Trust Meنموونە

Where Do I Sit?

Read: “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

Think: Whenever I am invited to a wedding, I find myself drawn to the seating arrangements that have been planned for the reception meal. The hosts take special care to place their guests at certain tables in the banquet hall. When I look at the seating chart, I find that at times I feel important and other times disappointed – all depending on the proximity of my seat to the head table.

Jesus teaches about our need to feel exalted. He warns us that we should be careful not to exalt ourselves, or we may be humbled. As human beings, it is a genuine struggle to not seek a higher position for ourselves. After all, we like being first in line or to have the best tickets to an event. Yet, despite our best intentions, even when we intentionally focus on being humble, we undoubtedly feel proud of our humility.

But this text is not just about being called to be humble. Rather, it is about caring for others with such love that we desire to invite them to take the higher place. Paul affirms this in Philippians 2 where he writes, “in humility consider others better than ourselves.” Jesus even goes a step further by suggesting that when we are having a banquet, we should not just invite our friends but “instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you” (Luke 14:13-14, NLT). Perhaps the main point is that we all have a seat at God’s table, and we should always be looking to invite others to the table – and place them at the most honorable place!

Apply: How easy/difficult is it for you to relate to people that are outside of your normal everyday circles of influence? What are areas of your life that you struggle with a need to feel important or be exalted? In what ways have you exalted yourself?

Pray: Almighty God, thank you for reminding us of our need to live our lives with humility and grace. Grant us eyes to see others in our midst who are in need of an invitation to your table. Empower us with the words to say and the confidence to share our faith freely, so that our words and actions will bring glory to you. Amen.

(Mike Clemmer has been married to his best friend April for 35 years. They have 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren. Mike is the Lead Pastor of Maple Grove Mennonite Church  and a Leadership Minister with Mosaic Mennonite Conference.)