HAPPY SABBATH: The Sabbath was given to us to be the great equalizer. Let me explain from Luke 14. Written by my friend, my golf partner, my Huckleberry, my favorite Pastor, MARK WITAS: Senior Pastor PUC. 1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Somehow somebody snuck in. It’s important to realize at the very beginning of today’s talk that there is no way someone that was abnormal was invited to that banquet. Somehow a lesser person had snuck in to get a healing touch and an encouraging word from Jesus. A person of lesser value and status would not be seeking this from anybody from the local church in Jesus’ day. The church in Jesus’ day was only for people who had it all together. Jesus both touched the man and healed him…on the Sabbath. 7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Jesus is reminding his host, his well-to-do host, that the Sabbath was designed to be the great equalizer. The Sabbath commandment reminds us that not only are we invited to take a break from the world, but we are to give the people around us a break from their burdens also. On the Sabbath, the table is set, the invitations are sent out and everyone is invited to the banquet. Everyone is accepted. Everyone is welcome. Just like family. Thank you Mark for writing the final chapter in my 2014 HAPPY SABBATH message. You are family and a kindred spirit in CHRIST. GODS invitation is the most important event in our life, no matter how inconveniently it may be timed. Love Poppie. youtu.be/qrOywJnLj7Y
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 12:38:30 +0000
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