'When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.” (vv.8-9)
Here in chapter 14 Jesus is teaching on Pride and Humility. While at the home of the Pharisee, Jesus noticed how people strategically placed themselves so as to be in the best places; that is, the places of most honor. In Jesus’ day, the seating arrangement at a dinner showed a definite order of prestige or honor. The most honored person sat in a particular seat, the next most honored person in another place, and so on down the line.
So He told a parable concering a wedding feast, (which was the most important social occasion in Jewish life at that time) saying, "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place." Why? Because if one takes the most honored place for himself, he may be asked to be removed if the host would rather have someone else sit there. Jesus reminded them of the shame that often comes with self-exaltation. When we allow others (especially God) to promote and lift us up, then we don’t have the same danger of being exposed as someone who exalted himself.
How then should we proceed? "When you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (vv.10-11)
Jesus wasn’t merely teaching good manners, but a lifestyle that in lowliness of mind esteems others better than himself. (Philippians 2:3)
The Truth: "For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another." (Psalm 75:6-7)
