The Parable of the Best Seats

Mike Johnson

“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 14:8-11)

Jesus taught on many subjects during the time He lived on earth.  One topic, which He spoke on a great deal, was humility.  The proud and arrogant Pharisees of His day needed teaching on this subject, and He addresses this issue in the parable above.  The principles taught here are also desperately needed in our time.

The Occasion

 Luke 14:1 tells us that Jesus had come to the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath day to eat.  The same verse says they watched Him while He was there.  It seems they were trying to find some fault with Jesus so they could criticize Him, hurting Him in the people’s eyes.  We read further that there was a man present with dropsy.  So Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?”  He then healed the man and defended what He did.

Verse seven says, “So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places . . . .”  To begin with, Jesus does refer to Luke 14:8-11 as a parable.  It is different (in form) from some of the other parables, but Jesus does refer to it as that.  Also, we see that the parable came about when Jesus noticed how the people at the feast “chose the best places.”  The NASB renders it, “When He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the tables . . . .”  Neil R Lightfoot, in his book Lessons from the Parables, points out some facts about the ancient practices.  He said:

It is well-known that the ancients in Greek and Roman times ate their meals in reclining positions on low couches drawn up against low tables. Ordinarily, the tables were U-shaped, which allowed the servants to serve food about the table with ease.  At the head of the table was placed the honored guests . . . On his right and left were placed the next most honored guests, and the others were seated around the table in descending order of importance.  (Page 95)

Further, we learn that the hosts did not always announce the exact time of the meal, so the Pharisees would arrive at various times and try to time their arrival to make a grand entrance and receive the chief seats.

The Parable

Jesus had watched the pompous people vie for position at the feast.  Because of their pride and arrogance, they would thrust themselves to the forefront by seeking to occupy the chief seats.  Seeing this, Jesus instructed them on how to act appropriately.  He said they were not to immediately sit at the most important place when invited to a wedding feast.  Following this course of action might cause embarrassment as the host could ask them to move and go to a lower position when a guest with more honor arrives.  The proper response would be for the individual invited to the feast to take the lowest seat.  If the host chose to do so, he could ask him to move to a higher position.

When the host asked the guest to advance, those present would look at him favorably.  Therefore, it would be better to start low and then be asked to go higher than to start high and be asked to go lower.

Application

 Jesus presented His main point in verse 11 when he said, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Today, this same principle is true.  From time to time, we see religious people praising others for their humility.  Even many non-religious people recognize the value of humility and its desirability over pride and arrogance.  In that sense, those who are humble are often exalted.  Another explanation, perhaps the primary way Jesus had in mind, would be from a spiritual standpoint.  God views those humble here on earth positively and will ultimately exalt them.  They will eventually receive eternal salvation, and thus God will exalt them.

The Bible warns us that we must be humble.  Ephesians 4:2 informs us we are to walk with all lowliness and gentleness.  1 Peter 5:5 reveals that we are to “be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”  In Matthew 18:3, Jesus taught where true greatness lay when He revealed, “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus frequently taught the necessity of humility.  He was humble himself, and He expects us to follow His steps.