Luke 14 7–11 records a parable Jesus shared about a wedding feast. He observes how people jockey and compete to get the places of honor, for they will be seen, noticed, and honored there. Then, unexpectedly, He says the opposite:
“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… 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. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:8, 10–11 KJV)
The Big Idea: Jesus is teaching us that the heart posture of the Kingdom of God is humility
Pretending to be humble to get promoted at work or at church later is not this. Humility is the natural outworking of the person who trusts God’s love and goodness for them and wants to put others first in all things.
The world around us teaches us the opposite. The systems of the world often elevate climbing and competing for the best. The one with the highest title, the fanciest office, or the most Instagram followers must be the best.
God’s Economy: Kingdom greatness is found by “laying down our crowns at the feet of Jesus.”
But in God’s Kingdom, the greatest are those who have exalted not themselves but lowered themselves in humble service to God and others.
Humility vs. Self-Promotion
We live in a culture that trains us to feel like we need to self-promote to be seen, to stand out, and to be successful. You hear this preached in the Church (loosely), at work, and even in some ministries.
Jesus is warning us that when we push and pull and self-promote for the seat of honor, we may be humbled and embarrassed instead of exalted. But when we choose humility, God Himself is the One who will lift us up in His time and in His way.
God Exalts the Humble
The principle is this: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). When we empty ourselves and choose the “lowest seat,” we make room for God to fill us with His Spirit and to do the exalting.
Ask Yourself
Are we serving to be seen by others, or do we serve because we love God and are grateful?
Do we crave recognition and attention, or can we simply rest in God’s reasonable opinion of us?
Are we willing to take the lowest place and trust God’s timing to honor and lift us up?
Jesus, our Example
Jesus is the perfect example of this. We see in Philippians 2 7–9 that He humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant, becoming obedient all the way to death—even the death of the cross.
And so, because of His humility, God highly exalted Him.
At church: Choose to serve where no one else wants to. Count it a blessing. Find a place in ministry that most people would consider “behind the scenes.”
In your relationships: Be quick to yield, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Don’t have to have the last word or the best title.
In your heart: Surrender your pride and desire for recognition to God daily. Trust Him to honor you in His way and His time.
The “upper room” is not the way up in God’s Kingdom; rather, the way up is down. We lay down our crowns at the feet of Jesus, and He is the One who says, “Friend, go up higher.”
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 