18/02/2014
MORAL LESSON TITLED ( THE AMBITIOUS GUEST )
This lesson reinforces the importance of humility in the form of “How to be a guest”. Jesus addresses a trend he noticed (how guests would routinely pick the places of honour at the table) by explaining a far better attitude to his listeners. Jesus advised his listeners on the right attitude to adapt – An attitude of Humility. He explained that when one is invited as a guest to a wedding or any other important event, it is far better to humbly go to the lowest place, and wait to be honoured by your host, who could then place or promote you in a higher place of honour if they so desired. On the other hand, if a guest makes a foolish assumption about his own importance and heads over to a place of honour, he could very well be demoted to a lower place, enduring disgrace, humiliation and embarrassment during the process.
This also brings to mind what Jesus said about how the Pharisees loved the best seats in the synagogue, in the following scripture:
Luke 11:43 (ESV)
“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
This practical lesson on humility is not just for the Pharisees and for the followers of Jesus in Bible times. These lessons and important reminders are as relevant as ever to us today. We do well in God’s eyes when we adopt a habit of being humble, as we are reminded in the scriptures:
Romans 12:3 (ESV)
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
No matter how much God has blessed us, and no matter what he has blessed us with, we should remember that it all comes from God! In a sense, we are “guests” at God’s event – let’s remember to be humble in all we do – God will exalt us and lift us up in due time! But remember, how God exalts us as well as when God exalts us is up to Him, it shouldn't be what we are even focusing on in life. I pray that God will develop in us hearts that will have “pleasing God” as our priority in all that we say and do. I pray that this attitude will reflect in everything we do, and everywhere we go. I pray that we will not be big headed; but that we will display “God” to everyone we come in contact with. Amen!
1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you