Choosing the Kingdom Seat; Luke 14:7-11

Delivered during the Sunday Morning Worship Service, 4/14/2024. Jesus' luncheon with a group of Pharisees and lawyers continues after a confrontation over healing a man with dropsy on the Sabbath. In the silence that followed their public shaming, Jesus noticed how these "pious" Pharisees had fought over the seats of honor at the table. He takes the opportunity to tell a short parable about one of the core values of the Kingdom of God-- humility. We will analyze the parable and the short proverb that follows, from a Kingdom perspective-- considering its significance to both salvation and sanctification. We will realize that God's love of humility is not an ancillary teaching but one that is repeated throughout Scripture. We will also realize that when God became man and dwelt among us, the seat He chose and established for us-- was the seat of humility. In the end, we will learn that the seats of honor at the table of our Lord are by invitation only, and therefore the seat of choice for the Kingdom-dweller must be the rickety chair at the end of the table-- the Kingdom seat.