In a professional basketball game in an NBA arena there are thousands upon thousands of seats filling the building and surrounding the court. But out of all of those seats the absolutely most sought after location to sit is definitely right down on the court sidelines. The very first row, just a mere few feet from some of the best basketball players in the world. “Courtside seats,” as they are known, are not easy to come by or afford, as they can cost on an average of $2,000 per seat!
Now let’s suppose that someone walks into a basketball game, but instead of going to the seat that is listed on their ticket, they instead go right down to the court and sit in an apparently empty seat. What do you think would happen when the owner of that seat comes to sit down, but discovers that someone else had taken it for themselves? It would cause quite the scene in front of the entire crowd when that person had to be removed from that seat, wouldn’t it? And all because of that one person’s greed and pride; had they simply just taken the seat that they had been assigned they wouldn’t have had to endure that shame and embarrassment. And that is kind of similar to the parable that Jesus used in Luke 14, about pride and humility.
Luke 14:7-11 “And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
To humble oneself means that someone is not proud, or arrogant, but is instead modest, unassuming, or lowly in mind. In the parable above, those who took the best, chief rooms for themselves evidently were not of this state of mind. Instead of taking the least best seats for themselves, they thought that they deserved to have the very best. Instead of being filled with humility, they were filled with pride, something that Christians need to cut out of their lives.
Instead of taking the best for ourselves, or putting ourselves first, we need to follow the teachings of Christ and humble ourselves. We need to become lowly, meek, and filled with humility. Putting others and/or the needs of others before our own. Remember the words of the Lord:
Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
It is God who should lift us up, not ourselves. The Lord Jesus set the perfect example of humility not only by just coming down to the Earth to be among His creation, amongst us sinners, but He went even lower than that by showing true humility by washing the feet of His disciples. The King of kings, Creator of Heaven and Earth, washing the feet of His believers! There is no greater example of humility.
Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
So when we pass the days of our lives, let them be filled with that same Spirit of humility that is found in Christ. Let us be filled with humility and meekness, putting others before ourselves, just as Christ did.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 