If you’ve ever had to arrange the seating plan for a wedding or function, you’ll have an idea what it’s like to have absolute power. You can finally get your own back on your least favourite Aunt for that time she forgot your birthday by seating her next to your annoying cousin who has questionable control over his bodily functions. As host, you can honour those you think are worthy with a seat nearest the top table and shame those you don’t. Or maybe this knowledge gives you sleepless nights as you fret over trying to please everyone and upset no body. You know that one false position will come back to haunt you for years to come.
It was no different in Jesus time. Dinner parties were huge affairs and honour and shame were the main currency of society. The place of honour was next to the host and guests were ranked down the table according to the value the host placed on them. You’d want to invite the most important person in the village because their presence would raise your profile (and you might get invited to their parties in return). Jesus warns His disciples not to seek the best spot in case their opinion of themselves is not the same as the hosts and they are embarrassed in front of everyone by being asked to move down to a lesser position. It’s better to be moved up to a higher position by the host. It’s also better to invite those who cannot repay you as this shows God’s love for them as opposed to trying to advance your own standing.
This is a lesson we as the church must learn. Are we engaging in ministries as a means to advance ourselves? Are we seeking to attract only those who can give a lot of money to us so we can make ourselves more comfortable and prestigious? Or are we using our resources to show God’s love to those who could never repay us? As a church, are we trying to elbow our way to the top table through pandering to society or are we putting ourselves in the lowest spot by serving those who have nothing? If we accept that honour is given by others, whose honour are we seeking, those in society or those in heaven? If we are going to be true to our calling as Jesus’ church, we must do as Jesus did and minister to the least among us. We must trust to God to look after everything else.