Honor Through Humility

Honor Through Humility | October 23, 2022 Sermon

After healing the man suffering from dropsy at the home of a Pharisee, Jesus saw how the guests were picking the places of honor at the table and was moved to tell a parable that illustrated the people's desire to seek honor. Jesus mentions that there are two ways that people seek out honor: through arrogance or through humility. Jesus encourages the guests to humbly seek out the lesser places of honor, rather than picking the places of honor so that the host won't humiliate them in the presence of the other guests by making them give up the place of honor to someone more distinguished than them. It is better to choose a lower place of honor and have the host move you up to a better place and be honored in front of the other guests. The main point that Jesus makes is that "those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Then Jesus tells the host that whenever he gives a banquet not to invite those whom he knows will repay him by inviting him to a dinner in return, but to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, who cannot repay him, and he would be repaid by the blessing of the resurrection of the righteous.