A Lesson in Humility
The Son: Meeting Jesus through Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsIn Luke 14:7-14, Jesus warns against the prideful pursuit of status and teaches that true honor comes from humility. He calls His followers to serve those who can offer nothing in return, reflecting His own selfless grace. Through Christ’s ultimate act of humility on the cross, we are invited to find our true value and significance in Him.
Notes
Transcript
Opening Comments:
Opening Comments:
Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word in Luke 14:7-14. If you’re using on of our church provided Bibles, you can find your place on pg. 820.
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,
8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,
9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.
13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Introduction:
Introduction:
Last week, we studied Luke 14:1-6, where Jesus was invited to a prominent Pharisee’s home for a Sabbath meal — not as a gesture of hospitality, but as a trap. The Pharisees brought in a man suffering from dropsy, hoping to see if Jesus would break their Sabbath rules by healing him.
Jesus not only healed the man but also exposed the pride and hypocrisy of His hosts. Their legalism blinded them to the heart of God’s law — love for Him and compassion for others. In their obsession with rules, they valued ceremony over mercy, caring more about their religious image than showing compassion. Jesus’ actions revealed that true righteousness flows from a heart transformed by grace — one that loves God and serves others with humility.
This confrontation leads directly into our passage this morning. As guests began jockeying for the most prominent seats at the table, Jesus told a parable about a wedding feast to teach a lesson in humility.
In the parable, Jesus described a guest who sought the seat of honor, only to be asked to move when someone more important arrived — resulting in public embarrassment. Jesus advised instead to take the lowest seat and allow the host to elevate you, which would bring true honor.
In first-century Palestine’s honor/shame culture, meals like this served as “social currency” — a means of boosting one’s status. Invitations were extended strategically to those who could enhance your reputation in return. But Jesus challenged this self-serving mindset, urging His listeners to invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind — those who could offer nothing in return — because true blessing comes at the “resurrection of the just” in God’s eternal kingdom.
From this parable, we find two valuable lessons:
The Pride of Prominence (v.7-0)
The Wisdom & Heart of Humility (v.11-14)
1.) The Pride of Prominence (v.7-10)
1.) The Pride of Prominence (v.7-10)
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,
At a banquet like this, the typical seating would have been reclining on couches in a U-shape around a large table or on couches around several smaller tables that had been arranged in a U-shape. At the head (Center) of the seating would be the host and on either side of him would be his two most honored guest. The one with the most honor would be to his right, and the next highest to his left. This ranking continued alternating back and forth from left to right with the lowest ranked person being the greatest distance away from the host. The closer you were to the host, the more honor you possessed.
As seating began to unfold, Jesus observed a sort of scramble for the most honorable seats (the ones closest to the host.)
This was pretty typical behavior for the Pharisees and Scribes. Jesus had rebuked them for this kind of behavior before.
43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
Even in Jesus last sermon he would chastise the Pharisees and Scribes for this behavior.
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
To be an honored guest typically meant you either had already honored the host at some point in the past or you were capable of honoring the host at some point in the future. It was all an exercise in self promotion.
The problem with seeking the prominent seat for yourself is that you risk someone more honorable that you coming along and replacing you.
8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,
9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
Why did they do this? Because their intense desire for prominence was born out of selfishness.
Selfishness always enlarges our sense of self-importance and convinces us that we deserve more than others.
For them, receiving honor gave a sense of substance — as if being recognized proved they were valuable. Their thinking was twisted: “If I’m superior to others, I must be of greater value to God.”
But that’s a lie — and one that’s still common today. People chase after recognition, thinking that being seen, being admired, or being praised will somehow validate their worth.
That’s why social media (X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) is as huge as it is.
It’s the illusion that we can find salvation through recognition — eternal life through temporal significance — immortality through notoriety.
A.) The Gospel Exposes That Illusion
The truth is, no amount of applause, success, or attention can secure your standing before God. That kind of recognition doesn’t last — it’s here today and forgotten tomorrow. You can be viral one day and irrelevant the next.
Jesus shows us a better way. The One who deserved the highest seat took the lowest one instead.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, and willingly went to the cross — a place of ultimate shame — so that sinners like us could be lifted up.
Where the Pharisees grasped for honor, Jesus let it go. He didn’t chase after prominence — He chose humility. And because of His humility:
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
The good news is that you don’t need to chase recognition, status, or prominence to prove your value. In Christ, your identity is secure. You don’t have to strive for significance — Jesus has already secured it for you.
So instead of scrambling for the best seat, take the lowest one.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.
Follow Jesus’ example, and trust that in His perfect timing, He will lift you up.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
2.) The Wisdom and Heart of Humility. (v.11-14)
2.) The Wisdom and Heart of Humility. (v.11-14)
A.) The wisdom of Humility. (v.11)
Jesus words in v.11 are the center of the entire passage
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This spiritual principle is woven throughout Scripture
Proverbs 16:18 warns that
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
While James 4:10 urges us to:
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
These Pharisees believed public honor proved their holiness. They thought status and recognition reflected spiritual superiority. But that's not how the kingdom of God works!
You can’t earn salvation,It doesn't come through Maret, good works, or self promotion. It only comes to those who humble themselves before the Lord, and acknowledge their sin and need for His grace!
“Those bloated with the edema of pride will not pass through the narrow gate leading to salvation.”
John MacArthur, Luke 11–17, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2013), 264.
Pride blinds us to our need for Christ. Humility opens our eyes to see ourselves as we really are – wretched sinners in desperate need of God's mercy.
1.) What is humility?
Humility- lowliness of mind. It isn't weakness – it's an honest recognition of who we are before God. Before Christ, humility was viewed as cowardice – something shameful and lonely. After Christ, humility became a mark of godliness.
Humility serves. It willingly helps others without seeking recognition.
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Humility behaves quietly. It’s not showy, arrogant, or boastful.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Humility identifies with others. It embraces a spirit of oneness, not superiority.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Humility confesses. It regularly acknowledges spiritual need and unworthiness before God.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
True humility isn’t thinking less of yourself — it’s thinking of yourself less.
B.) The Heart of Humility. (v.12-14)
12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.
13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Jesus makes the heart of humility clear: it's seen and how we treat others – especially those who have nothing to offer us in return.
The Pharisees strategically invited guest who can elevate their social status. It was all about self promotion – “I’ll honor you then you honor me.”
Jesus flips that mindset on his head. He calls us to serve those who can't repay us – the poor, crippled, lame, and the blind.
Why? Because that's what Jesus did for us.
We were the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. Spiritually bankrupt and unable to repay God in any way end yet by his grace, he invited us to his banquet table through Christ.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
True humility mirrors the heart of Jesus – willingly stooping down to lift others up with no strings attached.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
The heart of humility is embracing the reality that apart from Jesus, we are nothing – and we have nothing. Since we received his grace, we are called to extend that same grace to others.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
The words of Jesus this morning leave us with two clear responses one for those who have yet to trust Christ as their Lord and Savior and one for those who already belong to Him.
For those who have yet to trust Christ: Pride tells you that you're “good enough” on your own – that you don't need to humble yourself before God. Jesus warns that pride will leave you humbled in the end.
You can't earn salvation through status, self righteousness, or reputation. Salvation comes only when you turn away from pride and humbly come to Jesus in repentance and faith.
If you recognize today that you are spiritually poor, crippled, blind, and broken – come to Him. Jesus willingly took the lowest place — not just at the table but on the cross — so that you could be lifted up in Him. He doesn’t just invite you to His banquet; He purchased your seat with His blood. Will you humble yourself today and receive that invitation?
1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)
…“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
2. For those who are already believers: Pride doesn't stop being a battle after salvation. It creeps into our motives, our relationships, and even our ministries.
Jesus calls us to follow his example – to serve those who can't repay us, to embrace the unnoticed work, and to extend grace to those who have nothing to offer us.
Ask yourself:
Who is God calling me to serve — someone who can give me nothing in return?
Where am I tempted to seek attention rather than serving humility?
Am I regularly confessing my dependence on Christ?
The gospel calls us to lay down our pride, embrace humility, and reflect the grace we received in Christ.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
