Reflecting on Luke 14:7-11“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)
This story is not about where we sit at parties.
It is about what it means to follow Jesus, how we live as God’s imagebearers.
Jesus is describing what God is like, as He shows us in His incarnation.
Jesus is God with us, emptied of divine position, humbled in human form.
God stoops to our level, and goes beneath us, to lift us up, to save us.
Jesus does not take the place of honour, but the least important place.
God created humans as the crown of creation, but not to be top down bosses.
We were created to steward and care for creation, to go beneath it to lift it up.
When humans exchanged humble love for selfish love, misery and death resulted.
Humans seek position and honour, pushing and crushing each other to get there.
The human way is not the God Way, and the Jesus Way is not the human way.
The whole OT is God kneeling to serve a humbled slave nation, to lift them up.
We are saved BY humble love, and we are saved FOR humble love.
The pursuit of greatness by ‘christian’ nationalists is not the Jesus Way.
The greatest in God’s kingdom are the servants, humbly loving others.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You have shown us what it looks like to be fully human, fully like God. Help me to find ways today of stewarding and caring for God's world and God's family by emptying myself to love and serve whoever I meet today.
I am a worker in God’s vineyard. A servant. Remember the parable of the talents? My talents must be used in His service. I am not in charge. He is. Afterall, this is God’s world/Kingdom. I am in His service from which I can not retire. May He continue to lead me and guide me to do His will.