Luke 14:8

Gatherings for the sake of mirth, and such entertainments as are called by ourselves, we name rightly suppers, dinners, and banquets, after the example of the Lord. But such entertainments the Lord has not called agapae. He says accordingly somewhere, "When thou art called to a wedding, recline not on the highest couch; but when thou art called, fall into the lowest place;" and elsewhere, "When thou makest a dinner or a supper;" and again, "But when thou makest an entertainment, call the poor," for whose sake chiefly a supper ought to be made.

Second, with regard to the persuasion dissuading from pride, he adds: Saying to them: When you are invited to a wedding, do not recline in the first place. Although this could be understood of carnal weddings, nevertheless the following text itself and the expositors wish …

Look from the other side also at this: from what mockery He delivers man and how He teaches him propriety. For how much shame there is in the case where you take a place unbefitting to you, and then someone more honored than you arrives, …

Now let no one deem the above precepts of Christ to be trifling, and unworthy of the sublimity and grandeur of the Word of God. For you would not call him a merciful physician who professed to heal the gout, but refused to cure a scar on the finger or a tooth-ache. Besides, how can that passion of vainglory appear slight, which moved or agitated those who sought the first seats. It became then the Master of humility to cut off every branch of the bad root. But observe this also, that when the supper was ready, and the wretched guests were contending for precedency before the eyes of the Saviour, there was a fit occasion for advice. Moreover, he is not to be respected in the end, nor by all men, who thrusts himself into honours; but while by some he is honoured, by others he is disparaged, and sometimes even by the very men who outwardly honour him.

Note, It ought to check our high thoughts of ourselves to think how many there are that are more honourable than we, not only in respect of worldly dignities, but of personal merits and accomplishments. Instead of being proud that so many give place to us, it should be humbling to us that there are so many that we must give place to.

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding,....

Art bidden - Are invited. To a wedding - A wedding was commonly attended with a feast or banquet. The highest room - The seat at the table nearest the head. A more honourable man - A more aged man, or a man of higher rank. It is to be remarked that our Saviour did not consider the courtesies of life to be beneath his notice. His chief design here was, no doubt, to reprove the pride and ambition of the Pharisees; but, in doing it, he teaches us that religion does not violate the courtesies of life.

a parable--showing that His design was not so much to inculcate mere politeness or good manners, as underneath this to teach something deeper (Lu 14:11). chief rooms--principal seats, in the middle part of the couch on which they reclined at meals, esteemed the most honorable.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

Let us first learn from these verses — the value of humility . This is a lesson which our Lord teaches in two ways. Firstly, He advises those who are bidden to a wedding to "sit down in the lowest place." Secondly, He backs up His advice by declaring a great principle, which frequently fell from His lips, "Whoever exalts himself — shall be abased; and he who humbles himself — shall be exalted." Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces.

Let us first learn from these verses — the value of humility . This is a lesson which our Lord teaches in two ways. Firstly, He advises those who are bidden to a wedding to "sit down in the lowest place." Secondly, He backs up His advice by declaring a great principle, which frequently fell from His lips, "Whoever exalts himself — shall be abased; and he who humbles himself — shall be exalted." Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to feel our need of Christ — is the start of saving religion. Humility is a grace which has always been a distinguishing feature in the character of the holiest saints in every age. Abraham and Moses and Job and David and Daniel and Paul — were all eminently humble men. Above all, humility is a grace within the reach of every true Christian . All do not have money to give away. All do not have time and opportunities for working directly for Christ. All do not have gifts of speech, and knowledge, in order to do good in the world. But all converted men should labor to adorn the doctrine they profess by humility. If they can do nothing else — they can strive to be humble. Do you want to know the root and spring of humility? One word describes it. The root of humility is right knowledge. The person . . . who really knows himself and his own heart, who knows God and his infinite majesty and holiness, who knows Christ and the price at which he was redeemed — that person will never be a proud person. He will count himself, like Jacob, unworthy of the least of all God's mercies. He will say of himself, like Job, "I am vile!" He will cry, like Paul, "I am the chief of sinners!" He will consider others better than himself (Philippians 2:3). Ignorance — nothing but sheer ignorance, ignorance of self, of God, and of Christ — is the real secret of pride.