Luke 14:12-14 Then said he also to him that bade him, When you make a dinner or a supper, call not your friends, nor your brothers… Much Of the impressiveness of our Lord as a preacher arose from the miracles He performed in confirmation of the divinity of His mission, and the truth of His doctrine; much also from His adapting Himself to the state and conditions of His hearers; and much also from His deriving His instructions and encouragements from present objects and occurrences, for this always gives a freshness to our discourse, and a superiority to the artificialness of study. He sees a sower going forth to sow, and for the instruction of the people is led to deliver a parable on the good seed of the kingdom. I. THE OCCASION OF THE ADDRESS. "Then said He also to him that bade Him." Concerning this invitation let us make four inquiries. 1. Who was it that bade Him? It was one of the chief Pharisees, a man of some substance and respectability, probably a ruler of the synagogue, or one of the Sanhedrim. We never read of any of the Sadducees inviting our Lord, nor do we ever read of the Herodians inviting Him. Though the Pharisees were the bitterest enemies of Christ, they had frequent interviews with Him. 2. For what was He bidden? Some suppose that this was a common meal, but the narrative requires us to view it as an entertainment, or some kind of festivity. 3. When was He bidden? We are told that it was on the Sabbath day. 4. Why was He bidden? He was invited by Martha from a principle of duty and benevolence, and she and Mary hoped to derive some spiritual advantage from Him. I wish I could think that this Pharisee invited our Lord under the influence of similar motives. But from whatever motive they were impelled tie went not to eat and drink only. No, He went about His Father's business, this He constantly kept in view. He knew what His work required. He knew that the Good Shepherd must seek after the lost sheep until He find it. My brethren, you must here learn to distinguish between Him and yourselves. He had nothing inflammable in Him. The enemy came and found nothing in Him. But you have much remaining depravity, and are in danger from external circumstances; you therefore, must watch and pray lest you enter into temptation; you are safe when in the path of duty, there God has engaged to keep you. Let us learn from the Saviour's conduct to exercise good behaviour, that others may not have occasion to speak evil of us on account of our religion. Consider — II. WHAT OUR SAVIOUR FORBIDS. He said, "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." This "supper or dinner" supposes something costly, for you observe that in the following verse it is called "a feast." Observe, it is not absolutely wrong to invite our friends, or our brethren, or our rich kinsmen, or our rich neighbours; but our Saviour looks at the motive here, "lest a recompense be made thee"; as much as to say, there is no friendship or charity in all this. And the apostle says, "Let all things be done with charity." You are to show more hospitality than vanity, and more charity than ostentation, and to be more concerned for those who want your relief. This brings us to consider — III. WHAT HE ENJOINS. "But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind." Here we see what a variety of evils and miseries are incident to the human race. Here are "the poor," without the necessaries of life; "the maimed," whose hands are unable to perform their office; "the halt," who are indebted to a crutch to enable them to walk at all; "the blind." Here we learn, also, the proper objects of your compassion, and the fittest subjects of your charity. It is not necessary that you should always have "the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind" at your table. You may fulfil the Saviour's design without this, and do as Nehemiah did, "send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared." IV. WHAT OUR SAVIOUR INSURES. "And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." 1. The blessedness: "Thou shalt be blessed." Blessed even in the act itself. Oh, the pleasures of benevolence! How blessed is it even in the review! for this blessedness can be continued and improved on reflection. How superior in the performance to sordid entertainments! "Thou shalt be blessed" — blessed by the receiver. Think of Job. He says, "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me. Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy." What do we see yonder when we enter Joppa with Peter? "When he was come they brought him into an upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them." "And thou shalt be blessed" — blessed by the observers. Who does not observe? And who observes and does not bless on such occasions? Few, perhaps none of us, knew personally a Reynolds, a Thornton, or a Howard, of whom we have read; but in reading their history, when we come to their names we cannot help blessing them, and thus the words of the Scripture are fulfilled, "The memory of the just is blessed." "And thou shalt be blessed." Above all, blessed by God Himself, upon whom everything depends, "whose favour is life, and whose loving-kindness is better than life." He blesses personally and relatively. He grants you spiritual and temporal blessings. David says, "Let them curse, but bless Thou." 2. The certainty of this blessedness — "For they cannot recompense thee." This seems a strange reason, and would tend to check rather than encourage a worldly man. The foundation of this reason is this, that charity must be recompensed. If the poor cannot do this themselves, some one else must undertake it for them, and therefore God Himself must become answerable; and it is much better to have God to recompense us than to rely upon a poor dying creature. Paul therefore, says, to those who had made a collection to relieve him, and had sent it by the hands of Epaphroditus, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." If, therefore, the thought ever occurs to your mind, "I know not those persons who have relieved me; I shall never be able to repay them," so much the better, for then God must, and if there be any truth in His word, if there be any love in His heart, He will. 3. The time of this bestowment — "For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Not that this will be done then exclusively, for, as we have already shown, there are advantages attending charity now. But it will be principally then, publicly then. The apostle says to the Corinthians, "Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart; and then shall every man have praise of God." Then will it be done perfectly. It is not wrong to look for advantage in religion. But you should be upon your guard not to entertain a notion of meritoriousness in any of your doings. No, the reward is of grace, not of debt. (W. Jay.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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 recompence be made thee. |
    |