121
March 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
| International JCesson (Commentary j j JEesson Outline and Exposition ^Blackboard Outlines §olden Toext Illustrations Ghildren’s Division ^ j B y ¿1- S. ¿faderquist B y I. @. PHoft 'By _Alan S ■‘Pearce
is more accurate. According to oriental custom, guests reclined on couches, lean ing on their left elbows. The “chief seat” was sometimes elevated above the rest. It was reserved for the honored guest. Lest haply a more honorable. That is, one more distinguished or held in high er esteem. V. 9. Give this man place. It would be most humiliating to be compelled to vacate the place chosen for oneself and give it to the one held in higher honor. Shalt begin with shame. The emphasis on the verb, “begin,” shows how reluc tantly, and with what shame a proud man leaves the place of prominence which he has seized for himself. The lowest place. Presumably, the thought is that all the other seats had been assigned. The most ambitious guest was the one least en titled to honor. V. 10. Sit down in the lowest place. Do not take such a place in mock humili ty or with the thought of possible promo tion, but with a sense of real humility and a willingness to remain unnoticed and unhonored. Friend, go up higher. It is better to be invited to the higher place than to seek it for oneself (cf. Prov. 25: 6, 7). Then shalt thou have glory. That is, there will be honor in the sight of fel low guests. But the word “glory” hints at something more than present high standing among men, for glory belongs primarily to the future life. V. 11. Every one that exalteth himself. A general rule is laid down. Its im portance is seen in the fact that Jesus repeated it on several occasions. The proud are always humbled sooner or later. He that humbleth himself. The Lord Jesus was the lowliest of men. But He differed from others in that His humility was not in any way mixed with a sense of sin. Doubtless Jesus had in mind, as He spoke these words, the two classes of sinners with whom He had to deal. The self-righteous Pharisees and the scribes could not learn humility, because they had no sense of their sin. The Publicans and sinners, on the contrary, felt and confessed their sins and, by humbling themselves, were invited to “go up higher.” V. 12. To him also that had bidden him. Jesus was impartial in His rebukes. The guests had had their lesson; the host was not forgotten. Although he was a great leader among the Pharisees, in the presence of Jesus Christ he was not dif ferent from other sinners. Call not thy friends. The present tense shows that the reference is not to a single dinner or supper. It rather conveys this idea: Do not have the habit of all the time inviting friends, etc. Common courtesy and hospitality to friends is not forbidden. They also bid thee again. One should not look upon social occasions as oppor tunities for personal pleasure and gain.
Jesus did not content Himself with merely rebuking His critics because they objected to His doing good on the Sab bath day. He observed their pride and self-seeking and proceeded to teach nec essary lessons in humility. * * * H eart of the L esson I. Jesus Teaching Humility (14:7-14). V. 7. He spake a parable. Not a par able in the strict sense of the word, for it was not put in the form of a story. It was, rather, an illustration with an ethical lesson. It was more than instruc
April S, 1931 Jesus Teaches Humility
Lesson: Luke 13:1 to 14:35; 18:15-17. ( Lesson Text: Luke 14:7-14; 18:15-17.) Golden Text: “Every one that exalt- eth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Lk. 14:11). * * * L esson , in O utline I. Jesus Teaching Humility (14:7-14). 1. To ambitious guests (7-11). a. The occasion—“choose . . . chief seats” (7). b. The double injunction (8-10). (1) Avoid “chief seats” to es cape humiliation. (2) Take “lowest place” and be invited “up higher.” c. The double rule (11). (1) Self-exaltation brings hu miliation. (2) Humility leads to exalta tion. 2. To self-seeking hosts (12-14). a. Whom to “call.” (1) Not “friends . . . rich” ( 12 ). (2) “Poor . . . blind’’ (13). b. What to seek. (1) Not present “recompense” ( 12 ). (2) Eternal reward (14). II. A Child—Example of Humility (18: 15-17). * * * A pproach to the L esson ■ J ESUS continued His contact with the Pharisees even after they had shown their determination to put Him to death (cf. 11:53, 54). The present lesson grows out of the scene in the house of one of the chief Pharisees. Jesus had accepted this man’s hospitality regardless of the danger in which it might place Him. It is barely possible that this Pharisee had a more kindly feeling toward Jesus than had been shown by others of his class. It is more likely, however, that his hos pitality was intended to furnish another occasion for watching Jesus with a criti cal eye in order, if possible, to find some accusation against Him (cf. 14:1). A man who had the dropsy came into the house where Jesus was a guest. Whether he was drawn there by his own need and his faith in the Lord Jesus, or whether some enemy brought him in order to see if Jesus would again defy the Jewish traditions about the Sab bath by healing the man on the Sabbath day, it is impossible to say. The Lord Jesus knew His accusers’ thoughts and, after healing the man, justified His action (cf. v. 5). The Pharisees were silenced but not changed in heart.
tion in etiquette, for it taught the great lesson of humility, which none but a Christian can learn. The c h ie f seats. Certain places at the table were reserved for honored guests,
as the host might appoint them. In this case, it was noted that some chose for themselves the places of honor. This un seemly scramble for positions of prom inence was characteristic of the Pharisees. V. 8. When thou art bidden. The ref erence here is to a marriage feast. But the lesson would be the same in the case of any meal. Sit not down in the chief • seat. The marginal reading, “recline not,” Teachers-Take Notice Correspondence Course in the Gospel o f Luke By the Well-Known Author K eith L. B rooks - Of special value during the next six months to teachers of the International S. S. Lesson E ac h v erse in th e G ospel th o ro u g h ly analyzed by th e q u e stio n m ethod, w ith com p ariso n of sc rip tu re . L essons in loose-leaf form . S pace p r o vided o p p o site e ac h q u e stio n fo r stu d e n t to re c o rd an sw er. No ex am inations. P e rso n a l help from S e c re ta ry w hen n ecessary . C e rtificate u p o n c om p letio n of course. ENROLL TODAY Only $2.50 Apply: Correspondence School Bible Institute 536 So. Hope St., Los A ngeles, Calif.
Made with FlippingBook HTML5