7 So He told a parable to those who
were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “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; 9 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. 10 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. 11 For
whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted.” 12 Then He
also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a
dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor
rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But
when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the
lame, the blind. 14 And
you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at
the resurrection of the just.”
Commentary
Vs. 7 “So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them,”
Jesus then having healed the man of dropsy on the Sabbath now begins to address another thing He observed when He entered the ruler of the Pharisees house, and that was how those who were invited when they entered all sought for the best places (vs. 1).
Vs. 8-11 8 “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; 9 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. 10 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. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Therefore, Jesus now begins to tell them all a Kingdom parable, and in this He uses the picture of a wedding feast to make His point. And so, Jesus begins by saying that when you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, (though the principal is applicable for any sort of dinner or function or service or ceremony etc.), “…do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 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.” vs. 8-9 Now though Jesus is using a wedding feast to make His point. the application is a universal Kingdom principal teaching us to first be humble and contrite, rather than seeking out the best seats, places, and or positions for oneself. For though one may do so, and one may initially be granted such things, as Jesus reveals here there will be a time when God will come and say to those who have done so, ‘Give place to this man,’ (vs. 9) that is remove yourself from the seat of privilege you sought for yourself, and give place to this man whom I have chosen to sit in it! And so, when that happens there will be individuals who will begin with shame to seek the lowest place in God’s Kingdom. And so rather than having to endure that shame, Jesus says to us all when we are invited to any short of function or feast, first seek out of the lowest place, where no one will take no note of you, and thus where you cannot be put down lower, but only raised higher! For when that happens, rather than having shame, you will have honor in the presence of all! (vs. 10) Jesus then in concluding His parable says: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Thus, if one did not understand His point in His Parable, one can surely understand His explicit Word!
Vs. 12-14 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Having concluded His parable on seeking the lowest place for oneself, rather then the seats of privilege and honor. Jesus now in addressing the one who invited Him to his feast now gives us some great insight into what makes one truly just and blessed in the sight of God. Now in this Jesus says that when one holds a feast one should not invite one’s friends, brothers, relatives or rich neighbors to it, lest they invite you back and you be repaid (vs. 12). Thus, there is no reward from God for doing such things. And so rather than doing that Jesus says, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” vs. 13-14 Therefore being a blessing to those who cannot repay us is what makes one truly blessed in the sight of God, for truly these were the people that Jesus Himself ministered Gospel too (Luke 4:18), and later declared that such are blessed (Luke 6:20-26), for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven; not that one enters it by being as much; but that these God has chosen to be rich in faith (because they are poor in every other way in this life) and thus FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO LOVE God they are heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him (James 2:5). The assembly or church then that focuses on ministering to those who are finically well off then is not only missing their calling, but also, they are missing the blessings of God. For they will not be repaid at the resurrection of just, just as every individual who does not show any care or concern for the poor and needy in this life will also miss out on the eternal blessings of God (consider Prov. 29:7; Matt. 25:31-46).
Scripture Quotations
Commentary
Vs. 7 “So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them,”
Jesus then having healed the man of dropsy on the Sabbath now begins to address another thing He observed when He entered the ruler of the Pharisees house, and that was how those who were invited when they entered all sought for the best places (vs. 1).
Vs. 8-11 8 “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; 9 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. 10 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. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Therefore, Jesus now begins to tell them all a Kingdom parable, and in this He uses the picture of a wedding feast to make His point. And so, Jesus begins by saying that when you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, (though the principal is applicable for any sort of dinner or function or service or ceremony etc.), “…do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 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.” vs. 8-9 Now though Jesus is using a wedding feast to make His point. the application is a universal Kingdom principal teaching us to first be humble and contrite, rather than seeking out the best seats, places, and or positions for oneself. For though one may do so, and one may initially be granted such things, as Jesus reveals here there will be a time when God will come and say to those who have done so, ‘Give place to this man,’ (vs. 9) that is remove yourself from the seat of privilege you sought for yourself, and give place to this man whom I have chosen to sit in it! And so, when that happens there will be individuals who will begin with shame to seek the lowest place in God’s Kingdom. And so rather than having to endure that shame, Jesus says to us all when we are invited to any short of function or feast, first seek out of the lowest place, where no one will take no note of you, and thus where you cannot be put down lower, but only raised higher! For when that happens, rather than having shame, you will have honor in the presence of all! (vs. 10) Jesus then in concluding His parable says: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Thus, if one did not understand His point in His Parable, one can surely understand His explicit Word!
Vs. 12-14 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Having concluded His parable on seeking the lowest place for oneself, rather then the seats of privilege and honor. Jesus now in addressing the one who invited Him to his feast now gives us some great insight into what makes one truly just and blessed in the sight of God. Now in this Jesus says that when one holds a feast one should not invite one’s friends, brothers, relatives or rich neighbors to it, lest they invite you back and you be repaid (vs. 12). Thus, there is no reward from God for doing such things. And so rather than doing that Jesus says, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” vs. 13-14 Therefore being a blessing to those who cannot repay us is what makes one truly blessed in the sight of God, for truly these were the people that Jesus Himself ministered Gospel too (Luke 4:18), and later declared that such are blessed (Luke 6:20-26), for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven; not that one enters it by being as much; but that these God has chosen to be rich in faith (because they are poor in every other way in this life) and thus FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO LOVE God they are heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him (James 2:5). The assembly or church then that focuses on ministering to those who are finically well off then is not only missing their calling, but also, they are missing the blessings of God. For they will not be repaid at the resurrection of just, just as every individual who does not show any care or concern for the poor and needy in this life will also miss out on the eternal blessings of God (consider Prov. 29:7; Matt. 25:31-46).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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