In all reality, from the Gospel of Luke, we're talking about wickedness and wicked men in high places. Wickedness and wicked men in high places. 14 and verse 1, Kai ageneto ento elthain alto eis oikon tingos ton archonton ton phariseon sabato phagein arton kai Wickedness in high places and wicked men in high places. We see this all over the world. It's nothing new. We see wickedness in high places on every continent in the world. By the way, last month on Sermon Audio alone, we covered all 50 states of the United States and 78 countries at least, probably at least 100 countries on all three websites. So what you're hearing here is going all over the world. Somebody likes it, I guess. I'm doing my best to preach God's word just the way it is. And it came to pass and to come him unto a house, a certain house, of the rulers, the leaders, the wicked men in high places. The wicked men in high places. Jesus rubbed elbows with the whores, the tax collectors, and wicked men in high places. He was among all of them. He's a man for all seasons, so to speak. The rulers, Pharisees, during the Sabbath, or in the Sabbath, to eat bread. He was in a Pharisee's house, on a Sabbath, eating bread. And they kept on being, watching. Parateruomenoi. as a snake watches its prey. As a cat will play and watches its prey, it'll go out there and sneak up one little tiny fraction of an inch at a time, as a snake will, to watch as a snake would its prey or a cat would its prey. Slipping up, slipping up, paraterio, getting up beside it so they could reach out and snatch, and kill, and murder. And that's what they did to our Savior. Watching Him as a snake watches its prey. Now we have a man with elephantias. Kai edo anthropos tis ain hydropikos. Improsanatu. And you behold, a man, certain, he kept on being a hydropikos, water retention, especially in the legs, water retention. Elephantitis, heart failure, a chronic disease characterized by the enlargement of certain portions of the body. Legs, sometimes genitals, and by the hardening and ulceration of the surrounding skin. It is caused by obstruction of the lymphite's vessels, often due to infestation by filarial worms caused by mosquitoes transmitting the disease, parasites. Lymphatic pharesis. It's transmitted just like malaria. Now, the man has no hope. No hope. It's very evident wherever this man goes that he has elephantiasis, or this retention of water in his legs. It's fatal. It's fatal. now let's go on to the next verse and then we're going to go back and read from the amplified bible in a few minutes. a psalm, that is. Got tongue-tied there for a minute. Kai epilambenos, yasato auton kai apalisel. And having answered to Jesus, he said to the lawyers. Now he, he told them something. He asked them a question. To the lawyers, nomikos, the lawyers. those people studying the law, these people that had, like people like that had authored the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud and the Mishnah. Toward the lawyers and to the Pharisees. Pharisees. Here we have Accused Plural Nomikos and Accused Plural Phariseus. and saying it is lawful. Ex este. Is it allowed? And that comes from ecce nabi. It is allowed. Is it allowed in or during the Sabbath to heal or not? To heal or not? But the ones, they were silent. Esus chason. They were muzzled. And having taken, he cured him and he dismissed him. He cured him and dismissed him. Now let's look at the first four verses from the Acts 5 Bible. This chapter is not as long as some of the others we have had. It occurred one Sabbath, when Jesus went for a meal at the house of one of the ruling Pharisees, the wicked men in high places, the wicked men in high places, that they were engaged in watching him closely as a snake would its prey. And behold, just in front of him there was a man who had dropsy. And Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees, it is lawful, is it lawful and right to cure on the Sabbath or not? But they were muzzled. You have seen people that they had a very bad dog and people used to put muzzles on the dogs so they couldn't bite you. Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, when they're taking some of these animals through crowds, they're muzzled. They were muzzled. And they kept on being muzzled and he took hold of the man and cured him in the same way. Verse number five now. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, Marilyn. I know you can read Greek, And to them he said, Of whom of ye? An heir, a son, a firstborn son, or an ox? Now here's two opposite things. A man owns an ox. A man owns an ox, okay? But his son actually owns the man. Now when a man gets too old to take care of himself, His son makes sure that he is taken care of. We have here the contrast between something that is an object of ownership and something that is very precious. An heir, a firstborn son, or an ox, into a pit, the terreir, a pit, a hole, he shall fall. And not immediately, now this is during the Sabbath, and not immediately he shall pull him out in the Sabbath day. In the Sabbath day that he shall pull him out. 14.6 now. Kai uke esh cheson anta po ki thenei pros chalta. and not they were strong enough to reply to Him. Look at that word, they weren't strong enough. They were not powerful enough to reply to the God of Heaven. Jesus took them on face to face, these wicked men in high places, wickedness in high places. They were the rulers. They were the Pharisees. Who killed Jesus? These very people. These are the people that demanded His death. Now Christ's interpretation of the law of Moses from God's view is legalism for arguments and stake only is man made. True humility. The law of God ought to make us humble because we know that we can't do it. We need, number three, we need to respect God and others. Respect God and others because of the law. Number four, giving to others, especially when they cannot return that favor. That's real giving. That's real what we might call liberality. Now, Jesus' message to these people, get it. what I've shown you. Get it? Do you get it? Do you get what I've shown you? That ox represents money. And you're going to pull him out of a hole. And that son represents your whole future. Your life will be carried on through him. The man and the ox, both of them were important to the man because the ox meant money. If he fell in the hole, in the ditch, then he would lose money. But that boy meant everything to him. The ox or the boy? He's talking to these wicked people in high places. Get it. Teach what I tell you, he said, not what the Mishnah and the Talmud say. Teach what I tell you. 14.7, we start actually, let's go back and read this, 5 and 6. And He said to them, which of you having a son or a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a well will not at once pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they were unable to reply to Him. They were not strong enough. They didn't have the ability to reply to this statement. Now we go on to a parable. We're going to have common decency and courtesy. That's what Jesus is going to tell them is how to behave. How to behave. Children go to the somebody else's house. We try to make our Children behave. Don't we? If we go to somebody else's house, we ought to know how to behave. My wife was very caught by an acquaintance we had the other day. She said she kept her place always. She always kept her place. She stood in her place. She never pushed, never was aggressive in any way. She kept her place. That's courtesy. That is what we call civilization. Now let's go on to this. He's going to teach him how to behave. How to behave. Elegim de prostus keclemenus. Parable et pecum postas protoclesios. excel gonto, legon pros autos. And he kept on saying to the ones having been invited, a parable, this parable, noting, noting, and it means upon having, having held the chief seats, they kept on picking out, saying to them. They kept on picking out the chief seats at the feast. You don't pick out the chief seats at the feast. Verse number eight. Potam plethes, he potenathes gumos. me karaklithes eis tein protoklision me pote in ti moteros su e keklemanos hip altu. When ye may be invited by anyone, etiquette, he's teaching them etiquette, When you may be invited to anyone onto a wedding, some type of a party, a wedding or a festival party, not you lay up in the chief seats, the proto-klesion, that come from the first bed, is what it means, first bed. The wedding feast were not at a table as we look at it today. People laid up to the table on like a mattress, so to speak. They lay up there on the left side and reach out and pick food from that way. Their feet would be behind them, not under them. They may lay up in the chief seats, the chief beds really, lest the more honorable man than you, he may be having been invited by them. Don't go up there and take the chief seats. Don't do that. You know me? About 15 years ago or so, maybe 17, 18 years ago, I was invited to, well, I thought it was a Sunday school party. It actually turned out to be a birthday party for me. And there were very important people there at that party. And I am a real good recluse, aren't I, Marilyn? I can just stay away and just sit back and just watch things go on. So in the living room of this doctor there was a great long table and in the kitchen there was another table in a little tiny sub dining room area. I grabbed a little plate, took a little bit of food in and sat down in the sub dining room area. And I go in there, and this woman, this doctor, comes and looks at me and says, Dr. Phillips, you come in here. You're the guest of honor. I said, what? She sat me at the head of the table. And all these other very important people around her, and also people that I know, I took the lowest seat in the house. I took the lowest seat in the house, and I did not expect to be honored at all. It was not until I was leaving that I looked up on the wall and said, happy birthday, Dr. Phillips. I was embarrassed. I felt like a fool. But I was honored. I sure didn't go in there and sit down with my chest sticking out and go in there. I sat in the lowest place. Am I telling the truth, Marilyn? I did that. I sat in the lowest place. And yet I was being honored. Well, they moved me up. I got moved up a little bit. Just a little bit. Let's look at seven and eight here. This is the parable, by the way. A parable of what we call etiquette. Thus I tell you, there will be... No, wrong one. Seven. And he told a parable to those who were invited. when he noticed how they were selecting places of honor, saying to them, this is God's Son talking here to these wicked people in high places, these wicked men. Wickedness in high places. And when you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, a wedding feast, a festival, a whatever kind, do not recline in the chief seat in the place of honor. lest a more distinguished person than you has been invited by him. And we can go back to Proverbs 25, 6, and 7 to look at this. Verse number 9 now. Elton hosi kai alton klesos ad rei si dos tuto topon kai tot arse meta aiskenes ton eskoton topon kata ekein. And having come to one, you and him having invited, he shall say to you, you give this man your place. And then you may begin with shame, the last place to take. The shame, this word here, kata ekein, This last place, this word shame here, this eiskenes, this means disgrace after an act is committed. Eidos. Eidos is before the act to keep from doing something because of the disgrace it will cause. The disgrace is eiskenes. The eidos is something that you prevent being ashamed of. prevent being ashamed of. Ola hotan kleithes, to reithes. Anapeise eston esketon, topon hina hotan elthe ho kekleikos. Si ere su file, prosana bethe. anateron tot estai, si, doxa enopion, ponton ton sina che minon, si. But when you may become invited to lay up, that's what it is, clethes, you may be caused to be invited to lay up, having gone, you lay up and recline in the last place of honor. In order that, when he may come, the one having invited you, he shall say to you, Philae, friend, that's Bacchus singular masculine, Philae, friend, you go up toward the higher place, the anteroom, and then it shall be to you glory, because the master of the feast has honored you himself. You didn't honor yourself, the master of the feast has honored you. The ones having laid up and reclining with you. ὁ τῇ πᾶς ὁ ὀψῶν, ἢ τῶν τὰ πᾶν ὁ θῆσθε, καὶ ὁ τὰ πᾶν ὄν, ἢ τῶν ὁψῶν ὁ θῆσθε. Because every the one exalting himself, he shall be humbled. Cause to be shamed. And the one humbling himself, he shall be exalted. Let's go back and read this now. Verse about. Let's talk, go back to verse number nine. He invited both of you will come to you and say, let this man have a place you have taken. Then with the humiliation and guilty sense of impropriety, you will begin to take the lowest place because all the other places have been taken now. But when you are invited, go and recline at the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, that he may say to you, friend, go up higher, and then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, that is, ranked below others who are honored or rewarded. And he who humbles himself, that is, keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly, will be exalted. in Elevator and Rink. In verse number 12, let's look at this. Elegaim Dei Cai To Caecleto Cotae Auton Hoton Poies Ariston E Deipnon Me Phonei Tos Filus Su Medetus Adelphos Su Medetus Sing And he kept on saying also to the one having invited him. Now he is giving the man that invited him a lesson in etiquette. The wicked man in high places. He's telling them their place. Having invited him, whenever you may make a dinner or a supper, not ye call the one's friends of you, nor the brothers of you, nor the one's relatives of you, that's from born with you, nor unless also they may invite you in return. and it becomes a payback, a recompense to you. Verse number 13, But when a party, a glory time is what it means, that's what it means, a glory time, a glory time, you may make You call and invite. This is imperative, by the way, beggars. Beggars are somebody that don't have anything, period. Many beggars have to be carried where they can beg because they can't even transport themselves there. One's maimed, maybe by some rich man working for him, and now they are very destitute. And one's lame, and one's blind. And happy and blessed ye shall be, because not they shall have to pay you back, you, to pay back. for you in the resurrection of the just. Let's go back and read this now in the Amplified. Let's go back to verse 12. And Jesus said that the man who had invited him, he's instructing the man that invited him to the peace because he was not a good host. When you give a dinner or supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, but perhaps you may invite you in turn and pay you back. If you want to really give glory to God, but when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the destitute, the disabled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed, happy and fortunate to be envied because they have no way of repaying you. And you will be reconvinced at the resurrection of the just. At the resurrection of the just. You will get paid back. This is your 401k. This is your retirement plan. What you do in this world is your retirement plan for all eternity. Our Heavenly Father would send this message out tonight. Father, we ask you to bless it as it goes out. That'll touch hearts. Teach people to understand that we are living in worlds and continents of those that are in high places, that play games at honoring each other. But Father, these are the real way to honor, honor those that are unfortunate. Help them. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.