⏱ 8 min read

• Did you know Jesus was a regular invited guest at dinners and parties? (Matt 9:10-12; Luke 7:34)
• Anyway, Jesus had earlier been invited to a Pharisee’s home for dinner (this was when the woman with the alabaster box honoured Him – Luke 7).
• This time, a prominent Pharisee invited Jesus to his home specifically to trap Him into saying or doing something for which He could be arrested:

It happened one Sabbath, when He went for a meal at the house of one of the ruling Pharisees, that they were watching Him closely and carefully [hoping to entrap Him]. ~ Luke 14:1

• Dear friend, I want to remind you that everything Jesus went through is the surest prophecy of our lives.
• As such, there are people in our world watching you and I closely and carefully, hoping to entrap us.
• Unless of course you’re not following Jesus’ life and living like Him (In that case, you’re exempted from all these).

Now it may be surprising to see Jesus on the Pharisees’ turf after He had criticized and denounced them so many times. But Jesus was not afraid to face them koraa [at all]; even when He knew that their purpose was to try and trick Him into committing an offence.

• Jesus knew His assignment and was bold in carrying it out even in the face of opposition. We call it being devoted to a cause! Be bold!
• One time the Pharisees told him: “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
• Jesus replied saying: “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’

I pray for this kind of devotion, boldness, courage, and fearlessness to pursue my God-given assignment. And we pray the same for you: “And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.“ (Acts 4:29)

Now at this entrapment dinner, Jesus rather made some observations and gave them practical wisdom and direction for life in God’s Kingdom. I want us to consider just one of them:

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “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.

But 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.” ~ Luke 14:7:11

• The lesson here is about humility: to be humble is to take the lowly place or position.
• You see, pride is an invisible evil in every man (you just have to be a human being to be proud)…
• And it is very difficult to diagnose and fight (very few people admit their pride and seek God’s help to deal with it).

Jesus helps us to diagnose this invisible evil in you and me and He shows us one aspect of what it means to be humble. To be humble is to take the low position. And the lowest position is that of a servant.

• Remember, that you and I have been invited to God’s marriage feast (Luke 14:15-23), so this instruction applies especially to us.
• In God’s Kingdom, do not seek titles and positions of honour. Rather, choose the lowly position of service.
• Be deliberate about this and look for ways to serve wherever you find yourself (church, work, school, home, etc). God Himself will exalt you.

I believe that in God’s kingdom, everyone can be great! Why do I say this? Because everyone can serve! You don’t need talent to serve; you don’t need spiritual gifts to serve; you don’t need titles and ordinations to serve… Everyone can serve – if they choose to – and so everyone can be great!

Dear friend, Jesus left heaven and took the low position of being a man. And in the form of man, He chose the low position of a carpenter and to be born in a manger, surrounded by smelly farm animals (After 2000+ years, it is still a low position that none of us will take).

• Think about it; where and who would you choose to be born to if you had the power to do so?
• When people needed a bed fixed; they’d go and call Jesus.
• When they needed a kitchen cabinet, dining table and stools; they’d send for Jesus.
• When they needed to repair a broken roof; they’d go and call Jesus. Eish!

This was the main thing He was known for in His hometown; a servant carpenter (Mark 6:3). Until one day (at age 30), God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He got a new nickname: Christ (which means the anointed one!) I see you being anointed also!

• From that day, come and see Jesus. Aish! Full of anointing, moving about doing good, preaching and teaching with authority…
• Casting out devils, healing the sick, working miracles, signs and wonders (Acts 10:38).
• He changed from Jesus the Carpenter to Jesus the Christ. But even then came more humble service, to the point of dying on the cross…

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:4-8)

• Jesus’ life was characterised by choosing the low position of service, even to the extreme: death of the cross (which was the lowest and most degrading form of punishment).
• Extreme service and extreme obedience! This is the same humility He calls us to emulate.
• “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart...” And guess what happened after He took all these low positions..:

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11)

• Dear friend, I see you being highly exalted and greatly honoured as you humble yourself and serve faithfully.
• There should be nothing so low or menial that you can’t do. Rather, look for those servant tasks to do and do them faithfully. God will exalt you!
• Remember, Jesus said that to be humble means to take the lowest position.

From today, in what way(s) can you humble yourself and serve where you find yourself? Which are the lowest and servant tasks you can identify and serve in? Get ready for a lifting! Heyy… you’re blessed!