St. Luke 14:1-14
Divine Service
Pentecost 14 (Proper 17)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus often taught using parables. In fact, both Matthew and Mark tell us in their Gospels that Jesus “did not speak to [the people] without a parable” (Matthew 13:34; Mark 4:34). Once, Matthew writes, “the disciples came and said to him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’  [Jesus] answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. (Matthew 13:10-16)

So Jesus not only expected, but in some cases intended, that the Pharisees and all the people that opposed him and his message would not understand what he meant when he used a parable. Certain things that he had to say were only for the ears and hearts of believers – they would have been wasted on his enemies. But this time, at this prominent Pharisee’s Sabbath dinner, Jesus spoke in parables that even the most self-righteous and hostile Pharisee would understand. There may not have been any believers in the house that day, but anyone there who heard would have understood.

Which means that I probably don’t have to work very hard to explain the meaning of the two parables Jesus spoke in our Gospel today. Even with 2000 years and a different cultural context you can likely relate to how certain people have too high an opinion of themselves, and you can imagine the intense embarrassment someone would feel to be escorted, before everyone else’s eyes, from the place of greatest honor down to the place of least honor. And you yourself probably know people who go out of their way to do nice things for people who can do something for them. Just think of the number of guest lists for weddings that have been determined by the size of the gifts the people invited might bring.

And since the meaning of what Jesus had to say at this Sabbath dinner was quite clear and vividly illustrated, the point Jesus was making was also clear. Jesus was not really that concerned about telling dinner guests where to sit or hosts whom to invite. What he really wanted to get through everyone’s heads – and hearts – was that the way they believed, thought, and acted was not God’s way. It wasn’t – and still isn’t – the way truly righteous people behave, because believers are not concerned with self-promotion and self-glorification. Christ’s way is clearly different, and Jesus wanted these Pharisees – and really, everyone– to look to God’s grace instead of looking to their own interests.

Now, to many people, “grace” isn’t much more than just a word. They’re aware that it has some kind of religious meaning, but they’re not exactly sure what. They just know that Christians think grace is amazing – from the song. The better informed in our society will recognize that grace has something to do with salvation – with how or why people get to heaven – but that’s often about the extent of the knowledge of grace.

So: what is grace? Grace is God’s undeserved love for undeserving sinners. Now if I assume that every one of us here today knows that, and if we all confess clearly that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone – and that a gift – well, even for us there might be some trouble making the connection: what does grace have to do with how we think and live?

That’s a good question. Jesus probably would have been happy if one of the Pharisees had asked him that. They didn’t, but he showed them anyway – he showed them the connection between the love of God and Christian humility.

You see, a believer in Christ has a completely different idea of self-worth. Most of the world finds self-worth in what one does or has done – doctor, parent, athlete, president, hero, etc.; what one is – race, class, height, beauty, brains, etc.; or they find their worth in how one is honored by other people – salary, rank, privilege, awards, influence, etc. But the Christian knows God’s law, and realizes that what he has done and keeps on doing is sin – he breaks every one of his Creator’s commands in one way or another, and keeps on doing it, because his sinful nature always wants to go the opposite way from what God wants. And the believer knows that what they are is a sinner just like every other human being on the planet — they understand that they are desperately in need of forgiveness and absolutely unable to save themself. And anyone who follows the way of grace understands that we do not deserve any honor from God, because our sin and rebellion merit us only death and hell.

Understanding and accepting these things does a pretty good job of humbling a person – it’s hard to think too highly of yourself when you know you’re scum – but that’s really not what makes it possible for a believer to think and act the way Jesus encourages us to do here. What makes the difference is God’s grace – we realize that despite our natural unworthiness, God still loves us. In fact, we mean so much to him that he sacrificed His own Son, sending Him to suffer and die on the cross to take away each and every one of our sins for each and every one of us – personally. If we matter that much to God – and we do – then human ideas of status and honor fade into insignificance. I mean, who cares about the best seat at a wedding reception when you’re already a guest of honor at Christ’s never-ending and glorious feast in heaven?

Grace also teaches believers, who have been given Christ’s perfection, to put others first, the same way Jesus did. We are not only recipients of God’s love by faith, we are also its distributors, and so we love our neighbors without regard for who or what they are or aren’t. You see now how radical a change God’s grace makes in the way a believer thinks and behaves. This is not at all the way the world does things.

Some 25 years or so ago, Mac Davis had a tongue-in-cheek song on the charts whose refrain began, “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” Actually, for the Christian, it’s completely the opposite: it’s easy to be humble, because we’re perfect in every way. If we tried being as humble as Jesus calls for here in our own strength, we’d be easily tripped up – wouldn’t last very long. But not only have we been forgiven our sins – we’ve also been given Christ’s perfection, and no one has ever been more humble than the Son of God made flesh. Perfection does not mean pride, it means humility.

I have noticed over the years that the various groups in the High Schools will occasionally sponsor a ‘free car wash’ and I have noticed that these free car washes aren’t really free. The whole idea is that they’ll wash your car and you’ll feel so appreciative (or simply obligated) that you’ll make a donation to whatever cause they’re promoting – perhaps even paying more than you would have paid for a professional car wash.

Now, I’m not finding fault with the cheerleaders or soccer team or whatever group is doing the fundraising, it’s a good illustration of what Jesus was speaking against in his second parable here – doing something good for someone with the expectation of getting something in return. The way of grace is different – Jesus encourages us to do good for those who can’t repay us in kind, whether it’s feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, or helping the handicapped, visiting those in prison.

Oh, by the way, this isn’t easy. Our world has pretty well conditioned us that there is no free lunch, and our sinful nature doesn’t want us to make a “wasted effort” of helping people who can’t help us. But once again, God’s grace makes the difference.

Think about it: that’s exactly the way God’s love works, isn’t it? Think of all the things he has given, does give, and will give not only to you, but to everyone on the earth. Physically we have sun and rain and food and shelter and clothing and countless other things besides; spiritually we have the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation in Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the sacraments. Has the Lord given us any of those things expecting to be repaid in kind? Of course not – and that is God’s grace at work.

Believers have that same love at work in their lives, and I probably don’t have to tell you how to show it, because the opportunities to do so fill your life and they’re unique to each one of you. Maybe it’s writing a check to charity. Maybe it’s offering a job to single parent who has no references. These are things that expect no return. But you will get something back. Jesus says here that we will be blessed for the love we show and give to others. He says: “You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Our reward – our treasure – is in heaven.

Which means, of course, that we can’t see our rewards. And that’s OK, because we can still be confident that they’re infinitely greater than anything we could ever gain here on earth. Because that’s where the way of grace of God leads us: to heaven. That’s where we belong, and even while we exist as strangers and aliens in this world, we still live as citizens of heaven. We know our true worth. We know our place and our purpose, and so we live with humility toward ourselves and love for others. We live as forgiven sinners in a sinful world.  We live by what we have been saved by: the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

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