Luke 14 : 7~14

7. When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:

8. "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.

9. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, `Give this man your seat. Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.

10. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, `Friend, move up to a better place. Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.

11. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

12. Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.

13. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

14. and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

There are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last. —Luke 13:30

The values of the kingdom that Jesus came to establish were radically different from those of His day. The Pharisees and teachers of the law clamored for the spotlight and sought the adulation of the crowds. Many of us still do this today in our society.

In Luke 14, Jesus told a parable that taught His followers not to be like them. The parable talks about people who chose the most honored seat for themselves at a wedding feast (vv.7-8). He said they would be embarrassed when the host asked them publicly to take their rightful place (v.9). Jesus went on in His story to talk about whom to invite to such dinners. He said they shouldn’t invite friends and family, but “when you give a feast, invite the poor, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (vv.13-14).

Are you disappointed because you have not broken into the more successful group in your school or neighborhood? Are you disappointed because you’re not in the popular crowd at school or among the elite who’re climbing the social ladder? Listen to what Jesus said: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (v.11). That’s the radical and upside-down way of God’s kingdom!

Our attitude should be the same as the attitude of Jesus Christ: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.

Jesus provided such an incredible model for us to follow. Throughout eternity, Jesus has enjoyed eternal power, glory, honor, praise, and exaltation in heaven, but He left it all to identify with us--poor, weak, broken, rejected, hopeless vessels of clay—so that we might become spiritually rich, strong, healed, hopeful, and accepted children of the King. Thank you Jesus for all you’ve done for us. We should not forget His unmerited grace and become proud of our blessing, as if we earned them. We should be humble, like Jesus as obedient servants of the Father.

In Christ’s kingdom, humility trumps pride every time. Jesus promise eternal rewards to those who deny self and take up their cross and follow Him.