Luke 14:7-11
7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. 8‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
Blog Discussion Question: What does this parable have to say about the Lutheran tendency of filling in the back seats of the church first?
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7 comments:
Off the top of my head in answer to the question, in the Norwegian tradition most do not want to be noticed in any way. And so, they try to inconspicuously sit in the back row wherever they go. Thus trying their best to not call attention to themselves.
Of course, on the lighter side, it could be they want to be able to sneak out when the last hymn is sung.
Searching must sit next to me at church and notice my timely exits. Though I am not Norwegian, I think Jesus wants us to be humble. It is only when we are at our lowest are we spiritualy our strongest.
I think there can be an equal danger of openly exalting yourself by sitting up front or thinking you are humbling yourself by sitting in the back. One can be easily be caught up in what the "presence of all" thinks rather than the One that matters...the Host.
The Host may be more concerned in your serving rather than your sitting. He chose to serve rather than just SIT behind the man suffering from dropsy on the Sabboth. Verses 1-6.
Well of course PJ we are all humble that is why! JK I highly doubt that! RJQ is right we may think of it as showing others as humbling ourselves, but it is not others that we should be worried about. It is the idea we have in our heads and the attitude towards Christ in humbling ourselves with Him. That is what matters the most. Nice light hearted question to end the week on Pastor J!
Humble is defined as not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive it also is defined as reflecting or expressing. Being humble does not mean not to serve but however you feel comfortable in doing remember the purpose and the One for whom you are doing it for. Sitting in the back, sitting in the front, sharing the message, as long your heart is humble, God will rejoice in whatever way you serve. I am in agreement with rjq.
A new motto: "Be more concerned about my serving and less concerned about my "sitting"! RJQ--that's "one for the books"!!!
The lesson of humility is a very needed character trait! As for Palm Sunday, we are all "the ass that carried Jesus" when it comes to our humility in comparison to Christ's awesome Highness!
I hope that my discussion question brought a snicker or two. If anyone wonders if Lutherans follow the Bible, all they need to do is come to worship at Willow Creek or Benton....at Willow Creek the first 6 pews are almost always empty, and the first several pews at Benton are usually vacant, too. Getting a seat in the back of the church is a hard thing to do...this must be the favorite parable for the members of Benton and Willow Creek.
Now without tongue in cheek, what is going on here in this parable?
Once again, it seems to me that Jesus is making that point that we are who we are in the eyes of God because of what God says, not what we say or what we want.
As a bench sitter on my high school basketball team, I remember scrambling to sit as close to the coach as possible when we took our seats after the time our, hoping that if we were closer we would get in sooner. We all found out it didn't matter. The coach put in who he wanted to put in, not who was sitting closest to him.
It seems to me that Jesus wants us to look at the world who scrambles to grab seats of honor in hopes that those seats will give them honor and prestige. Jesus says, "Why scramble?" What greater honor or prestige could a person have than to be called a child of God....no matter where you sit?
So, we can spend our time, as RJQ says, serving rather than sitting, because we know that there will be a seat for us at the table....take and eat....take and drink....this is my body....this is my blood...given and shed FOR YOU!
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