Humble Honor
As an elementary school teacher, my friend often escorted her students to various other classrooms for subjects such as music or art. When asked to line up to make their way to another room, the fifth-grade students would jockey for position, some scrambling for the coveted spot at the head of the line. One day, Jenni surprised them by having everyone turn around and leading them from what had been—just seconds before—the end of the line. Their shock was audible: “Whaaattt?”
When Jesus observed similar jockeying for position at a dinner table, He responded by telling a parable that undoubtedly surprised His fellow guests. Using a story about a wedding feast, He instructed them to “not take the place of honor” but instead “take the lowest place” (Luke 14:8-10). Christ confounded their social norms by saying that “all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (v. 11).
This kingdom principle can be a difficult one to adopt, especially because our human temptation will be to still focus on “winning” somehow—choosing the last position now so we'll be first later. But Jesus urges us to follow His example and look to Him for help in reorienting our thinking to see being humble, last, and lowly as truly being in the place of honor.
By Kirsten Holmberg- Bread Ministries
Luke 14:7-11 (NIV)
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.”
