The Irony of Ironies; That Jesus Charged Them That They Should Not Make Him Known - Part 1632

And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God." (Luke 14:15)

As background, Jesus had went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day. In the periphery were those closely watching Him. And behold, a certain man which had the dropsy came before Jesus. Turning to the lawyers and Pharisees, Jesus asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?" We see that these "held their peace" so Jesus healed the man and let him go. (Luke 14:1-4)

Matthew gives a similar account. When Jesus went into their synagogue, there was a man which had a withered hand. And they (being the Pharisees which had already accused Jesus' disciples of plucking the ears of corn and eating them on the sabbath day) asked Jesus" Is it lawful to heal o the sabbath days?" Note that they asked this question so that the Pharisees could accuse Him. Thus, Jesus said unto them, "What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out. How much then is a man better than sheep? Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." Then Jesus said to the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." And when the man did, Jesus restored the man whole. For this, the Pharisees were mad, and held a council against Jesus that they might destroy Him. But when Jesus knew, He withdrew Himself from thence; and great multitudes followed Him and He healed them all, and charged them that they should not make Him known." (Matthew 12:10)

The clue here can be found in Matthew 12:8 -- "For the Son of man is Lord -- even on the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:8)

But I digress. To the point Jesus was making herein, we need to look at the old covenant laws that God gave -- intended to protect the poor: 

"If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hates thee lying under his burden, and would forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him." (Exodus 23:4-5)

The Pharisees should have known their responsibility, and the commandments spoken by the Lord their God (after bringing the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt -- the land of bondage). (Exodus 20:1-24)

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

As we see, these only wanted to rely on selective commandments to make their accusations. But Jesus (who the Pharisees only saw as the "Son of man" and not as retaining His authority as"the Lord of the sabbath") knew their hearts and intent. So, when Jesus turned to the lawyers and Pharisees and asked them, "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?" these experts in the law should have been able to respond. At the very least, these should have shown compassion for those who were less fortunate than they.

However, what do the scriptures state? Again, these could not answer Jesus on these things. In response, Jesus presents a parable to those which were bidden, when He saw how they chose out the chief rooms, saying specifically unto them:

"When thou art bidden of any [man] to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, "Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee; "Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee." For whosoever exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

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. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." (Luke 14:8-14)

In other words, what Jesus was essentially saying is this: "Put not forth thyself in the presence of the King, and stand not in the place of great [men]; for better [it is] that it be said unto thee, "Come up hither" than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the Prince whom thine eyes have seen ... " (Proverbs 25:6-7)

These having claimed to have understood the book of the law of God distinctly, and similarly that this day is holy unto our Lord; "neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:8-12)

Moreover, the learned Pharisees should have understood the basic spiritual principle -- that "whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12) Jesus Himself said of the Shepherd that divides His sheep from the goats -- that when the King invited them to "Come, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," that the seemingly righteous (those on the left) did not feed Him when He was hungry, or clothe Him when He was naked. (Matthew 25:34-40) 

There is much more to be said here, but for now, let this suffice. Continuing in Luke 14, when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God." (Luke 14:15)

Because as we well know, there will always be those in the world (as in the beast spoken of in Revelation, and the kings of the earth and their armies) who will make war against Him that sits upon the white horse, clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: His Name is called the Word of God. (Revelation 19:9-19)

When one of them sat at meat with Jesus and heard Him speak these things -- the one who said to Jesus, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" -- what did Jesus say unto him?  He told of the parable that we today refer to as the parable of the Great Supper. Jesus said:

"A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, "Come; for all things are now ready." And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused." And another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused." And another said, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. 

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 hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." And the servant said, "Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room." And the lord said unto the servant, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." (Luke 14:17-24)

"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, "Tell them which are bidden, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage."

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment, and he saith unto him, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:2-14)

Did this one who desired more understanding come and eat of the bread and drink of the wine which Jesus offered?  (Proverbs 9:2, 5) Admittedly, I have not studied this far, and at this point I cannot provide an answer. But do know this. You do not want to be like the Pharisees, whereby Paul and Barnabas had to say, "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles ... for so hath the Lord commanded us, "I have set thee to be a Light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:46-48) 

And, as did the Gentiles then, we should be glad, and glorify the Word of the Lord -- "and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:49)

As a consequence, "now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ, for the accuser of the brethren is cast down -- which accused them before our God day and night ... [but] they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the W/word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:10-11)

This is why we rejoice that the same Lord of the sabbath, the same dayspring which visited His people, loves us enough to have paid the price for our seat at the greatest wedding feast ever to be had. Don't miss your opportunity to be clothed in His righteousness. And to recognize that Jesus may have been the Son of man while on earth, but now, having been taken up, is the King of kings and Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending.

He is inviting those who are athirst to come -- "and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)

Just like the first 3,000 believers did on the day of Pentecost, believe that this same Jesus whom ye/we have crucified is both Lord and Christ. And as Peter (standing with the eleven) said to them -- "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:36-47)

Stand in the offering plate.