Take your Bibles with me and turn to Luke 14. Luke 14. We took a little break from our series on Luke for Christmas, and we are going to pick it up again this morning in Luke 14.

Today I’m going to be talking to you about religious fraud. Religious fraud.

I don’t know if you saw this or not, but there was a fascinating thing that is blowing up on the internet today about the fraud in Minnesota. This one guy named Nick Shirley who looks like a teenager wearing a hoodie. He released this video of himself just walking around with an iPhone was able to show hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fraud in Minnesota. Dozens of healthcare companies and daycares that receive government funds, all in the same buildings, all without any patients or kids.

This guy literally walks into these buildings with his phone and asks for rates or asks about putting his kid in the daycare and it was obvious something fishy was going on. As you can imagine, the people in these buildings, who were in on this fraud, did not like it one bit and even called the police to help.

They are estimating that nearly 10 billion dollars in Medicaid fraud has been happening in just the state of Minnesota and that it is probably happening all over the country. Now, that hasn’t been prosecuted yet. There hasn’t been a court hearing or conviction yet - but it looks really bad.

But it’s amazing how one bold young man can go into the lions den and expose fraud by asking some simple questions.

In our story today, Jesus is going to go into the lions den and expose a different kind of fraud by asking some simple questions. In Jesus case, the fraudsters aren’t Somali immigrants in Minnesota, they were religious rulers in Israel.

Are you in Luke 14? Let’s read verses 1-14.

[1] And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. [2] And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. [3] And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? [4] And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; [5] And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? [6] And they could not answer him again to these things. [7] And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them. [8] When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; [9] And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. [10] But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. [11] For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. [12] Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. [13] But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: [14] And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:1-14 (KJV)

This whole chapter is a big setup. The Pharisees are inviting Jesus over for a meal, but they don’t really want to get to know Jesus better, they want to catch Jesus and document some of his “crimes.”

Think about this

• the location - the house of one of the chief Pharisees.
• the participants - other lawyers and Pharisees.
• the other guest - a man suffering with dropsy (we’ll get to that, right in front of Jesus.)
• the timing - on the Sabbath day.

It sure seems like this whole things was setup to catch Jesus in some kind of trap. But Jesus wasn’t going to be caught in any trap. Jesus knows the hearts of man, and Jesus knew exactly why they had invited Him.

It wasn’t Jesus who was going to be exposed - it was the Pharisees.

Here is the tough truth of this passage - there are many people who are fraudulent believers. They go through the motions. They look like believers on the outside. They pay lip service to Christ. But it is all really about them - not about God.

And those people, when you hold them up to the light of Christ - are totally exposed.

What Jesus does in this passage is give us three tests that expose the motivations of religion. Three ways we can hold ourselves up to the light and see why we are really doing what we are doing. Are we motivated by selfishness, or are we motivated by Christ?

Let’s pray and then we’ll dive into this story and look at these three tests.

Pray.

The first test we are going to look at in this story is the test of

1. Selective application

So Jesus is invited to eat with these Pharisees on the Sabbath - right. It’s not hard to see where this is going.

At least 7 different times in the gospels, Jesus gets in trouble with the Pharisees for healing people on the Sabbath day. Something like 13 different times He gets in trouble for breaking the Sabbath rules.

Well, they happen to invite a man to this dinner who has what our text calls “dropsy.” Dropsy is an old fashioned word for what Doctors today call Edema. It is fluid buildup in the tissue - around your legs and in your lungs.

Typically it happens when someone is really sick with congestive heart failure or kidney failure or liver failure. It’s often a sign that the end is near.

And this guy is just at dinner. Sitting next to Jesus. I imagine he’s struggling to eat his meal. Grunting in pain. This guy should be in a hospital bed. Not at a social gathering.

I think they brought him there as a trap. I think they knew Jesus well enough to know Jesus wouldn’t just sit by while this sick man suffered in front of Him. And they were right.

Verse 3 is interesting. It says “Jesus answering said unto the lawyers.” But no one asked Jesus a question. It was like Jesus was saying “Oh, I see. I see what this is about.” And Jesus decided to address it head on.

I heard someone say recently that if there is an elephant in the room, you should probably go ahead and introduce it. That’s what Jesus is doing here, cutting the tension by addressing the elephant in the room.

Jesus asks them a question “Is it lawful to to heal on the sabbath day?” Jesus knows their answer. They would say “no.” They would say “that’s work. Don’t do that on the sabbath day.”

But they didn’t answer him. If they said “no” they would look like jerks. If they said “yes.” They would look like they weren’t taking the sabbath seriously. So they kept their mouths shut.

And Jesus heals this man right in front of them. Imagine his swelling going down immediately. Health returning to his face. The underlying problem fixed with a word from Christ. This is a glorious miracle and it probably put decades on this man’s life and immediately ended his suffering. Then Jesus sends the man away.

So the Pharisees have him. He broke their rules right in front of them. All those witnesses.

But then Jesus asks them a follow up question that is really interesting. He asks them “If any of you had a farm animal that fell into a pit on the sabbath day, wouldn’t you immediately get that animal out of the pit?”

The answer, Jesus knew, was “of course.” In fact, the Pharisees in their teaching had carved out an exception for this.

And it probably wasn’t motivated by compassion for the animal - it was motivated by compassion for themselves.

If they lost the farm animal, they would lose serious money. Not having a donkey or an ox would be like having your combine go down right at harvest season. It could be catastrophic to their bottom line.

So they would immediately go and pull that animal out - sabbath or no sabbath.

I think what Jesus was trying to do here was show that they were being very selective in how they applied God’s laws. They had no problem insisting that Jesus not heal sick people on the Sabbath - because that didn’t affect them personally and financially - but if it was something that would hurt them, they would bend the rules or find a loophole.

This is what I mean by the test of selective application: sometimes people can be really choosy about which of God’s commands they care about and when.

If God’s commands are convenient, or God’s commands give us the moral high ground, or God’s commands make us feel good about ourself - then we are all about it. But if God’s commands cost us something: money, comfort, relationships, reputation - then we start looking for a loophole.

The Pharisees were terrible about this. I mean, they would preach one of God’s laws like “Honor your father and mother.” (Which they understood to be about taking care of your parents financially - not just giving them honor.) They would preach that command, but then they would create these loopholes like “if you pledge your income to God someday, then you don’t have to use it help your parents.”

They were all about the command, until it costs them something. Then they looked for loopholes. Then they got selective.

We do this too. We're passionate about biblical principles when they validate what we already want to do. But when obedience gets expensive, we suddenly become very nuanced theologians.

We'll quote Scripture about God's design for marriage - until our own marriage gets hard. We'll talk about biblical stewardship - until it means we can't afford that purchase. We'll preach about loving our enemies - until it's someone who actually wronged us.

The test of selective application asks: Do you apply God's Word consistently, or only when it's convenient?

I think this test shows us if our faith is real. Do you still obey God when it costs you something? Do you still obey God when it’s hard, or do you look for excuses?

What’s motivating your religion? Is it selfishness, or is it a true desire to serve God?

So that’s the first test - the test of selective application of scripture. What does it take for you to start looking for loopholes?

In verses 7-11 Jesus applied a second test in exposing these religious fraudsters, and it is the test of...

2. Self-promotion

Remember, Jesus is at a dinner with these Pharisees. In that culture, dinners and dinner parties were a big deal. And it was a particularly big deal where you sat at the dinner.

If you got asked to the right dinners, and you got to sit at the right tables, then you were a big deal. It was a way of showing social rank and capital.

I imagine today it could be something like airline seating. If you are important, you sit first class in the front. If you are slightly less important, you sit in business class in the middle. If you are just one of the unwashed masses, you sit in coach in the back. And if you are a baptist, you don’t even go on the plane, you take a Greyhound bus.

Jesus observed how at this dinner, everyone was jockeying to have the best seats. I imagine people showed up really early to get to sit near the host at the head of the table - because they wanted to seem important. Jesus saw right through this and reminded them of something that is both a biblical principle (Proverbs 25:6-7) and common sense:

It’s better to take the low seat and be asked to move up, than to take the high seat and embarrassed when someone says “you didn’t earn this, you actually aren’t as important as you think you are. You need to go sit in the back.”

But Jesus wasn’t giving them a life hack. He wasn’t trying to teach them how to manipulate their social system. He was driving them to an important principle of kingdom living He stated in verse 11.

[11] For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 14:11 (KJV)

In God’s economy - the way up is down. When we are following Jesus, we aren’t trying to pull ourselves up, we are humbling ourselves.

There is no greater example of this than Jesus.

[4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. [5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Philippians 2:4-7 (KJV)

No one ever humbled themselves like Christ. He went from the uttermost to the “guttermost.” He went from the glory of heaven to the mud of the earth. And those who follow Christ are called to humble themselves too.

So a great test about our religion is this: are we trying to pull ourselves up, are we trying to advance ourselves, or are we humbling ourselves and letting God take care of that?

If you are constantly thinking about self-promotion. If you are manipulating to get yourself promoted, to get yourself a better position, a better title, more respect from others - than that is probably a clear sign that something isn’t real there.

So how does this show up? What does self-promotion look like in practice? It's the person who can't tell a story without making themselves the hero. Every conversation somehow circles back to their accomplishments, their insights, their experiences.

It's managing your image constantly - making sure people know about your sacrifice, your service, your spirituality. Broadcasting your good deeds. Dropping hints about how much you give or how early you showed up to serve.

It's being more concerned with the title than the work. More interested in recognition than faithfulness. You'll serve, but only if people notice.

It's the pastor who measures success by how many people know his name instead of how many people know Christ. It's the church member who needs everyone to know how long they've been attending, how much they do, how important they are to the ministry.

Here's the test: Can you serve without being seen? Can you give without being thanked? Can you be faithful when no one knows but God?

Because that's what humility looks like. Not thinking less of yourself - but thinking of yourself less. Not positioning yourself for recognition, but positioning yourself to serve.

The Pharisees were scrambling for seats of honor. True followers of Christ are looking for opportunities to serve.

And that leads me to a third test Jesus gives in this passage in verses 12-14. Let’s just go ahead and read those verses again:

[12] Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. [13] But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: [14] And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:12-14 (KJV)

We’ve already talked about the test of selective application of scripture. We’ve talked about the test of self-promotion.

This third test is the test of...

3. Strings-attached service

Like I said, in Jesus day, these dinner parties were a big deal. Where you sat was a big deal. Which ones you got invited to was a big deal.

And it kind of became a whole system that people would use to climb the social ladder. They would through a party and invite people because if they came it would make them look more important, and then, those important people would invite them back to their dinner parties.

The whole thing was a big quid-quo-pro. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

Which means the whole thing was fake and self-serving.

So Jesus gave them a suggestion - don’t invite your friends and the people who can help you - invite the sick and the poor who can’t possibly give anything back to you - and let God reward you for it.

Now, we need to be clear, Jesus wasn’t condemning normal hospitality. In fact, in several places Jesus had meals with his friends - Lazarus’ house and the last supper come to mind. But Jesus was exposing the motives for why these people did what they did - it was all about advancing themselves - never about helping other people.

Here's the diagnostic question: Would you still serve them if they couldn't pay you back?

If they can't advance your career, would you still help them? If they can't introduce you to important people, would you still invest in them? If they can't do anything for your reputation, would you still give your time?

Because that's the test. Strings-attached service isn't really service - it's investment. You're not giving, you're trading. And Jesus sees right through it.

The Pharisees built their whole religious system on transactions. They invited people who could invite them back. They helped people who could help them. They gave to people who could give to them. Everything was calculated.

But kingdom living is radically different. Jesus calls us to serve the poor, the sick, the marginalized - people who have nothing to offer us in return. Not because we're trying to earn God's favor, but because God has already favored us. We give freely because we've been given to freely. Where do you see this in your life? Are your relationships transactional? Do you only invest in people who can advance you? Do you only serve when there's something in it for you?

True Christianity serves those who cannot repay. It gives without expecting return. It invests in people the world overlooks because that's exactly what Jesus did for us.

Conclusion

Do you know what stands out to me with these three tests? It's this - Jesus sees right through us. He sees our heart. He sees our inner most motivations. He sees things that sometimes we don't even see in ourselves.

And that can be really scary. If we are determined to be frauds - we don't want investigation.

But if we understand that we are sick and we want to be healed - then a spiritual x-ray is a really helpful thing.

Listen, if you are a hypocrite this morning, know that Jesus sees right through you. He know why you are doing what you are doing and He is not impressed. Fake self-serving religion will get you zero points when you stand before the Judge of Heaven one day.

But if you realize that you are sick, and you want to live for Christ - know that the same Jesus who sees through you and sees the wickedness of your heart died to save you. He knew how selfish you are - and He died for you anyways.

Imagine being in a race, and you are running along and you trip and fall into another racer's lane. You look for the line judge and you see that he is staring right at you. You blew it. You are disqualified.

But then the lane judge runs out to you, picks you up and carries you across the finish line. That is what Christ does for us.

Listen, you can keep trying to do it yourself. You can keep living in hypocrisy. Or you can accept that you are a sinner and that Christ wants to save you and trust Him to do it.