A Year in Luke/ActsNäide

When Jesus noticed that the guests were picking places of honor at the table, He told them a parable that concluded with the advice to humble yourself. Social status was important and visible in ancient Middle Eastern culture. We can look at Jesus’ words as a possible reference to Proverbs 25:6-7: “Don’t boast about yourself before the king, and don’t stand in the place of the great; for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!” than to demote you in plain view of a noble.” Here, Jesus encouraged us to practice humility, even when the social norms might induce public humiliation and shame.