7-9 He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, “When someone invites you to dinner, don’t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he’ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You’re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Red-faced, you’ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.
10-11 “When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I’m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”
12-14 Then he turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God’s people.”
Jesus exhorts his disciples to be content to be simply themselves - the acceptance of who they are and they will then become more than themselves.Jesus also mentions that the disciples can experience the blessings from God when they bless those who may not be capable to return the favor. God will reward for what they will do for God's name sake. Jesus warns his disciples that this is a generation of masquerading of somebody, pretending and showing up in order to elevate one's fame before the others. This is also a generation of wanting for a return of profitable reward or benefit from the others when one shows actions and deeds to others. Jesus calls his disciples to live out a Kingdom's life that serves and loves unconditionally as similar to what God behaves toward us, and demonstrates humility as the life of Jesus.
My master Jesus, You call me to live a life following your pattern, a life of humility and sacrifice for the well-being of people and God's glory. Draw me closer to Your divine life and Your Spirit that I can be empowered to follow Your model.
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