Luke 14:7-11

Luke 14:7-11

And He was saying a parable to the ones who have been called, observing how they were choosing the most important seats at the table, saying to them, “When you should be called by someone to a wedding feast, you should not sit down into the most important seats at the table, lest one more precious than you who has been called by him comes.  And after the one who called both you and him comes he will say to you, ‘Give up this place.’ And then you should begin with shame to have the place of least honor.  Rather, when you should be called, after journeying, sit down in the place of least honor in order that when the one who called you comes he will say to you, ‘Friend, go up to a higher place.’  Then glory will come to you in the presence of all the ones who sit near you.  All who lift up themselves will be humbled.  And the one who humbles himself will be lifted up.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus looks around Him for His next teaching opportunity.  Jesus looks at the rest of the people who had been invited to the Pharisees house.  He notices how they are all scrambling to sit in the places of high honor.  He knows that He can use this to teach a lesson.  Here we see a master teacher at work.  A master teacher doesn’t have to look very far in order to find something about which they can teach.  The added benefit to this is that it helps make teaching relevant to the people around us.

Where do you look for your inspiration to teach?  Do you find that people around you are willing to listen?

Second Thought:

The lesson is simple.  If you think yourself important, you risk finding out that the people around you don’t value you as much as you value yourself.  But if you are willing to be humble, you put yourself in a position to be lifted up to an appropriate level.  It is such a simple lesson.  It feels much better to be lifted up than it is to be put in your place.  The problem isn’t that the logic doesn’t make sense.  The problem is in the execution.  Our brain understands the lesson, but we don’t want to live by it.  We want to be important.  We want to put ourselves in the places of honor and notoriety.

When have you thought more of yourself than you should?  What was the outcome?  When have you been able to genuinely be humble?  What was the outcome?

Third Thought:

Notice that the lesson that Jesus teaches would have likely offended a good bit of the people there.  At the very least, it would have convicted them in challenge.  Remember that Jesus figured out to teach this lesson because He saw people vying for the places of importance.  Therefore, the majority of the people at this feast would be guilty of doing the very thing that He was teaching against.  Jesus isn’t afraid of raising challenge and risking offense.  There are many who will dismiss Him and not listen in their irritation.  However, those who are willing to listen will be challenged and changed because of it.

Are you afraid of challenge?  Are you afraid to teach out of your challenge?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 14:12-14