it becomes obvious God intends us to have certain priorities in life. The Ten Commandments begin with the command to give Him first priority.
Exodus 20:3-4
3 "You shall have no other gods before Me."
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth."
NASU
Of course God is to be the highest priority in our lives. When He is we also are given many other priorities that are to become extremely important to us. As you read through the rest of the Ten Commandments you will see other priorities both concerning our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. As we read through the Bible there is much to say concerning our priorities both with God and with each other. Jesus had much to say concerning our priorities in life.
We are going to begin this new year of 2011 by focusing on our priorities. We will be giving attention to the priorities we find Jesus giving attention to in Luke 14 through Luke 16. As we continue in our study from the Gospel of Luke and look at this portion of Jesus’ life I am not saying these are the only priorities Jesus taught, or that these are in any particular order of importance. We will be studying the priorities we find in this portion of God’s word which will include (as you can see on your bulletin cover): The Priority of Others; The Priority of Commitment; The Priority of Discipleship; The Priority of Concern; The Priority of Stewardship. Let’s understand first of all that if God is not the FIRST PRIORITY in life, these and many other priorities have any real or lasting consequence.
Recently I have heard, and I have said to many people, “Have a happy new year!” There certainly is nothing wrong in such a statement, but it is based on a wish that good things will come to another during the year. I want to ask you a thought question – Do you think God is more concerned with what comes our way during the year or with how we respond to things that come our way? Do you think God is more concerned with our being happy because we have been recipients of the things we desire in life; or is He more concerned with our being faithful to Him regardless of what comes our way in life? Some might argue that is a false choice because those who are truly faithful to the Lord have an inner joy that is greater than any of the things that come to life. May each of us make His priorities our priorities! I believe that is a very important ingredient to having a truly wonderful 2011 and years thereafter.
This morning as we give attention to Luke 14:1-14 we will see that Jesus expects us to have others on our priority check list. Many people make resolutions for the new year. Perhaps as we go through priority checks this month each of us will make some resolutions – or in more Biblical terminology, we will repent and make His priorities our priorities.
I. GIVE PEOPLE HIGHER PRIORITY
THAN TRADITION
Luke 14:1-6
1 It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely.
2 And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy.
3 And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"
4 But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away.
5 And He said to them, "Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?"
6 And they could make no reply to this.
NASU
Jesus ate with people from many backgrounds. When He ate with the Pharisees it seems their reason for inviting Him was not to be friendly, or hospitable, but to seek to entrap Him for something He might do or say that they could accuse Him of wrong doing. So it appears at this meal. There was a man at the meal who most likely would not be at the home of the high-ranking Pharisee. This man would have been swollen by the accumulation of water in soft tissue. His legs and arms would be very enlarged and painful. The swelling would not be restricted to arms and legs, but to other parts of the body as well. Some of the Pharisees believed this painful condition was the result of immorality. It is quite possible this man was brought to the Pharisee’s home to put Jesus to a test. It was the Sabbath, the day of rest, a holy day. They were adamant that no work should be done on the Sabbath - including healing. They had their priorities misplaced. Their priority was keeping their traditions concerning the Law. Jesus is about to challenge their priorities with the TRUTH.
Jesus did not ask them their opinion, or what their tradition was – Jesus simply asked them, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” They did not answer. It is possible they did not answer because they knew the Law did not forbid such healing. Who actually does the healing anyway, when there is healing? God is the source of healing. Would they want to say it is not lawful for God to heal on the Sabbath if He chose to? Perhaps they remained silent because they were still convinced that their tradition was correct and that any healing on the Sabbath was work and therefore unlawful. They stayed silent to see if Jesus would break the Law according tho their understanding. Jesus certainly was not intimidated by His opposition. He showed loving mercy to the suffering man and healed him of dropsy and sent him on his way.
Then Jesus asked these Pharisees another question. Would they rescue their ox or son [some manuscripts read “donkey”] from a well or would they let them drown because it was the Sabbath. Again they made no reply. Jesus was pointing to their inconsistency. While they would show concern even for a farm animal on the Sabbath, they would have a man remain in his pain because it was the Sabbath. They had a priority problem! We also have a priority problem when our traditions become more important than other people!
II. GIVE OTHERS HIGHER PRIORITY
THAN SELF
As Jesus looked around while people were preparing for the meal He noticed another misplaced priority. This is a misplaced priority many have today and we see it displayed in many ways. It might be summarized with the phrase – “It’s all about me.” There are many people who subscribe to this philosophy – the ME-Priority. Let’s read what takes place at this dinner . . .
Luke 14:7-14
7 And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,
8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,
9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ’Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.
10 "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ’Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.
11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.
13 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
NASU
Jesus saw people working their way to the special seats. Those who sat on the right and left of the host were recognized as people of high importance. Those who were in the next seats were next in importance. Jesus said to them rather than scampering to get the high-ranking seat, take a seat with no honor associated with it. If you insist on taking a seat of honor you could very well be asked to move to another seat. It is much more honorable to be asked to move from the lower seat to a higher seat.
Who deserved the seat of honor at that meal? None of them recognized it was Jesus who deserved the seat of honor. He was not recognized for they refused to believe He was the Messiah, the Son of God. They were more concerned with their own status, and how others would see them. In their midst was the very Son of God, but they were more concerned with their own sense of self-importance. Wrong priority!
Jesus continues to teach that others should be given priority over self! It was, and is today, a common practice to do good things for others who will also do good things in return. It is even that way often at Christmas. Gifts are given IN EXCHANGE. Give and receive. For some that becomes the motive of giving – to receive. Jesus said it is more important to give to others who cannot repay. Show real generosity. Those with this priority do receive in return, but in a very special way – “at the resurrection of the righteous.” In another place Jesus said it is important to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Don’t make the accumulation of things in this world your highest priority. As we serve others we are following the priority Jesus intends for us to have. He will reward us, but that is not to be our motivation.
Philippians 2:3-8
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
NASU
Jesus chose to see our need greater than His comfort. Jesus chose to suffer in our place so we could have forgiveness of our sin. Jesus chose to die for us so we could know everlasting life. Jesus made it His priority to do His Father’s will even when that brought Him suffering and pain. Jesus was able to give us priority over His own life.
What priority are you giving to others?
