The Parables of Jesus - The Wedding Feast

Introduction

This morning, we are going to look together at a parable that is part of a series of teachings concerning what Jesus came to reveal in the world, namely the Kingdom of God and the character of God that should be reflected in those who belong to Him, those who have been touched by His Word, convinced of the truth, and who have believed in Him and have therefore been justified by the Father.

Today, we are going to look at one of these characteristics, which is humility.

According to the dictionary, humility is the recognition of one's limitations and the refusal to place oneself above others. However, according to the Word of God, humility goes much further than that. It consists of recognizing that God is sovereign, that everything comes from Him, and that the highest place belongs to Him alone.

It is this humility that, of course, characterizes Jesus throughout His entire ministry, so that those who follow Him may understand that life is no longer about self, but rather about complete submission and sincere dependence upon the holy will of God.

This is not a burden in our lives, but rather a constant joy produced by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

This parable shows that biblical humility is completely contrary to the humility promoted by the world, for it does not place ourselves before the eyes of others, but instead places God first in all things and in every circumstance. This highest place belongs to God alone.

More specifically, in this parable, Jesus shows that social advancement is not the issue, but rather the exaltation that is desired and directed by God in order to reflect the glory of His beloved Son.

Yet there is also a false humility, one that may appear pious and honorable from a human or outward perspective. But in reality, it only comforts and feeds our flesh while presenting a religious image that is completely contrary to what God desires.

God desires self-denial and a diminishing of our own importance so that Christ alone may be exalted in our lives upon this earth.

So then, how can we reconcile being a child of God, grateful and full of joy, while at the same time remaining humble, submissive, and not seeking to shine before the eyes of the world?

Well, we are going to see that together this morning.

Yet the answer is simple: the One who must shine is Christ in us, the One who died and rose again, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, and who intercedes for us so that we may have eternal life with Him.

Teaching

Reading of the Context of the Parable – “One Sabbath, when He went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching Him carefully.” v.1 (ESV)

Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem and, throughout His journey, He encounters Pharisees on several occasions. These religious leaders continued to observe Him closely and examine His teachings. 

One of them invited Him to a meal on the Sabbath day, as was the custom in Jewish tradition, in what seemed to be a friendly and intimate setting, in order to know Him better and to watch Him more carefully.

The word “watching” comes from the Greek word paratēroumenoi, which means to observe carefully, to inspect closely, often with a hidden motive. It carries the idea of looking for evidence against someone or seeking an opportunity to accuse them.

The Pharisees were not simply listening to Jesus. They were looking for a reason to make Him stumble according to their understanding of the Law and the Prophets.

This attitude reassured them in their own religious behavior, which was not truly for the glory of God. They professed to worship the Creator, yet their actions often stood in opposition to what God required.

It is at this very moment that Jesus performs a miracle that leaves the Pharisees speechless as He heals a sick man before their eyes. Through this act, Jesus once again reveals that the mercy of God is greater than the religious traditions to which the Pharisees were so attached.

Now that we have seen the context in which Jesus finds Himself, we can better understand what the message of humility in this parable meant to those who first heard it, and what it still teaches us today. Let us now read the parable.

Reading of the Parable – “He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ‘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, 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. 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. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” vv.7-11 (ESV)

Let us now take this passage verse by verse in order to better understand what Jesus is teaching us here.

“He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them:” v.7 (ESV)

Here, Jesus speaks about people who have been invited to a wedding feast. They have been invited to a day of celebration, a unique occasion marking the union of a husband and a wife.

Yet despite the fact that everyone received the same invitation, Jesus highlights two different categories of people through their attitude before God.

The first category described in this verse is made up of those who choose and take the place of honor for themselves. They consider themselves to be the most important among all those who have been invited.

They did not wait, as was the custom and still is today, for a servant of the master to assign them their place and give them the seat they were meant to occupy. 

Instead, they took for themselves the seats reserved for important people, the places seen by everyone, close to the bride and groom, where social or religious importance could easily be seen and recognized.

Yet God does not look at outward appearances. He does not look at the way a person dresses, nor at social status, nor at financial position. The highest place according to man is not necessarily the place that God gives in His Kingdom. The standards of God are not the standards of men.

Throughout the Scriptures, God repeatedly shows us through the words and ministry of Jesus that His attention is often directed toward the weak, the sick, the rejected, and those without hope in this world, people who humbly wait for God to place them where He desires them to be. The Jesus says to them:

“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.” v.8 (ESV)

The place of honor at a wedding feast was something very important in Jewish culture. It was a position of respect and distinction among the guests. Yet who truly knows the guest list except the master of the house himself?

When we are invited somewhere, we should follow the order that has been established rather than taking a place that may not belong to us. Is that not true?

Do we know the list of guests today? No. Yet we do know the place we are called to take: the lowest place, symbolizing humility before all people and in all circumstances.

It is interesting to note that Jesus says, “When you are invited.” He is speaking about future occasions when someone may invite them—or us—to a wedding feast or an important gathering.

In other words, Jesus is not only addressing the religious leaders before Him, but teaching a timeless principle that every disciple and His Church are called to apply.

What Jesus teaches here is later repeated by two of His closest servants: James, the brother of the Lord, and Peter, the one who was entrusted with shepherding His flock.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:10 (ESV), and again “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)

When Jesus speaks of “someone more distinguished than you,” He makes us aware of the danger of comparing ourselves according to the standards and values of this world.

Today we may be at the top of the social ladder, yet tomorrow we may find ourselves at the bottom, tossed about by the circumstances and trials of life. But when we willingly take the lowest place, the fall is often far less painful.

“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.” v.9 (ESV)

Jesus shows us here that He is the Master who places and who removes according to His own will.

God can and does remind us that He reigns over our lives. He alone raises up and brings low. God has invited us to His wedding feast, and it is our responsibility to submit ourselves to His perfect will.

When we become children of God, our values change, our priorities change; indeed, everything changes. We become new creatures, walking in obedience and in the hope of His return.

Perhaps before coming to Christ we held an important position, or perhaps we considered ourselves important because of a particular role, achievement, or social standing.

Yet God desires that we learn to submit to our new heavenly identity and that we be conformed to the image of Christ as His beloved children.

We may lose many things in order for God to work in our hearts and detach us from this present world, so that we may sincerely and faithfully abide in Him, our only hope, and give Him first place in our lives.

Humility often comes through suffering because our flesh is naturally opposed to the life of the Spirit. We tend to choose the easy way, the things we know best, and the things we understand from our former way of life and condition of heart.

But God, in His love, sometimes uses the circumstances of our lives to teach us to detach ourselves from self and to depend more fully upon Him.

Indeed, God, as a loving Father, disciplines us, transforms us, and refines us so that we may bear more fruit and bring greater glory to His name.

As the writer of Hebrews reminds us: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)

“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.” v.10 (ESV)

The second category of people, through their attitude before God, is described in this verse.

When Jesus tells us to take the lowest place, He is speaking of taking the place of the weakest, the least visible, the one who does not seek recognition. This demonstrates not greatness in the eyes of the world, but value in the eyes of God. It is a voluntary humbling of oneself.

In this parable, before others, it may seem like a loss or a lack of importance. Yet before God, it is a tremendous gain, because it is God Himself who exalts the one who humbles himself. But you may ask, why?

Well, because God desires that we be thankful to Him. He has raised us from the lowest place to the highest place, not through our own abilities or our own strength, but through His grace and through a miracle that He Himself has accomplished in our lives.

This is how Jesus calls His disciples His friends. And this is also how He calls us His friends when we trust Him in our humbling, knowing that He alone must have the highest place.

To be a friend of Jesus is to be clothed with the Spirit and to reflect His character.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:12: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”

It is Christ who seats us at His table! When we are conformed to His humility, His discretion, and His love for others, we manifest something of the character of the One who has invited us.

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” v.11 (ESV)

In this verse, Jesus gives us a truth that is both simple and unmistakable. The one who exalts himself will be humbled. This means that God warns His children, those who belong to Him, that pride and self-exaltation are not pleasing in His sight.

Proverbs 16:18 tells us: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Indeed, pride is completely contrary to God. We see it from the very beginning, in the fall of humanity, when man desired to take the place that belongs to God alone. Pride seeks independence from God, while humility submits to His authority and His will.

This is not merely a threat of punishment, but a loving warning from God. He desires His people to understand that representing the Kingdom of God requires sincere humility.

The Apostle Paul teaches the same principle: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)

Yes, it is important to humble ourselves and to consider others above ourselves, because God delights to see His love manifested through submission to Christ, through a heavenly humility rather than a worldly one.

The second part of this verse also reminds us that God exalts the humble. This is what God seeks: hearts that are submitted to His will, hearts that trust Him completely.

At the proper time, God Himself will exalt those who walk in humility so that all the glory may belong to Him alone.

Conclusion

When we think about humility, we immediately see Christ, giving Himself to be the atoning sacrifice on the cross, the spotless and blameless Lamb of God, to save all who believe in Him.

If Christ were physically here among us today, we would gladly give Him the first place, just as His disciples did. Then if we truly believe that Christ lives within us, why should we not give Him the first place in our lives?

This is an essential question for us to consider. If the Spirit who lives in us is leading us in our sanctification, then we must remember that we no longer belong to ourselves. The Lord desires to have the first place in everything we do and in every area of our lives.

Humility is to exalt Christ, to live for Christ, and to serve one another as Christ served. It is to live as servants and ambassadors of Christ.

And as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 18:4: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

May the Lord help us to walk in that humility for His glory. Amen.