Invited
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:7-11)
The first half of Luke 14 may initially seem irrelevant to our twenty-first century lives - particularly a banquet and wedding celebration with ranked seating. Interestingly, in the story Jesus tells, everyone at the banquet is an invited guest - which should be enough of an honor - yet some assume more honored seating for themselves. Our gatherings today rarely involve such obvious ranking. But there are plenty of occasions where we have the option or temptation to put ourselves first, and there is a thin line between knowing our self worth, and deeming ourselves more worthy or important than someone else. It could be as seemingly mundane as taking the closest parking spot available even if we are physically capable of walking further, or buying all of the toilet paper in stock before a snow storm (or in a pandemic). We reason with ourselves that, if we don't take advantage of the opportunity, someone else with equally selfish motives will. But we fail to realize that we are denying ourselves the opportunities to be God's grace for someone and to see God's grace for ourselves.
God is the host that Jesus was really speaking of, and God will humble those who exalt themselves and exalt those who humble themselves - not as punishment or reward but as a correction of perspective. A life lived in humility will always result in a life filled with contentment and gratitude. By being the followers and imitators of Christ that we are invited to be, we will be sure to see God's good provision that we could never create for ourselves.
12 The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord; the heart has withdrawn from its Maker. 13 For the beginning of pride is sin, and the one who clings to it pours out abominations. Therefore the Lord brings upon them unheard-of calamities, and destroys them completely. 18 Pride was not created for human beings, or violent anger for those born of women. (Sirach, Jewish wisdom book 10:12-13,18)
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