Take a seat and slow down for a moment while we continue our Advent adventure in Luke 14 today. Once again, Jesus is teaching and telling stories. And once again, two unique parables appear in this chapter, stories not found in the other gospels. Can you identify them?
Today, however, we will focus on the scene where Jesus visited in the home of a Pharisee. Jesus observed that the other guests were vying to sit in the seats of honor at the head of the table. “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed and have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table.”
Of all the people who might have shown up as guests for dinner in that Pharisee’s home, who was more distinguished than the Son of God?
And of all the important people who attended that dinner, how many of them had ever humbled themselves to the degree of being born in a manger or mingling with shepherds?
And according to Philippians 2:5, whom has God now elevated to the place of highest honor, with a name above every other name?
Think back to one honor, small or large, in your past that you are proud of – an educational degree, an award at work, a difficult task completed. Can you humbly offer that accomplishment to God and lay it in the manger this season?
