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Luke 14:7-11, When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:  “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. 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. 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. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus shares a parable about a wedding feast.  He speaks of how the guests vie for the best spots, the ones that indicate honor and prestige.  But that’s dangerous, Jesus says.  For the host may actually find someone more distinguished and ask that individual to sit in the seat of honor.  Then, the one who originally worked so hard to gain that seat will have to sit somewhere less important.  In the end, they will experience humiliation. 

While the advice is wise, Jesus is teaching people to be genuinely humble.  Before Jesus, the whole concept of humility was unusual.  In Roman culture, to be humble was to be weak.  Jesus is saying that to be humble is actually smart.  It is more in tune with what God calls us to do.  In the end, God is going to settle things anyway.  God will ensure that the truly humble person will end up where they are supposed to end up and receive the honor that is theirs.  But those who think highly of themselves and place themselves on a pedestal risk the very real chance of being knocked off.

Are you humble?  I think that’s an important question for us all to ask occasionally.  Do you think you deserve more honor than others?  Where does that thought come from?

Let’s close with Philippians 2:1-11.  Say this as a prayer…

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.