“Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, (A)do not [a]take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and the one who invited you [b]both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then (B)in disgrace you will proceed to occupy the last place. 10 But whenever you are invited, go and [c]take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, (C)move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are [d]dining at the table with you.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:8 Lit recline at
  2. Luke 14:9 Lit and him
  3. Luke 14:10 Lit recline at
  4. Luke 14:10 Lit reclining

Invite the Misfits

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.’ Embarrassed, 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 all high and mighty, 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.”

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Jesus: Whenever someone invites you to a wedding dinner, don’t sit at the head table. Someone more important than you might also have been invited, and your host will have to humiliate you publicly by telling you to give your seat to the other guest and to go find an open seat in the back of the room. 10 Instead, go and sit in the back of the room. Then your host may find you and say, “My friend! Why are you sitting back here? Come up to this table near the front!” Then you will be publicly honored in front of everyone.

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“When someone invites you to a wedding, don’t take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited. Then your host would say to you, ‘Give this person your place.’ Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor. 10 So when you’re invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honorable place.’ Then all the other guests will see how you are honored.

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