# Self-Serving - LUKE 14:7-14 - 2024-08-27 In this passage Jesus is teaching about humility and hospitality. He tells a parable about a wedding feast: when you are invited, do not recline at the highest place, lest someone more distinguished come and you be embarrassed. Instead, take the lowest place, so that when the host comes he may say "Friend, go up higher." Then you will be honored in the presence of all. He goes on to say: "When you give a feast, do not invite your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you again and be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." This teaching cuts to the heart of self-serving behavior. We often do things with an expectation of reciprocity. We want to be honored, we want to be repaid. Jesus calls us to a different standard: do good without expecting anything in return. Give to those who cannot give back. But there's also a deeper layer: the "self-serving" in the title refers to serving oneself. The parable is about not seeking honor for oneself, but rather taking the lowly position. And the second part is about serving others without expectation of reward. Both elements emphasize humility and self-forgetfulness. In our own lives, how often do we serve in order to be seen? How often do we give with an eye toward what we'll get in return? This passage challenges us to examine our motives. Are we self-serving, or are we truly others-focused? The promise: you will be repaid at the resurrection. That is, God sees your humble, generous heart and will reward you. So today: take the lower seat. Invite the marginalized. Serve without expecting thanks.