Luke: Jesus Calls Broken People to Follow Him
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Review
Brief Series Introduction
“Behold My Hands” comes from the final chapter of Luke, and the phrase is a good summation of Jesus’ ministry as presented in Luke (Luke 24:39). Jesus is truly the Son of Man.
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Here is how I have divided up the book: Luke 1-3; 4:1-9:51; 9:51-13:22; 13:22-19:28; 19:28-24:12; 24:13-53.
Review
Our last three messages have showed this truth:
Luke 1-3 | God entered human history to bring salvation to all people.
His birth and private ministry.
Luke 4:1-9:50 | Jesus is the only person anointed to save people.
His early public ministry. Vast amount of miracles.
Luke 9:51-13:22 | Jesus has called all people to follow Him into true joy.
One year out. Jesus is on a mission to the cross.
Introduction
Introduction
Title slide.
Jesus Calls Broken People, Luke 13:23-19:28.
It’s the middle of winter when the seven chapters for today begins.
It’s about three months before the cross.
And it’s about one week before the cross when these seven chapters end.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The message of these seven chapters:
Jesus calls broken people to follow Him.
[Pray]
I would like to unpack these seven chapters in a way that I haven’t so far in this series.
I would like to visit each scene.
(Luke 13:21-30)
(Luke 13:21-30)
This whole sections launches with a single question…
Why are only a few people saved (13:21-30)?
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
Why do only a few people follow Jesus?
Jesus answered…
When it comes down to it, many people don’t follow Me because their number one desire is to follow themselves.
Their desire is to be first.
But those who desire to be first above all will find themselves losing everything.
This me-first attitude is illustrated when they demand that God let them into heaven because of who they are.
(Luke 13:31-35)
(Luke 13:31-35)
A prime example of this attitude is Herod (13:31-35).
Herod thought much of himself.
This is the same Herod who gave the mighty oration in Acts that led to his death.
Herod wants to see miracles.
But Herod wants nothing to do with the blessed name of the Lord (13:35).
He thinks only of the glory of his own name.
Principle. And people …
who are chiefly concerned with …
the glory of their own name …
will never become enamored …
with the name of Jesus.
(Luke 14:1-6)
(Luke 14:1-6)
So if not many people will follow Jesus, who can be saved?
Helpless people can be saved.
So, Jesus helped the unhelpable man with the unclean physical problem (14:1-6).
But the people at the banquet were enraged that Jesus would heal an unclean man, on the Sabbath day of all days.
They thought he was in the category of people that God would not save.
Jesus replied,
You pull unclean animals out of a ditch on the Sabbath day.
Shouldn’t this son of Abraham be pulled out of his pit on this day?
(Luke 14:7-34)
(Luke 14:7-34)
This led Jesus to comment on who God bids, or invites, to His table (14:7-34).
Some form of “bidden” occurs 13xs in some form in Luke 14-16.
If you’re bidden to a banquet, don’t seek out the most prestigious arrangements.
If you’re hosting a banquet, don’t only invite your friends; make arrangements for broken people to join you.
Luke 14:21b - “… Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”
(Luke 14:25-35)
(Luke 14:25-35)
In fact, only suffering, cross-bearing, broken people can follow Me (14:25-35).
Well, this created quite a stir; and word got around so much that…
A multitude of those “forbidden” people came to see Jesus (15:1).
1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
But as we would expect, the Pharisees weren’t happy that Jesus gave attention to broken people.
So they confronted Jesus (15:2).
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
This begins a lengthy discussion that concludes in 17:10.
(Luke 15:1-24)
(Luke 15:1-24)
Jesus responds,
Allow me to show you what the Father actually thinks about lost, broken people coming to Him:
He rejoices!
Our heavenly Father rejoices when lost, broken people come to Him.
He rejoices like a loving shepherd who finds his lost sheep (15:4-7).
He rejoices like a poor widow who finds her life savings (15:8-10).
He rejoices like a loving father whose lost, beloved son returns to him from a wasted life in the world (15:11-24).
The younger son wasted his father’s gifts.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
But out of a heart of brokenness to son returned to beg his father’s mercy.
But what he found was a banquet celebrating and rejoicing over the son’s return.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
That’s how the heavenly Father rejoices when the lost and broken come to Him.
But do you know who wasn’t rejoicing?
(Luke 15:25-32)
(Luke 15:25-32)
The elder brother wasn’t rejoicing (15:25-32).
Why?
Because he thought his own effort got him to where he was in life.
He thought he deserved what he had.
And because he felt this way, …
he also believed …
anyone who hasn’t worked as hard …
should not have a celebration in their honor.
This launched Jesus into two related side conversations.
(Luke 16:1-13)
(Luke 16:1-13)
First, He has a conversation with the disciples (16:1-13)
It’s related because it begins with the same word that launched the Prodigal Son story: “wasted” 16:1. The Prodigal Outsider would be 15:11-24. The Prodigal Insider would be 16:1-13. What this says to me is: whether I’ve failed God as and insider or outsider, He still wants me at His table if I will come.
Here’s Jesus’ message:
Disciples, here’s the thing…
If you’re going to reach broken people, you’re going to have to decide what’s more important to you.
Is money the most important thing to you?
If so, you’re not going to reach many lost and broken.
(I wonder if Jesus didn’t add this in here knowing that Judas would choose money over following Jesus about 8 to 6 weeks later.)
(Luke 16:14-31)
(Luke 16:14-31)
Second, Jesus had a related side-conversation with the Pharisees (16:14).
They were pretty ticked off that they might be the heartless older brother in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son.
But Jesus knew that wealth was more important to them than God’s mercy was.
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
The Pharisees believed that they didn’t need God’s righteousness.
In fact they had mistakenly come to believe that wealth was a preeminent, verifiable sign of God’s blessings on a person’s actions.
So Jesus told them a story about a rich man and a broken beggar named Lazarus.
(This is not the Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead, who incidentally was a very wealthy person.)
In this story, the rich man dies and finds himself in hell (contrary to the expectations of the Pharisees).
But he was not in hell because of his wealth.
It was because his behavior showed he didn’t fear God.
Then the broken beggar died and found himself in paradise (contrary to the expectations of the Pharisees).
What does this show us?
It shows us the same thing that this entire text has been showing us.
God rejects self-saving people.
But guess what.
God welcomes broken people to His table.
(Luke 17:1-10)
(Luke 17:1-10)
Well, Jesus closed the conversation (that began in Luke 14) by adding an important lesson about brokenness for His disciples (17:1-10).
Men, if you follow Me there will come a time when you will broken.
You’ll be broken when someone you trust offends you (17:3-4), even when you’re young and tender.
You’ll be broken when you realize that there is intense ministry that needs to take place as you serve other broken people (17:5-10).
Here’s how you can help yourself, Say, …
We have only done what it was our duty to do (17:10).
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Only broken people can say that.
And there is one class of people who fully realize that they are helplessly broken. Lepers.
(Luke 17:11-19)
(Luke 17:11-19)
In Jesus’ day, leprosy was a incurable disease.
There was no remedy.
That is until Jesus showed up.
So ten broken, leprous men shouted for Jesus to heal them (17:11-19).
And Jesus did.
The Jewish religious system wanted nothing to do with these lepers.
In their opinion, there was no remedy, immediate or eternal, for lepers.
They were too broken to fix.
They were too far gone to help.
But the lepers also held that same attitude about themselves.
They knew they couldn’t help themselves.
They knew they couldn’t trust themselves for healing.
These lepers were broken men.
They knew their only hope was Jesus.
But do you know who was trusting themselves for their own healing?
The Pharisees were (18:9).
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
You see, the Pharisees thought that the better and better they became in appearance…
(the more unbroken their lives appeared to be),…
the better and better their life would be when the Kingdom of God came.
This is why they were so interested in the timing of the coming of the Kingdom of God (17:20).
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Pharisees:
“We can’t wait to get what we have coming to us!!!”
“When is it going to happen?!”
(Luke 17:20-37)
(Luke 17:20-37)
But Jesus told them they had missed it.
The Kingdom of God is available within you right now (17:21).
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
But it is not as you expect.
Noah endured hardship, but found rest with God (17:26).
Lot’s wife lived a sumptuous life but died in terror (17:32).
So as you wait for the coming day of the Lord, know that there will be hardship.
You will be broken if you choose to follow me.
(Luke 18:1-17)
(Luke 18:1-17)
The rhetorical question from Jesus’ followers would be…
Jesus, if following you will bring hardship into our lives, is there any resource for us as we journey through brokenness?
Prayer.
Jesus said, Don’t faint in this hardship; pray (18:1-8).
But self-righteous prayer …
prayed in your own strength …
to tell God how great you are …
won’t bring God’s help (18:10-12).
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable thought he could save himself.
This person was a self-saving man.
The problem is that God always rejects self-saving people.
Only the broken prayer …
of a broken person …
warrants God’s attention (18:13-14).
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
In the same way that the Prodigal Son found mercy for his brokenness when he returned to his father in brokenness, so did this Publican.
Do you know who else finds God’s attentive mercy?
Humble, little children do (18:15-17).
That brings us to three concluding examples with a final closing parable (18:18-19:28):
a rich, young Jewish ruler, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, and a wealthy publican named Zacchaeus.
(Luke 18:18-34)
(Luke 18:18-34)
First, we meet a young, wealthy Jewish ruler (18:18-34).
A confident young man approached Jesus and asked how he could add eternal life to his holdings.
Jesus said, That’s easy.
Sell everything you have; give it to poor, broken people (18:22); and follow Me.
Of course, a man of his position found it unthinkable to willingly break his bank account to help the broken.
He actually thought he could save himself with his bank account (but only a portion of it).
This rich young ruler was a self-saving man.
And so he walked away.
That brings us back to the similar opening question from 13:22, Who then can be saved (18:26)?
26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
What I love is how Jesus did not here reply (in v. 18:27):
Only the rich.
Or, Only the poor.
Or, Only the broken.
He just said, It’s impossible for any of you to save yourselves.
The implication from Jesus is this:
Not a one of you can save yourselves.
Only God can save you.
So, only those who come broken before God …
with no more of their own resources to submit …
can find salvation with God.
So Peter is like,
“Jesus, I think that is what I did (18:28-34).”
Jesus: “Peter, you sure did; but there is still more brokenness that lies ahead for those who will follow Me.”
(Luke 18:35-43)
(Luke 18:35-43)
Next, we meet a blind, broken beggar named Bartimaeus (18:35-43).
That generation was sure Bartimaeus was unacceptable to God.
Remember, the rich Jewish ruler was the person the Pharisees were sure was acceptable to God.
From their point of view, Bartimaeus was just too broken.
But when Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus from his brokenness, Jesus heard him.
Jesus stopped and called him to Himself.
And Jesus gave him sight (18:43).
(Luke 19:1-10)
(Luke 19:1-10)
Finally, we meet a wealthy finance specialist named Zacchaeus (19:1-10).
Although Z and B were worlds apart, the people of the day were just as sure that Z was unacceptable to God.
From their point of view, Z was just too evil.
But Z came broken into the presence of Jesus.
And when he did, he found himself welcome at the same table with Jesus.
Out of this brokenness …
flowed something that the rich young ruler never found …
—the willingness to help broken people.
You see, Z sold his stuff and gave it to the poor (19:8).
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
What happened?
A broken man came to Jesus.
And he left that table …
willing to go find other broken people …
who needed what only Jesus could offer.
(Luke 19:11-27)
(Luke 19:11-27)
This whole section ends with a parable (19:11-27).
The question Jesus is asking behind this parable is this.
What are you going to do about what you’ve just seen and heard?
Are you going to live for yourself?
Or will you live in light of the fact that the King is coming?
Will you join Him on His mission to bring broken people to His table?
Or will you selfishly use what you have been given for yourself?
Why does this matter?
It matters because…
Jesus calls broken people to follow Him.
In Luke 9-13, Jesus said, follow me.
The self-righteous said, Nope.
The self-centered said, Na.
The self-serving said, Not today.
But many were choosing to follow Jesus.
So Jesus began to unpack what following Him looked like.
It looks like…
Broken, hurting people finding healing and hope in Jesus Christ.
Pivot. Pivot toward the first application.
Jesus bids the broken to follow Him.
Who can be saved?
Prodigals can come to Jesus.
Those with unclean physical problems can come to Jesus.
Blind beggars can come to Jesus.
Poor widows can come to Jesus.
Wealthy publicans can come to Jesus.
Jesus can save unsavable people.
Basically it comes down to this …
If you’re broken, Jesus is begging you to follow Him.
Why? Because…
Jesus calls broken people to follow Him.
Here are three applications.
If you’re broken, Jesus asks you to follow Him.
If you’re broken, Jesus asks you to follow Him.
In our text, I love the word “bidden”.
In our text, the host of the table was supposed to bid the broken to his table.
Bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind! (Luke 14:13).
In our culture, to bid for something you are saying, I want that.
Jesus is bidding you to come to Him.
He is saying, I want you.
You’re brokenness might not look like Paul’s.
But if you’re human, you know you’re broken at some level.
But most of the time,
we try to cover it up.
We try to hide it.
We try to disguise it.
We try to persuade others that it’s not true.
And the whole time, Jesus is crying out to us…
I will take you as you are.
I will take you in your brokenness.
I will take you in your poverty.
I will take you in your pain.
I will take you in your helplessness.
I will take you in your loneliness.
I will take you who have been betrayed.
I will take you who the world rejects.
I will take you who are unwelcome
I will take the contaminated.
I will take the unacceptable.
If you come to Me broken, you come all the way to my table.
You might try to cover up your pain …
because you’re not sure anyone or any place …
would accept you …
if they really knew about your brokenness.
Guess what, Jesus knows all about your broken condition.
And still, He is begging you to bring your brokenness to His table.
Through Jesus, God is welcoming broken people to His table.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
[[Salvation]]
Transition. If you’re broken, Jesus asks you to follow Him.
If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you into brokenness.
If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you into brokenness.
Jesus has called His followers into brokenness.
Brokenness is giving up all ability and authority to manage the affairs of my life.
Notice the brokenness that Jesus calls His followers to join Him in.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Go with me to Luke 18:28.
28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
What was Jesus saying?
Disciples, if you are going to follow Me, then you need to understand that this journey is a journey through brokenness.
I know that’s not popular.
But it is what Jesus wanted His followers to know.
If you’re going to follow me,
You might be rejected by your family.
You might need to live in poverty.
You might mocked and beaten by the citizens of this world.
You might be ridiculed like Noah.
[[What does brokenness look like in a home? How does it operate in a relationship?]]
Brokenness is not weakness.
Here’s the thing:
Jesus definitely bids the broken to His table.
But Jesus also forbids the unbroken at His table.
Transition. If you’re broken, Jesus asks you to follow Him. If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you into brokenness.
If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you to invite other broken people to His table.
If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you to invite other broken people to His table.
For almost the entire text, Jesus is either eating with someone or telling a story about someone eating.
In Luke 14-15, every single scene involves people eating at a table.
In Luke 16:1-17:10, Jesus is sitting at the meal began in Luke 14.
The three feasts at finding what was lost.
The rich man eats while Lazarus longs for just a crumb from the table.
In Luke 17, people eat at the wrong table (17:8, 27, 28).
In Luke 18, the Pharisee fasted from eating.
In Luke 19, our story ends with Jesus sitting at a meal with Zacchaeus.
Do you know what I discovered?
Jesus bids broken people to His table.
And He has called us to go bring more broken people to His table.
If Jesus really calls broken people to His table, then I should be out searching for them.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
Go out into the highways and hedges.
Self-righteous people won’t eat with broken people (like the elder brother in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son).
They’re too concerned it will contaminate their self-earned standing with God.
And self-righteous people won’t invite hungry, broken people to eat at their table (the rich man in Lazarus’s story).
They’re too concerned it will deplete their self-earned blessings from God.
Do you believe that Jesus has invited broken people to His table?
If you’ve ever looked at someone and thought, …
that person probably wouldn’t want to hear what I have to say about the gospel, …
then you really don’t believe …
that Jesus invites broken people to follow Him.
Or will you serve and love broken people like Jesus did?
Summary
Summary
Jesus calls broken people to follow Him.
Invitation
Invitation
If you’re broken, Jesus asks you to follow Him.
If you’re not at the table, Jesus invites you to the table.
Who can be saved?
Anyone who turns to Jesus (no matter how broken).
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Will you decide to follow Him?
Will you allow Him to become your Savior?
If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you into brokenness.
If you’re at the table, be sure you’re not demanding the best seat in the house.
Jesus calls His followers into brokenness.
Will you give up control over your life?
Will you allow God to be the one who decides the steps?
If you’re following Jesus, Jesus calls you to invite other broken people to Him.
Jesus calls His followers to broken people.
If you know what it is to eat at the table of grace, why aren’t you out inviting others to the table of grace?
Will you seek lost, broken people to bring to Jesus?
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
I’m so glad I discovered that…
Jesus calls broken people to follow Him.