Stay Humble, Stay Happy

There are so many profound parables at our disposal in the Bible.  It is quite literally, an embarrassment of riches.  They represent opportunities for people to read what the Son of God has to say about how Heaven operates.  If the majority of the world knew how much of a gift this is, Scripture would be quoted on the nightly news every day.  It is nothing short of God offering you and I the ability to know and understand what it's like to be in His presence.  He certainly didn't have to do this for us; He doesn't owe us anything.  But as an act of love, Jesus illustrated the Kingdom of Heaven to his followers, and then even took the time to explain what he meant when he was done.  Astonishing, isn't it?  So much grace, freely given. 

Luke 14 contains what some call the Parable of the Invited Guest.  It describes a wedding feast where a guest shows up and considers taking the place of honor, which according to Jewish custom, was right next to the host.  The dinner table would often resemble the shape of a "U", with the host sitting at the head.  On either side of the host then, would sit important people of high status - perhaps Pharisees or noblemen.  Jesus warns us, however, that we should not seek to seat ourselves at the head of the table in the high place necessarily.   

Luke 14:8-9 says, "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.  If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.'  Then humiliated, you will have to take the least important place."

Now this idea is counter cultural if we stop to think about it.  So often today, people get ahead by seizing power and then cultivating it selfishly.  On a large scale, consider the garden variety despotic ruler who sets himself up as president or chancellor of a country by force.  Does he not sometimes kill whoever gets in his way?  Or more closer to home, what about that annoying person you work with at the office, who plans and schemes their way up the status ladder?  

The issue comes into play when we realize that the Kingdom of Heaven doesn't work this way.  It would seem that Jesus is telling us that God assigns the glory, we cannot take it ourselves.  Now this message would have seemed odd to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious leaders of the time.  They went to school, studied with masters, and put all their stock and faith in their own accomplishments.  Essentially, they 'bought' their way to the top. 

You will note here that I am not marginalizing working hard and earning a degree.  This is a good thing.  But when you attach your own self-righteous brand of pride and status to your station in life, then we have a problem.  Jesus says instead of assuming that we should take the seat of honor, why not see how it plays out, and allow the host to apply grace as he or she sees fit?  We receive grace, we don't take it.  Doubtless you can see how this parable may also serve as a metaphor for Heaven.  In the Bible, the wedding feast is often symbolic of God's gathering of believers.  The Lord is the host of the party, and He reserves the right (as sovereign king) to ask anyone to sit wherever He wants.  Better if we don't presume ourselves - through a prideful attitude - to be more important than we are.  Much safer to be humble I would think. 

The other thing that happens when we head directly toward the seat of honor, is that we can fall into the trap of believing our own hype.  It's an idolatry thing ... an issue of self-worship.  The 'look at me' mindset seeks to compare ourselves to other people, usually casting ourselves in a more positive light than reality would dictate.  If we see someone else get a pay raise in our office, then we assume we should get one also.  We deserve it more than so-and-so, right?  If we spend time comparing our situation to others, we typically end up miserable.  More often than not, what God has in store for so-and-so wouldn't work for you anyway.  You do your thing, and let them do theirs.  We receive what God gifts to us, and we don't complain. 

As I said before, the Kingdom of Heaven operates differently than life on planet Earth.  Look at Luke 14:11: "For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted."

So what if you are a religious leader, a statesman, or something similar?  Go for the lower position at the wedding table.  Who cares if another person takes the top seat next to the host.  There is an excellent chance that even if the host doesn't ask him to move, he might be thinking it.  How wonderful it is, by contrast, if the head of the household makes his way over to you and invites you to sit right next to him.  The parable tells us that we will then 'be honored in the presence of all the other guests.'  Again, we gladly accept God's grace, we shouldn't try to force His hand.  

And when God promotes you, don't become arrogant.  Don't flaunt it to those around you, as it can be taken away in a heartbeat.  Instead, revel in the fact that you are walking your own faith walk, in obedience to God the Father, in a humble and contrite way.  It's much harder to start a fight with someone who isn't looking for trouble in the first place. 

If we let faith direct our steps, then there is no place for spiritual pride.  We haven't seized power by trampling on others, but rather, we were asked to come forward to sit at the high place during the banquet by the host himself.  Stay humble, and stay happy.  To be prideful and status hungry will usually leave you hurt and embarrassed at some point, not to mention how uncomfortable it is for the other guests at the feast as well.



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