May 28, 2008

What God is in to....

The lowly place – When I travel, I like to find the cheapest seats available because I want to get the best deal for my buck.  I have flown a few times in my life and Southwest Airlines has always been good to me in providing the best bang for my money.  I have never flown first class and never even thought about it until Uncle Max mentioned there is no better way to travel then first class. 

I met Max at Living Hope, a church I attended in Union City about 5 years ago.  Max is a man of God and he is a servant and will give you the shirt off his back if you were in need.  Max was a mechanic for United Airlines for years until he retired recently.  I remember him telling me one time that if I ever get a chance fly first class because it’s the best way to fly.  In fact, he said there is no other way to fly. 

I started to think yeah, that’s the life to fly first class.  On a teacher’s salary, I probably will not be flying first class anytime soon.  I am about to go on a Mission’s trip to Africa and wouldn’t it be nice to fly first class.  I know we are going to fly the cheapest we can so first class seats are nowhere in our league.  A thought came to mind, why not just go sit there anyways.  First of all God wouldn’t want me to do that because I would be cheating the airlines.  Second, I couldn’t get past the attendants because those seats are reserved for people of honor or at least people who are willing to fork over some serious cash.

I still thought what if I did see a seat open and I sat there, wouldn’t that be awesome but it would be so embarrassing if I did get a seat and the attendants came and told me to get up back I am not suppose to be in those seats.  That would be so humbling.  I also thought what if while we were on the plane, the attendants came and said we have seats in first class open so if you like come and claim one to sit in for the flight.  That would be so cool. 

As I was daydreaming, I had this thought why do we desire the places of honor over the lowly places?  Is it bad to want to be in a better seat?  I would say no but it’s a heart matter that God can see right through us.  Recently, I read Luke 14 and came across a parable that Jesus taught that emphasized taking the lowly places over the places of honor.  We will be looking at Luke 14:7-14(NKJV).

Take the Lowly Place

7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Who in their right mind wants the lowly place?  I know I don’t in fact, I want the highest place of honor and I want everyone to know my name, come talk to me, and want to know me because I am the man.  That’s just me, but you wouldn’t know about that because you want the lowly place.  Yeah right, we all desire the throne but there is only One who is worthy of it.

In verses 7 thru 11, Jesus paints a picture of the human heart.  He gives a parable about a wedding banquet where you want to sit in the place of honor but Jesus says don’t, in fact sit in the lowliest place because for one that seat may be for someone more deserving than you.  Also, if you decide to do what you want and sit in the place of honor, you will be humbled when the person who invited you comes and says, you need to give up that seat to someone more honorable and you feel so humiliated. 

I see this being a heart issue because in the human heart, we all want to be the person that everyone says I want to be like them and we think of ourselves more then we ought to.  All of our hearts are selfish and evil to the core but God in His great love gives up a choice. 

The choice He gives us is either to humble ourselves or He will humble us.  Now that is against our nature because you got to get what you can because nobody will give it to you.  In fact it’s the American way to get mine and who cares about anyone else.  This way will seem great for a season but God will get your attention and put you in your place on your face eventually. 

The second choice to humble yourself will in fact give you exactly what you have desired all along, some honor.  God has no problem honoring people who put Jesus First in their lives.  I find it amazing that if we honor God, He will honor us and give us some glory before other’s because He is so so good.  What choice will you be making?

In verses 12 thru 14, Jesus tells the person who invited Him to take this parable to heart and challenges this persons thinking.  The person who invited Jesus to his house was a Pharisee with money and was use to being an important person and probably didn’t think of the lowly place much.  He was probably given one of the places of honor when he went out on the town.  This person probably always invited his buddies who were important people to his parties and gave them the places of honor because they gave him the places of honor as well.  He had the attitude of what have you done for me lately.  But we don’t know anybody like that or do we? 

Another ugly spot on the human heart is being exposed by the Savior and I don’t like it and I know the Pharisee definitely didn’t like it.  This man didn’t just want a little taste of the glory but wanted all the glory.  As I said earlier, there is only One who deserves the glory and when we humble ourselves He has no problem giving us some of His. 
Jesus is saying I know what you are doing.  You want to never get dirty and only want people who can give you what you give them.  You want your reward here and now.  You want to get paid and only people with cash money can deliver today.  I believe Jesus said that to the Pharisee then and He says it to us now.  Isn’t that what it’s all about? Getting, getting, and getting. 

The Pharisee would say well yes and what is wrong with that.  In fact he would say God is blessing me.  I marvel at this Pharisee personally and think, you don’t have a clue but would I be any different myself?  Not really and most of us wouldn’t be. 

The main challenge Jesus gives in these last few verses has to do with repayment which people with money know very well.  If we give, we want to know when we will get back what we have put in.  Jesus says you will get back but it just may be in the next life at the resurrection.  Jesus is saying to all, are you okay with that?  The answer should be yes because real treasure lies in the next life and everything we do on earth will echo in eternity.  Question is what type of echo will be sounded the moment you enter eternity?  Well done or undone, I pray we all hear well done but only God knows.

The Challenge – Do some heart checking this week and if you want to be the man or woman who everybody knows, ask God to change your heart and help you humble yourself because if you don’t God has no problem humbling you the hard way.

Go out of your way to bless someone this week who can’t ever repay you and see how good that will make you feel because it even makes God feel better than that and it’s all about pleasing Him becasue that is What God is in to.