In this parable (Luke 14:7-11), we must be careful about self-promotion, which is rampant in the American church.

Don’t push and elbow your way to the top. Humble yourself and let God exalt you.

Before we begin the exegesis …..

Quick definition of a parable:

Literally, the word parable (parabolē in Greek) combines para– (pronounced pah-rah) and means “alongside” and bolē (pronounced boh-lay) which means “put” or even “throw”). Therefore, a parable puts two or more images or ideas alongside each other to produce a new truth. […] The Shorter Lexicon says that the Greek word parabolē can sometimes be translated as “symbol,” “type,” “figure,” and “illustration,” the latter term being virtually synonymous with parable.

For more information on what a parable is and its purposes, click on this link:

What Is a Parable?

The translation is mine. If you would like to see other translations, click here:

biblegateway.com.

If you don’t read Greek, ignore the left column.

I often quote scholars in print because I learn many things from them. They form a community of teachers I respect (1 Cor. 12:28), though I don’t agree with everything they write. But they do ensure I do not go astray. There is safety in numbers (for me at least).

Now let’s begin.

Parable of the Lowest Seat (Luke 14:7-11)

7 Ἔλεγεν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς κεκλημένους παραβολήν, ἐπέχων πῶς τὰς πρωτοκλισίας ἐξελέγοντο, λέγων πρὸς αὐτούς· 8 ὅταν κληθῇς ὑπό τινος εἰς γάμους, μὴ κατακλιθῇς εἰς τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν, μήποτε ἐντιμότερός σου ᾖ κεκλημένος ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, 9 καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ σὲ καὶ αὐτὸν καλέσας ἐρεῖ σοι· δὸς τούτῳ τόπον, καὶ τότε ἄρξῃ μετὰ αἰσχύνης τὸν ἔσχατον τόπον κατέχειν. 10 ἀλλ’ ὅταν κληθῇς, πορευθεὶς ἀνάπεσε εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον τόπον, ἵνα ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ κεκληκώς σε ἐρεῖ σοι· φίλε, προσανάβηθι ἀνώτερον· τότε ἔσται σοι δόξα ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν συνανακειμένων σοι. 11 ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.

7 He proceeded to tell a parable to those who had been invited, when he observed how they were choosing the first seats, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding, don’t sit down in the first seat, in case someone more honored than you has been invited by him, 9 and the one who invited you and him comes and will say to you, ‘Give the seat to this one’; and then in shame you begin to take the last seat. 10 Instead, when you are invited, go and take the last seat, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, come up here to the first seat.’ Then there will be honor for you in front of all those seated with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and the one who humbles himself shall be exalted.”

This parable has a larger context. Please click here to read about it.

Luke 14

We are still at the dinner provided by the Pharisee and his friends—other religious leaders.

Let’s interpret the parable verse by verse.

7:

Jesus observed things going on around him, another sign that he was very bright. He was socially aware. Many people just put one foot in front of another and don’t notice the finer things of life and people’s behavior. He did, however.

8-9:

First-century Israel was an honor-and-shame culture. If you become shamed, then the social stigma was powerful.

“give the seat to this one”: This one is the more honored guest than the lowly man who was seeking to horn in on the prominent seats.

“you begin”: it was added in order to prolong the humbling as you walk to the far end of the table.

Honor and shame were matters of life and death, and saving one’s face was more important than garnering wealth. Jesus wishes to wake up his audience to life and death issues that are truly life and death with eternal ramifications. If self-admiration and exaltation can lead to disastrous consequences in human social settings, it will lead to even more disastrous consequences in the final judgment. (Garland on 14:8-9).

10:

The opposite scenario is presented with a strong contrast: “instead.” You are supposed to take the lowlier seat. The host will recognize your importance and call you up to the front or first seats. I can add that he may leave you at your humble spot, and if that happens, then at least you are not humbled in front of the others. But Jesus’s illustration shows you being honored. “Honor” could be translated as “glory.” But it’s best, culturally speaking, to keep it as “honor.” You get the social honor as you walk towards the chief seats in front of all the guests.

“There will be honor for you”: this is another divine passive. Stein is right: “In the parable the honor came from the host who publicly acknowledged the humble guest. In the reality part of the parable the honor came from God, for the passive ‘will be honored’ is a divine passive” (comment on v. 10). Recall that a divine passive is an understated way of saying that God, working behind the scenes, is the one giving you honor. God is the one who promotes you.

Morris quotes Rabbi Akiva (Akiba), who lived later than Jesus and who is reported to have said, in order to advise guests to take the lower seats: “Better that people say to you ‘come up, come up,’ and not to say to you, ‘go down, go down’ (Leviticus Rabbah I.5)” (comment on v. 10).

11:

Here is the payoff or punchline. This is another verse spelling out the Great Reversal. In Luke 1:51-53 Mary sang that Jesus and his kingdom would exalt the poor and humble, while the rich and powerful will be demoted. In Luke 2:34 Simeon prophesied that Jesus was appointed to be the “falling and rising of many.” Now it is expressed in self-exaltation leading to humiliation, while self-humbling leading to exaltation.

So we have more instances of divine passives. The kingdom of the real and true and living God is about humility and then allowing God to promote you.

GrowApp  for Luke 14:7-11

A.. Study 1 Peter 5:6. Why is it important to humble yourself before God?

SOURCES

At this link you will find the bibliography at the very bottom.

Luke 14