In Luke 14, we read an account of a time when Jesus was invited to share table fellowship with Pharisees at a Sabbath meal. He accepted the invitation even though they arranged to have a man with dropsy there, a man with an unquenchable thirst. They did this as a trap at a meal of rest. Jesus walked right into the trap, and healed the man of his dropsy—that man’s desire was fulfilled. His thirst was quenched.
Jesus then turned to address the spiritual dropsy of all the other guests. He noticed that they were positioning themselves to land in the seats of honor. But this thirst for honor is just like dropsy. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.
We are gathered here, on the Lord’s Day, sharing a meal with Jesus. This is a table of koinonia fellowship, which means that we partake of it as those who have been welcomed into a love of all our brothers and sisters in Christ. Whatever the lowest place is here, we should want to take that place. Whatever the place of honor is, we should want that place to go to another.
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There is no problem having dropsy and being at a meal with Jesus. That, by itself, is no defilement. Just know that it is His intent to heal you of it. Do you have burning ambitions? Are you thirsty for honor? Has every honor you have ever received only inflame that thirst even more? Come, and rest. Come, and have your thirst quenched. Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.