Dinner Plans

Bible In A Year | Read: Luke 14

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 person 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 the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:8-11

Overview of Chapter

The chapter today centers on banquets. For Jews, the Sabbath was a day when no work was to be done. The Pharisees are unhappy that Jesus heals someone on a day of rest. It’s kind of funny that healing on the Sabbath was a bad thing, but throwing a party and making all your servants prepare a meal was good. In Jesus’ day, heaven was thought of as a great banquet. Jesus is again teaching that his banquet will have people at it whom you would not expect. It is people’s acceptance of Jesus that matters, not their status.

Everyone gets their priorities backwards sometimes, just like the Pharisees. We get offended by someone appearing to break a minor rule and overlook our own breaking of bigger ones. Before we start reacting to someone else’s failure, it’s good to ask ourselves, “What would be the loving response in this situation?”

Thoughts on the verses

Chapter 14 opens with Jesus being invited to a meal in the home of a Pharisee (v. 1). Jesus again raises the issue of proper observance of the Sabbath, and the silence of the Pharisees (vv. 4, 6) shows their continued refusal to see what God is doing in Jesus.

Jesus then uses the example of meals to teach an important lesson, not just about humility, but also salvation (vv. 7–11). To choose the best seat at a dinner, next to the host, is to display pride. Clearly Jesus is talking not just about human relationships, but also about how we see ourselves before God. We are gravely mistaken if we believe we deserve to sit next to God. Salvation is by grace to the humble and undeserving. Once we understand this, then we will love and accept others who are undeserving (vv. 12–14).

Action Steps

Bible: What is God showing me?  What am I going to do about it? 

Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.

Have you ever thought it would be cool to hear some C3 leaders discuss the daily verses, share about their lives and mostly just talk about nonsense?  Of course not!…even though nobody has ever thought that we are still doing it.  You can follow along with us each morning in a brand new podcast – Tuesday’s Name It & Claim It…with a side of Humble Pie.