Love ‘em or hate him…there was not a lot of wiggle room.
Dependent on whom you talked to, Jesus made a lot more enemies then he did friends.
All of his friends were of questionable integrity. His enemies, on the other hand they were the “salt of the earth.”
Why would anyone in their right mind pick friends for yourself that cannot advance your career? Why would anyone pick friends that can hold you back?
What’s that old adage about keeping your friends close, but your enemies even closer?
Jesus surrounded himself with his friends and distanced himself as far as he could from his enemies.
Again, dependent upon whom you talked to – he had toxic friends, but even more toxic enemies.
And none of it, seemed to bother Jesus in the least.
Well, I can tell you this…on “this given day” he did not make any friends for himself…instead he made a whole group of new enemies…a whole group of new enemies in very high “high places.”
Just who did he think he was – this small town hick of a preacher, some rabbi he…
It’s no wonder that his own family thought he was “beside himself.”
The poor and the downtrodden were always with him…lame, sick, blind, lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors they were his closest friends…
They had heard his rhetoric over and over again…he was for “the underdog” alright. He loved the poor. He loved those who had no voice for themselves. He loved those who were taxed into poverty. The hungry and the poor surrounded him. The unrighteous loved his words, it was, as if, he was speaking just to them…
Women, children, foreigners, gentiles they flocked to him. Even Roman centurions hung on to his words.
Everyone knew that he seemingly had “a personal vendetta” against the Jerusalem elite. You know the high and the mighty…
He despised the priesthood and verbally sparred frequently with the legalistic Pharisees. He tolerated the Sadducees to a point – but had a great dislike for the Scribes. He was no friend of the High Priest, either. When it came to the super rich and the Jerusalem elite – he had no time for them. It was as if, he had it “in” – for the best and the finest in Judah.
His preference always seemed to be the back hill country, the poor people of Galilee – the people who attempted to make a life out of the land or the sea.
But this day topped them all. Talk about going “out on a limb.” Talk about being “up the stream” without the proverbial paddle… Jesus really did it today…
He put “down the righteous and the wealthy” and one more time lifted up the poor and the despised.
He made claims about the Kingdom of Heaven – the likes of which – nobody had ever heard before.
And it all started out – with a simple enough story. A story about a king… A story about a king who threw a great banquet or party, another one of those feasts for the super rich…
But they had their excuses…imagine turning down the king’s invitation…that was unheard of…who did they think they were?
So they king invited everyone…EVERYONE…poor, lame, blind, tax collectors, indentured servants, household slaves, fishermen and prostitutes. And they were given the best seats at the banquet. They were “lifted up.” They were “all welcome.” They were “all equal.”
Jesus was “the great equalizer”…one by one he was taking down the mighty ones from their thrones and high places.
All people were “the same.” All people had “dignity.” All people could come and party…it was an “epic celebration”…it was a party that would be talked about for “an eternity…”
But there were still rules to be followed.
Some would be barred, while others would be welcomed. It wasn’t without its rules or restrictions…
The Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests, Scribes and the elite of Jerusalem did not like this story at all. They were being supplanted, ousted, deposed and usurped by the poor and the outcast.
They thought they could never be replaced. They were too valuable. They were too needed and necessary. They were too important as people of means…They should be respected above all else. After all they were the movers and the shakers…the holy ones…the righteous…
Making enemies, yep, Jesus was pretty good at it…and just look at who his friends were…
Go ahead…look around yourselves…even little helpless babies…
Amen.