The Places of Honor

Illustration of The Places of Honor
Watching guests grab the best seats, Jesus taught that the way up is down: take the lowest place, and be invited higher.

Noticing how guests at a Pharisee's dinner scrambled for the best seats, Jesus told a parable: when invited to a wedding feast, do not take the highest place, lest a more honored guest arrive and you be asked to move down in shame. Instead take the lowest place, so the host may say, 'Friend, go up higher,' and you will be honored before all. He concluded with the principle that runs through his teaching: 'whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'

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Category: Prayer & Humility

Meaning: Do not exalt yourself; take the lowest place, for whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Audience: Guests at a feast

Key Chapters

Luke 14 The Cost of Discipleship 5 min read

Key Passages

Take the Lowest Room

Luke 14:7-11

A7nd he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

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Characters

Jesus Jesus is portrayed in the Bible as the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah whose coming fulfilled Oldโ€ฆ

Themes

Prayer From Moses on the mountain to Jesus in the garden, prayer is the lifeline between heaven and earth. Everyโ€ฆ Humility Moses was the meekest man on earth. Jesus washed feet. Paul called himself the chief of sinners. In God'sโ€ฆ Repentance Repentance in the Bible is not mere regret - it is a complete turning, a change of mind and direction. Fromโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

Jesus told it after watching guests scramble for the best seats at a dinner.

2

Its principle: 'whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased.'

3

The wise move is to take the lowest place and be invited higher.

4

It turns ordinary table manners into a lesson about the kingdom.