Table Talk: Sharing Food, Time, and Jesus with People “If You Invite a Prophet to Dinner...” (Billy Russell, 6/30/19)

 

                Table Talk: Sharing Food, Time, and Jesus with People

                      “If You Invite a Prophet to Dinner...” (Luke 11:37-54)

 

Jesus was invited by a Pharisee to eat in his home. This is the second of three stories Luke recounts of invitations Jesus accepts from a Pharisee (7:36; 14:1). This Pharisee was astounded by Jesus’ lax approach to the oral traditions (expectations) of ritual cleansing before a meal. But, if you invite a Prophet to dinner, shouldn’t you expect him to act like one?

 

Highlight Reel: Invitation to a meal- Banquet mode - Water Basin -

     Triclinium - Oral tradition - Woe throw down - Banquet interuptus!

 

     

Jesus, what’s the big deal? What’s with the washing or not (11:37-38)?

     Did the P. first ritually wash his hands? Then, watch Jesus not wash?

     Did Jesus watch the P. wash, then consciously decide not to wash?

     Bottom line: Jesus opposes hypocrisy! (esp. from religious leaders!)

     Jesus accepts the invitation and refuses to fear the critics.

 

Jesus, what’s with the woes? And, what is a woe (11:42-52)?

     Woe= prophetic rebuke, a word of judgement; passionate righteous

          indignation; “a curse that warns against catastrophe” (D. Garland).

     Jesus confronts the outwardly obsessed hypocrisy of the religious men.

     Jesus goes full-blown prophet! He drops 6 woes (2 sets of 3):

           1) condemns for obedience to minutiae (not the weightier matters)

           2) condemns for focus on prestige/recognition (honor game)

           3) condemns for outward focus when inside is dead

           4) condemns for making the Law burdensome/impossible to follow

           5) condemns hypocrisy of building monuments to honor prophets

                    but not honor their message from God.

           6) condemns for creating obstacles to unlocking understanding of

                    who God is and what He expects (taken “key to knowledge”)

 

Jesus, what do you expect? What is vital to honor God (11:39-42)?

     Jesus says... love God & love your neighbor (do justice, be generous)!

     Jesus says it’s the heart, the inside which matters most! (11:39-41)

     Jesus calls for the inside/out, both/and approach (11:42).