An Invitation to Sit at the Father's Table

A sermon summary by Steve Fountain originally preached on February 24, 2013 called "An Invitation to Sit at the Father's Table" from Luke 6:17-26.

Often quoted by politicians, the Sermon on the Mount  is not a piece of legislation or manifesto; rather, it is a gentle invitation to all who hear to come to the Father.   The invitation encourages responsiveness to God, to trust his care, and to rest in his promises.  The tenderness and possibility of a personal relationship with God cannot be missed. 

It is likely that neither Matthew or Luke have the whole sermon intact. Matthew's account runs 107 verses — about seven minutes of oration. Luke’s record is significantly shorter — just 30 verses.  So, it appears that we have two separate summarizations of Jesus’ sermon.  And the brevity of Luke should not concern us either, for he includes the 'missing' teaching in other places in his gospel account.  

Jesus presents a series of blessings followed by curses. Typically, we can take the blessings and do without the curses, thank you very much.

But to view it this way would be to miss the gentleness of the invitation, and the attractiveness of leaving behind our normal perceptions of grander, glory, and self-worth to take a seat at His table.

1.  The Blessing of Coming to Christ empty-handed (vv. 20-23).

Jesus contrasts two competitive values with four images to ponder.  Those with God's blessings are poor (v. 20), hungry (v. 21a), weep (v. 21b), and are hated (v. 22-23).  

In verse 20, there is the personal nature of the kingdom rule of God in view, and in verse 22 rejection comes as of one identifies not with stuff, but with the Son of Man. 

One commentator has paraphrased this “Blessed are you materially poor, who nonetheless look to God and his promise, for the kingdom of God is yours.”  The kingdom of God is not about gold or silver; rather, it is living in a world where God is your loving father and king. 

The kinds of people who belong to the kingdom of God are also hungry and distraught (v. 21).  The reference is not the physical filling with food, but  the spiritual satisfaction as being received by God and welcomed as one of his children.  Jesus is drawing on images from the Psalms. 

In verses 22-23, we have a picture of someone suffering for their entrance into the kingdom of God.  They follow Jesus exclusively as the Son of Man who has the authority and dominion over all. They boldly live it, love it and embrace Christ — and are hated, excluded, reviled, and spurned. 

In our culture, it is the red carpet, or A-listers who seem to have it all together.  Many of us try to assert our selves into the mold of apparent success.  What Jesus says is counter-cultural, and the values are completely reversed. 

2.    The Curse of Clinging to Self with closed fists (vv. 24-26).

Those who have the applause of men will one day find that they have missed the applause of the audience of God.  Their reward is now in this lifetime.  

Jesus wants us on a different, narrow path to blessedness. We need to glorify Him, not ourselves.

In His series of blessings and curses, Jesus is showing us the essence of repentance.  Repentence is seeing the rule of God as desireable, when the entire world laughs, scorns, and ridicules Jesus of Nazareth — it is to be preferred to an eternity of flames. 

What these scorners fail to realize is that when Jesus returns the world’s values will be reversed.  How blessed it will be for you then to be at the Father’s Table, rather than discover too late that you are outside, unable to enter the kingdom.  You will discover that it was a curse to cling to your plans of self-actualization with closed fists.

Conclusion: To come to Christ, we must respond to God’s gracious, and gentle rule.  We must admit our sinfulness.  We must come hungry, empty, and desperate, otherwise, we will not come.  We must come to Christ empty-handed with a heart full of faith.

Great sinners need the one true, Great Savior.