Daily Devotion

Jesus is invited to a wedding feast and uses this time to teach a lesson He wants to teach. This parable was designed to teach them something other than seating arrangements at a feast. These were invited guests, and it was not up to them to decide where they would sit. That was the host's prerogative. As hard as it might be for any Pharisee to admit it, there just could be someone at the feast who could be considered greater than himself, and the host would obviously want to seat that person in the place of honor.  His parable was designed to teach them something other than seating arrangements at a feast. They hassle over who would sit in the seat of honor, so others would wonder why they were sitting there. 

 

For the third time, Jesus mentioned the fact that the people to whom He was speaking were invited guests. The reason He emphasized their status was that they had no right to seek out the chief seats. Because of their pride, they even failed to exercise the common courtesies expected.  When Jesus said, "Whosoever exalted himself shall be abased," He applied the parable. This principle was not new to the time of Jesus. This applies to one's dealings with people in the world and with God. The parable illustrated how men respond to either pride or humility. God's response is not unlike that of men when it comes to making a judgment of a person's character based on that person's willingness to humble himself or his unwillingness to do so.

 

Life Application: Have you ever been humiliated like the person in Jesus' parable? If so, I trust that only one time was it necessary and that you learned your lesson.

 

Praise/Prayer: Dear Father, again I am so thankful that you sent Jesus to teach us how to live, how to have a right relationship with You, how to walk humbly before the world. The Bible teaches Your children how to live here on earth in anticipation of living with You in Heaven. Please forgive me for the times I didn't live up to Your expectation. I am planning on being in Heaven with You. Amen!