Greatness via humility

Jesus noticed how some of the guests were choosing the best places, so he told this parable to all of them: ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place. It could happen that someone more important than you has been invited, and your host, who invited both of you, would have to come and say to you, “Let him have this place.” Then you would be embarrassed and have to sit in the lowest place.’ (verses 7-9)

Read Luke 14:1-11

As the French saying has it, the more things change, the more they stay the same. We live in a very different world from that of Jesus’ time, but the desire for prominence in society hasn’t changed at all. Pushy publicity- and status-seekers abound today. In Jesus’ time they just grabbed the places closest to the groom at a wedding feast.

At first glance it seems that Jesus gives some sensible advice on etiquette. ‘Don’t sit in the best seat’, he says. ‘You risk the humiliation of being told to sit further away if someone more important than you turns up.’

Luke, however, describes what Jesus says as a parable, that is, an enigmatic saying, something with a deeper significance than its surface meaning. Jesus is trying to tell us that the person who trusts God does not need to be proud or pushy, and that, in the surprising values of God’s kingdom, greatness consists in being humble.

Great God, teach me to follow Jesus and so to live a life of humble service of others. Amen.

by John Vitale, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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