Luke 14:7-14 — The Cool Kid Table

READ THIS: Luke 14:7-14

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 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.” 

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

In case you didn’t read yesterday’s devo, Jesus is currently at the home of a Pharisee for a meal! Verse 7 says that Jesus noticed how the people there were all trying their best to sit at the “places of honor at the table.” It kind of reminds me of the “cool kid table” that we are all likely familiar with, especially from our middle school days! Jesus speaks up about this and reminds us of an important lesson on humility. He says that we should place ourselves at the lowest place we can be when we are with others, not fighting for the most important places. By doing this, people will often see us and raise us up to places of honor rather than seeing us desperately chasing after the highest places and being moved down.

But is that really the point here? Pretend to act humble just so that we can be exalted? NO! We see this in the second half of this passage. Jesus wants us to stop caring about things like worldly honor, high positions, and worldly riches because they all mean nothing compared to how we will be repaid “at the resurrection of the righteous!” If we spend our lives following Jesus, loving others like He does, and caring for the outcasts rather than seeking worldly praise, God will give us a reward that matters so much more: life forever with Him. If you are spending more time worried about your position here on earth than your relationship with Jesus, you are missing the point, just like the Pharisees!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Have you ever been worried about your status or position in a friend group? Did that worry ever lead you to act in a way you shouldn’t have?

2. When you feel tempted to focus more on worldly positions than your relationship with Jesus, what can you do to remember what really matters most?

TRY THIS:

Jesus’s version of the cool kid table was a lot different than ours… He hung out with outcasts, sinners, and complete strangers! Today, make your own cool kid table! Try to sit with someone or a group of people that you don’t know as well, whether that is at school, work, or somewhere else!