#1400 Luke 14 Part 2 Front Row

 

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.” Luke 14: 7-11 ESV

Luke 14: 7-11

Now He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor -  So many people, myself included, think of parables as a mysterious way of teaching, like why don't you just come out and tell them how arrogant and vain they are? But there is a humility inherent to teaching this way, showing someone a truth without immediately putting them on the defense. Sometimes the offense still comes, but often because of the conviction that is realized as they contemplate and understand the parable. Other times there is conviction that leads to repentance. We are only responsible for what we say and how we say it; it has to be the truth and it has to be given in love. 

So the Lord sent Nathan to David. Nathan came to him and said, “There were two men in a certain city. One was rich, and the other was poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cows, 3 but the poor man had only one little female lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up in his home with his children. She would eat his food and drink from his cup. She rested in his arms and was like a daughter.

4 “Now, a visitor came to the rich man. The rich man thought it would be a pity to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler. So he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared her for the traveler.”

5 David burned with anger against the man. “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” he said to Nathan, “the man who did this certainly deserves to die! 6 And he must pay back four times the price of the lamb because he did this and had no pity.”

7 “You are the man!” Nathan told David. “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave you your master Saul’s house and his wives. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this weren’t enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise my word by doing what I considered evil? You had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle. You took his wife as your wife. You used the Ammonites to kill him. 10 So warfare will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

11 “This is what the Lord says: I will stir up trouble against you within your own household, and before your own eyes I will take your wives and give them to someone close to you. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did this secretly, but I will make this happen in broad daylight in front of all Israel.”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” 2 Samuel 12: 1-13

When He noticed how they chose the places of honor - This part probably needs a little explanation. So remember the Pharisees, and this is the home of a very prominent and wealthy Pharisee, and so the seats of honor would be ranked by their closeness to such an "important" host, or how close they were to a special guest dignitary. In our culture it would be the seat closest to the wealthiest, the most famous actor or influencer, the CEO of the company. For the churchy types it would be the most famous preacher, Christian athlete or musician, not so different than the worldly there, eh? It's not wrong to want to meet someone, to admire someone's talent or what they do for the community, but Jesus is pointing out the flaw that these seat seekers are engaging in. They think that being close to this person elevates them, makes them someone of importance too.  They would take the seat over character, and sadly, earthly seats aren't barricaded in such a way that it requires character to achieve them. Many pay their way in, many have vanity project books written about them bein men and women of character, they enter a circle of butt kissers and compliment seekers, and this is their currency. "If you hold me up, if you make the things that I have important then I will make the qualities that you have seem important. If people say that character and integrity are important, if those words come back into fashion, then I will tell them that you own those things if you tell them that I do." I have been in the corporate world too long.

38In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, 39and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”… Mark 12: 38-40

To a wedding feast - These were the most notable gatherings of the day, like when people got invited to Charles' and Diana's wedding, for the socialites it's a place to not only be, but to be seen. You could determine someone's social ranking at these Jewish weddings by where they were seated. There is also the Wedding feast of the Lamb, and no amount of self promotion will help you there, for there is only One invitation and that is extended through Christ Jesus by the calling of God and the regeneration of the Spirit. Whatever title you may have held or respected here, may carry only a more harsh judgment with it. The approval of men is still not the approval of God, and men are easily swayed. 

…7Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. 8 She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints. 9Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”… Revelation 19: 7-9

Do not sit down in a place of honor - I get told all the time, you need to mingle more, you need to show up at this gathering or that pep rally. Everyone who is anyone will be there, this could help your career. Try to sit close to this guy, get up towards the stage, the front row. You need to get more face time with the important people. You need to learn how to promote yourself, talk about your achievements. They're silly, I already sit with the most important people, and I am honored that they would have me. They are the ones that fix the rides, that deal with the guests, that make things safe and enjoyable. Without them the park doesn't open, the rides are down, no food is made, our guests, the people who make mine and everyone else's paycheck a reality, are disappointed, and yet we need them to come back. We need them to tell other people what a fun time they had, and I know the people who make that all possible. Remember, Jesus was all about self denial, not self promotion. He is the epitome of humility, God stepping down and becoming man, living amongst the poor and overlooked. I wonder where this Pharisee seated God?

…6Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men; 7for it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!” than that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince. Even what you have seen with your own eyes, Proverbs 25: 6-7

Mattoon - Jesus begins to teach and deal with a spiritual problem in the lives of these people. He is not trying to hurt them. He is trying to help them by pointing out improper behavior and how to avoid "losing face," as the Japanese or Chinese would say. (Ed: And I would add how to avoid losing their soul eternally!) (Treasures from the Scriptures)

Do not take (kataklino) the place of honor (protoklisia) - Vincent remarks that "The Greek writers refer to the absurd contentions which sometimes arose for the chief seats at table. Theophrastus designates one who thrusts him-self into the place next the host as mikrophilotimos, one who seeks petty distinctions." (petty ambitions) By way of application the one who chooses to take the place of honor is the self-righteous person, the one who thinks they deserve or in some way have earned the place of honor. They seek to be righteous before men, but not before God. - Precept Austin

Give your place to this person - How embarrassing, it turns out that you weren't as important as you thought. You played the game, but someone played it better maybe. In God's kingdom there is no game though, so walk in integrity before Him. Here, in this place, don't take offence at where men seat you. It always bugged me in the business world, the world in general, how much people revered titles and person. You would see a man have an argument by way of facts and the truth, but be trumped by someone's title. I have seen better men fired by lesser men, and it is always disturbing, but I take care now not to care where they seat me. I have seen who they honor, and so it is meaningless for them to honor me. I want the honor that comes from God. 

So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown[a] is set. 9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

12 Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. Esther 6: 6-12

Mattoon - Albert Einstein was right on target when he said, "Try not to become a man of success, but try to become a man of value." Beloved, love, kindness, godly wisdom, gentleness, helpfulness, holiness, unselfishness, and Christlikeness make an individual a person of value. On the other hand, when we exalt ourselves, like these guests, we damage our testimony for Christ and hurt other people. (Treasures from the Scriptures) - Precept Austin

Sit in the lowest place - It's really quite beautiful, less stressful, for no one else wants it because they think humility is a bad thing, unless it's false humility, because people will recognize that. If you are set upon the high seat, and this was a good lesson for His disciples as well because they sought the prominent seats in glory, but you come into the danger of competing with others rather than your old self. You end up trying to prove why the other man is less deserving than you rather than doing what is deserving in God's eyes. You become a slanderer, a politician, and bitter. 

…9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. 11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.… James 4: 9-11

…43But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”… Mark 10: 43-45