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.9If 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.10But 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.11For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Humility is hard to come by. It so often seems counter-intuitive, or even counter cultural to assume a position of humility. Instead, our societal pressure is to break through and achieve the "place of honor". Work harder than anyone else, then when you rise to the top you "deserve" the glory of your success, and you should keep it to yourself.
Jesus flipped this around, and basically said to be great in the Kingdom of God, is to take the position of a servant. The bottom of the ladder. If we're honest, we all struggle with this. We all want the glory, and praise of man. Yet, to be a follower of Jesus is to die to ourselves. To take the "Lowest Place" and choose to be a servant of all. If Jesus is our example, then humility is the obvious choice. NOT the easy choice, but the right one. Also, not really a place you "arrive" at, but a direction you're going.
Let's move towards Jesus, and choose to look and act more like him. In how we love, and how we serve others.
Jon
jneufeld@b4church.org
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