7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers[a]or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 14:7–14.
In a world where celebrity culture dictates who we admire, what does it truly mean to be worthy of honor? In our world we would often honor our heads of state and the heads of state from other countries based on their office and position; however, that is not always the case and has significantly eroded over the last couple decades. People from all areas of society chime in to give their opinion on the nature of honor. In modern celebrity culture, people vie for prominent spaces, seeking to be seen with the “right” people. This constant pursuit of image and fan approval can lead to a kind of enslavement, where public perception takes precedence over everything else. However, honor from the perspective of society runs in opposition to what honor means to God. In Jesus’ address in Luke 14, He suggests that true importance is not something to be sought after but rather a recognition that is bestowed upon the humble. We are called to treat others with respect regardless of what they can offer us, embodying a form of honor that is given freely, not earned through strategic connections or a curated image. In a similar way, we don’t utilize our connections for gain, but we treat others with respect regardless of their ability to grant us honor, glory, or power.
According to the Gospel we find that true honor is given, and not sought after. In the parable, Jesus warns us against vying for importance by taking a prominent seat at the party. This type of action opens the potential for public shame if a more distinguished guest arrives. We would be publicly demoted, just as when the host is looking for someone more important to talk to and leave you: this will be a disgrace before all in attendance, as one thought that they were more deserving than in reality they were. The shame is not merely about a lower seat, but that one thought themselves more highly than they ought and was humiliated in turn. By contrast, Jesus advises to allow the space for humility and place yourself among guests that are of lower status. This humble approach in turn can lead to public honor when the host, recognizing their humility, invites them to a space of honor. For in this, humility prevents humiliation, and leads to honor. Real honor will come not from one’s self-seeking choices, but from what is bestowed on one by another. This behavior bolsters the image of someone to others. When we work to claim honor for ourselves, we often humiliate ourselves by placing ourselves in a position that reminds others that what we are truly seeking is to be seen by others as important. When that is our focus we will often risk being shown for the attention seeking that we are not worthy of, and stand in the way of those deserving honor, thus dishonoring God through our action.
Similarly, when we find ourselves in the position of the giver or the host we must hold true to the understanding that when you give, it cannot be for the sake of receiving. Jesus instructs the host, that when giving a dinner or a party, that we cannot be focused primarily upon inviting our friends or relatives or rich neighbors, because they could invite you in return as repayment. This prohibition serves as a critique of doing good mainly for the sake of a tangible, earthly reward, and not an outright prohibition of entertaining friends. Real disinterested goodness is rare indeed; so much of what we do is tainted by the desire that it may benefit us in some way, oftentimes this can even be an unconscious desire. We must strive to rid ourselves from the need to constantly serve our desire for a personal advantage if we want to serve God. This reciprocity ethic is a human tendency to do good things for one’s friends in anticipation of having the favors returned. To break us from this cycle, instead of those who can repay, Jesus commands us to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. These individuals were often considered social outcasts and, by the religious standards of the day, viewed as outcasts from the kingdom, with their afflictions believed to be the result of sin. The Gospel message is directed to these types of people. To eat with such people could result in religious defilement. Therefore, the Israelite desired to only fellowship with others of similar perceived piety. However, Jesus speaks out against this narrow view. This act of inviting those who have nothing demonstrates true generosity which is the compassion Jesus models for us. This selfless hospitality, given without hope of reciprocation, is rewarded by God. The charitable will not lose, but win, by having their recompense delivered by God rather than their guests.
The follower of Christ must strive for humility in all circumstances to elevate the Gospel. Jesus emphasizes that the exalted will be humbled and the humbled will be exalted. Being truly humble is the basic premise for entering the kingdom. Therefore, by striving for humility, followers of Christ align themselves with the fundamental requirement for upholding and demonstrating a core truth of the Gospel. Christ’s counterintuitive advice encourages true disinterested goodness and an approach to hospitality that reverses the trend toward compensatory giving. When you live without expectation of repayment, followers of Christ are promised a blessing as the resurrection of the just from God. This act of inviting social outcasts aligns with Jesus’s own ministry and reflects God’s own generosity and inclusive invitation of us sinners to the eschatological banquet. We elevate the Gospel by visibly demonstrating its message of radical love, mercy, and inclusion, proving that God values those marginalized by society. This applies not only to social situations but also to one’s standing before God. This pure simplicity of Jesus’ laws of the Kingdom of God makes the Gospel’s distinct values evident. When followers prioritize the needs of others and act as servants, they exemplify the unique and transformative nature of the Christian life, thereby elevating the message of the Gospel by living it out in stark contrast to prevailing societal norms.
When I was younger, the age where many of my friends were getting married, I often wondered if I would be asked to be a groomsman. In most cases, I was not, and in some cases I found that I was not even invited to the wedding. The feeling that it gave me was that I was not important to that person. This made me feel small and unimportant. Afterall, I had invited them to my wedding, and some of them were even in my wedding party. However, when listening to Jesus in this passage, I realize I have always been caught up in the give and take of society. I gave and expected to take in return, that was only fair. The reality of the Gospel expects us to set this aside, we are not owed for our giving, but instead our giving must serve the Gospel in our community, not our own enrichment. The world has enough quid pro quo to go around, but what it needs more of is charity and humility. When we start from a position of charity and humility it prevents us from humiliation from thinking that we are more than we thought, but it also allows us to demonstrate the true Gospel in the world. Jesus came to serve those that could not serve in return, and thus demonstrates to us that true giving is done hoping that God’s love comes through and not our honor.
Horizon Community Church 