Humility And The Wedding Banquet.

Prayer: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord. Amen.

Introduction:

There is a country and western song which I love called “Lord, it is hard to be humble, when you are perfect in ever way”. I think the words are so funny because for me, humility is one of the strongest weapons in the Christian armoury; and this song suggests that humility is the exact opposite of perfection. Where in fact it is not; humility is the basis of perfection as Jesus was the most humble man who ever lived, and Jesus was the most perfect of men. I just love this subject on humility so much, that I ask you to bear with me this morning as I will probably get carried away.

It was Earnest Hemingway who said, "Only a bullfighter lives life all the way up", meaning that only a bullfighter lives his life to the full. I don’t agree, as I believe that Jesus lived his life to the full, and I also believe he wants us to do the same.

In John 10:10 the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus him by asking “if they were blind also”; meaning that Jesus was implying they were spupid; but Jesus replied, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly" and the “they” that Jesus is referring to here are his followers, that is us, “that we may have life to the full”.

Now the start of that verse is interesting as it refers to the thief, the thief we know as Satan, “The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy; however, I have come that they, may have life, and that they it abundantly”. What a contrast.

Those influenced by Satan are referred to as the thieves, and you know the kind of people he talks, those who just seam to draw the life right out of you; yet we as Christians are so full of life that we inject life into others.

Are you aware you did that; it is only recently I did, so become aware; because if we are in Christ, he is in us, and we cannot but help radiate life to others. We are not here to kill steal and destroy like the enemy, we are here emulate God, by loving others, giving to others, and looking after others; the best way we can.

Jesus wants us to live life to the full, and to try and explain that, Jesus uses this banquet scene to convey that message. This parable, dare I say, is a pathetic story of proud little men, (and women), running around trying to figure out where they fit in society; trying to find their place in the pecking order of things; so they can exult themselves with their hidden dastardly schemes.

In this parable Jesus warns of such behaviour by saying, "When … invited to a … banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host … may say to you, `Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place”.

Now in our own way, we can all relate to that somewhere in our lives as this is a painful part of living, but that is what people do in society, in fact they become obsessed by it.

For example, look at the way many people are preoccupied with their appearance; trying and cover it up with expensive clothes thinking they will hide what’s beneath. Look at how some people choose their cars, not on practicality or by what they can afford, but on the image they want to project; and I must admit that I have even done this myself.

Look also at how some people pick their houses, their neighbourhoods, friends, the clubs they belong to, even their church, all in an attempt to say: Me Me Me; "look at me! I am somebody! I am important; and I want you to acknowledge this".

We have all seen it, (we have all probably done it), but you know what I am talking about; I am not trying to condemn, because we have Jesus to corrected us. Jesus is saying that our greatness is not in what we have, or wear, or drive or live or work; our greatness is deep inside of us; and it is so deep that we can sit at the back of any banquet, and the radiance of God will still shine through.

We as Christians do not have to sit at the head table trying to look important; we are important because he, who is greater than us, lives in us, and it is impossible to stop him from shining through.