"And He was telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they were picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline at the place of honor, lest someone more highly regarded than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in shame you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who recline at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for it will be repaid to you at the resurrection of the righteous."
Good Morning my beloved,
It is our privilege to welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We're so glad that you could join us today, whether it's your first time or you are a faithful member of our family in Christ, your presence is acknowledged and truly appreciated. If you have recently received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, whether through this ministry or some other, please contact us so that we can include you in our prayers.
I have been so incredibly blessed to have made several meaningful connections, that I wanted to again share with you, so if you're able, please be sure to visit Go Ye Kids children's ministry, Vanessa Taylor has helped us tremendously in providing printable biblical resources for children, many of them free. So, please be sure to thank her and let her know that you heard about her here. And, if you are a Christian parent or grandparent, or just enjoy reading faith based articles, we like to encourage you to visit Andy and the good folks at Christian Grandfather Magazine, and please be sure to let them know that you heard about them here. As Christians, we are a community that loves one another, prays with and for each other, and supports one another with our time, our talents and our resources. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, it's following Christ to love one another that makes us a Christian, defined not merely what we say, but what we do in love.
I believe it's fair to say, that people go to church with the expectation that by following their spiritual leaders, they will eventually arrive at heaven and instead, many will discover they have unwittingly followed their leaders straight into hell. There are many people standing in the pulpits who have absolutely no interest in arriving at biblical truths. For them, it’s "the journey" that matters, not the destination. Abraham is often held up as a model of faith who "set out not knowing where he was going" but instead trusted God’s guidance because he believed in God’s promise. I believe it is important to note, that Abraham's lack of geographical knowledge did not equate to doctrinal uncertainty. He was not wandering aimlessly; he was following God, a very reliable "Divine Guide," toward a promised inheritance.
Sadly, they seem to conveniently forgotten the word that we use in Christian circles to describe a traveler with no destination in sight—lost. I am convinced that the Word of God consistently emphasizes a final destination—Heaven, eternal life with God, by way of the narrow path. In our society, pride is exalted as a virtue and humility is viewed as a weakness. And unfortunately, I believe that we have been given misinformation that has lead us to an erroneous conclusion. Based on all the information that I have found in the Scriptures, true greatness can only be described with one word, and that word would be humility, the attribute that is God so highly esteemed by God. Humility is the first law in ministry, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
We must always speak the truth in love and humility, because we have to preach the Word to the world. So, it's extremely important to have the right message. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to be humble when you know that you’re right? I'm not saying my understanding of Scripture is absolutely perfect, all faithful pastors make mistakes, I'm sure there are errors in my understanding, I'm just not aware of where they are, which is why I pray every day and ask the Lord to reveal to me any errors and correct them, because I don't ever want to be responsible for misdirecting anybody. I can't image anything more horrendous than that, because we all must give an account before God. I have found when you teach the Truth of God with authority, you will always run the risk of driving counterfeit Christians and those who are self-deceived, those misled by false religion, and Christ rejecting unbelievers away, but you will always attract those who desperately want to know God, through knowing and accurately understanding His Word. It doesn't matter what we think God is saying, what does matter what He intends His Word to say. The difference can be eternal. When we love the Truth and because we understand the Truth, we can become intolerant of error and can come across as heavy-handed. So we must be very careful and strive to become models of selfless humility, even though we live in a world that sees humility as a weakness and loves to exalt self. I’ll tell you something, it’s so hard to faithfully follow Christ in the world in which we live. It’s hard to deny yourself, to set aside your own desires, ambitions, dreams and goals, and come naked and empty-handed and penitent, broken and contrite before the Lord, begging for mercy. Humility is difficult. As long as we remain in this flesh, nobody will ever overcome pride, it's an ongoing battle. It's so sad to see so many preachers/teachers exalting themselves above the authority of Scripture, unresponsive to it's divine commands, ultimately reject Christ’s own teaching. When haughty church leaders prioritize "their interpretation" of what Scripture says over arrival at divine biblical truth, what God intended to say, they risk leading people into spiritual confusion and ultimately Hell. When Jesus encountered religious leaders teaching damning error, He didn’t seek to have a conversation to see where they could find "common ground," He boldly confronted their heresy and exposed their dangerous lies. It’s one thing to have a discussion about Scripture, it's another thing to compromise the Truth for the sake of so-called unity with a heretic. The author of Jude described the dangerous trend to contradict the call to "earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" while Paul he warned that many would "will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths" in 2 Timothy 4:4. Elevate Christ, elevate the Gospel, and remember that faithful preachers humble themselves. From the moment you were saved, you were set free from sin and the old you died and you were raised in new life in Christ, created to obey God. You don’t become a Christian, free to believe whatever you want, free to live any way you want by grace. By nature, when you became a Christian, by His great grace, you became a slave of righteousness who obeys from the heart that form of doctrine, the body of saving Truth, into which you were delivered. Your ongoing behavior then determines whether or not you belong to God. Anyone who says he belongs to God and continues to live as a slave to sin is a liar, and does not belong to God according to 1st, 2nd and 3rd John.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father,
Father, thank You every time we gather for Your most precious Word, we ask that through Your Spirit, You would enrich our minds, purify our hearts and make us more useful to You. Thank You for these gracious and merciful warnings, may we learn these lessons of humility well. May we humbly discharge that gift to a penitent sinner who comes to Christ by faith alone as it is needed, as we patiently wait with joy to join the saints in eternal glory. We can’t improve on Your Word, let us lovingly speak the Truth as it is written, just the way that Christ Himself did. Lord, I humbly ask that You would reveal to me any areas in my life where I am not following what Jesus commanded, so that I might repent and seek Him. All this we ask and pray for Your glory, for Christ's sake and Your increase in the Kingdom.
Amen.
Today's Message: A Lesson in Humility and Hospitality
Open your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke, Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14, verses seven through fourteen. I pray that you will follow along with me as I read with an open heart to set the text in minds. Luke 14:7-14.
"And He was telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they were picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline at the place of honor, lest someone more highly regarded than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in shame you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who recline at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for it will be repaid to you at the resurrection of the righteous."
Traditionally, the spirit of hospitality was intended to build relationships, to strengthen bonds family, friends and neighbors, creating lasting connections, whether it's offering a hot cup of coffee, a glass of cool water or hosting a festive dinner rooted in an act of kindness to share joy. However, there are in some instances, cases where the essence of hospitality shifts from genuine expression of generosity and is dominated by a spirit a competitiveness, and is just a pretext for self-aggrandizement, overshadowed by ulterior motives of personal gain, or an opportunity to showcase one's own wealth, status, or superiority. At that point, it loses all virtue, all of its value. It must have been a pretty interesting sight for someone like Jesus, Who was often accused of hanging out with all the wrong people, the dregs of society, the untouchables. The religious leaders were consumed with self-righteous arrogance, elevating themselves above those around them and seeking acknowledgment and prominent positions. We can imagine that He watched as the guests scrambled to claim preferred seats they thought best corresponded to their perceived social status. There were no doubt some who disagreed over who outranked who, which might have resulted in some rather awkward glances at the person who is sitting "in their seat." They needed to humble themselves. So Jesus contrasts this with the attitude God honors using a parable to convey His message, directing His words at their pride, addressing their need to embrace humility and choosing lowliness over self-promotion and self-aggrandizement, to quietly serve without seeking public recognition in order to enter the kingdom of God.
Let's look at verse 7, "And He was telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they were picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them," This occurred during the meal hosted by a Pharisee, where Jesus was a guest, and observed their behavior of vying for the places of honor at the table, the nearer you were to the host, the more honor you had. They desperately sought to be elevated in the eyes of men. He violated their Sabbath tradition, by healing the man with dropsy, but He did not violate the law of God, thereby unmasking their hypocrisy. And, they had nothing they could say, nothing. Now, He's about to speak a parable to the invited guests who refused to embrace anybody outside their spiritually superior circle. The only reason Jesus and the man with the dropsy was there was to set Him up so they could find a reason to accuse Him. The parable Jesus is about to teach parable is about more than table etiquette, it also sets the stage for the call to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, emphasizing that true generosity is not about reciprocity or self-aggrandizement, but about selfless love—giving without expecting anything in return. Jesus is going to challenge these guests—and all us as believers today—we are being called to carefully examine ourselves and honestly examine our motives to see if our actions are coming from a place of humility or spiritual pride. Only genuine humility will lead to true honor and exaltation comes from God, not self, in the kingdom of God. This message is consistently found throughout Scripture: Proverbs 29:23 states: "A man’s lofty pride will bring him low, But a lowly spirit will take hold of glory." In James 4:10, he urges, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." And, in 1 Peter 5:6, Peter writes "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time." I find it terribly disturbing that many Christians today still do their good deeds to be noticed by men. As with the religious leaders in Jesus' day, it's all about keeping up outward appearances.
Verse 8, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline at the place of honor, lest someone more highly regarded than you be invited by him." In first-century Jewish society, seating arrangements were a clear indication of status. The closer a guest sat to the host was considered to be the place of honor, the higher the rank or the more important a person was. The self-important religious phonies driven by pride and arrogance, relished the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, so naturally, they would hurry to secure the best seats, those nearest the host, near the head of the table. Nobody wanted to sit at the other end of the table. The problem comes in verse 9,"and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in shame you proceed to occupy the last place." If someone more distinguished than you had been invited by the host, the host would be compelled to ask you to move saying, "Give this person your seat," forcing you to move to a lower place, which would result in public disgrace, humiliation and shame. And, let's be honest who wants that? Nobody. So, how did a person get to sit in the chief seat? Reciprocation. That was the little game they played. You honor me, and in return, I'll honor you. That's why Paul says in Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves." Don't rush to get the chief seat intended for someone more capable of reciprocation than you are.
Verse 10, "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who recline at the table with you." Rather than hurrying to claim the chief seat, show humility by choosing the less prominent seat—then, instead of facing embarrassment, you will be held in high regard by all. I believe this should serve as a reminder to all of us today that honor is not something to be seized, but something to be received. This isn't just about table etiquette, this is really about the kingdom of God. You don't come rushing into the kingdom displaying pride and arrogance, trying to get the chief seats on His right or His left, only to be told by God, get out of that seat.
Verse 11, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Those who seek to elevate themselves, there will come a time when they will be brought low, they often face the consequences of their arrogance that brings them back to reality. But, when you approach life with humility, you in turn, be lifted up. Embracing humility doesn't mean undervaluing oneself; rather, it involves recognizing one's own limitations, your weaknesses and your strengths with honesty and integrity, which ultimately leads to personal growth and respect. But, in the kingdom of God, those who come in humility, like the tax payer saying "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner," will enter by God’s gracious recognition. Jesus didn't just teach humility, He demonstrated it, when He knelt and washed the feet of the Apostles. When He willingly endured humiliation, rejection, and death on the cross—not out of obligation, but as a selfless act of love and obedience to His Father. From birth to death, Jesus' entire life was a continuous demonstration of humility—not just in words, but in every humble act.
Verse 12, "And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and that will be your repayment." This is not a prohibition to the host against dining with family and friends as some have determined, but rather emphasizing not to practice hospitality merely for reciprocation, societal gain or personal benefit, if you do, your reward will be limited to this life. Jesus is saying that true generosity and hospitality is shown not to those who have the ability to repay, but to those who cannot. God uses pride to bring humility through personal failure, public exposure, loss of status, or divine judgment—seen in historical figures like Pharaoh (Exodus) and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4). In contrast, He lifts up those who willingly submit to Him. This exaltation is not always immediate or visible—it often begins slowly, inwardly with peace, joy, and spiritual growth, and will ultimately culminate in eternal glory (1 Peter 5:6; Philippians 2:9–11).
That brings us to our final two verses for today, 13-14. "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for it will be repaid to you at the resurrection of the righteous." What Jesus is proposing is both radical and counter-cultural. He is recommending that the host replace the exclusive guest lists with inclusive list of the poor, those have disabilities, considered socially, economically, and even religiously "unclean" or unworthy, those who likely have no means of repaying your generous act of kindness, which is completely counter-cultural to the current hospitality of the day. By addressing their pride and self-seeking superiority, and exploited hospitality, where every invitation had strings attached, Jesus is saying "Why don't you humble yourselves," emphasizing that the greater reward comes not from immediate reciprocity, but from divine recognition at the resurrection of the righteous. In other words, if you want to take part in the kingdom of God, then you're going to have to humble yourself because God resists the proud, shifting the motivation for good deeds being done for social gain to true hospitality, which is measured not by what benefits you, but by who it benefits despite your gaining nothing in return. This is a clarion call for us today to open our arms and embrace all the people we stand to gain nothing from.
I'll leave you with the words of our Lord from Matthew 25:35–40, "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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