What Does last Sunday's Gospel reading mean?

[mdgspencer]

I was puzzled by this reading last Sunday, where Jesus says that when you are invited to a wedding banquet do not take the place of honor. You may be embarrassed when a more distinguished guest comes and you are told to move so that he can take your place. When you are invited take the lowest place so that the host will tell you to take a more honored place. Everyone who humbled himself will be exalted and the one who exalts himself will be humbled.
Obviously this is about humility. However, this speaks more prominently about our actions. But what action? I don’t go to banquets, and Americans don’t have places of honor at banquets for the guests. I wonder what Jesus actually was saying.

 

[puzzleannie]

he was speaking both on the earthly level, to any circumstance where we might claim a position of honor, but also bear in mind the teachings of the last weeks in ordinary time are about the Kingdom. Those who expect to have a higher place in heaven are guilty of spiritual pride and presumtion, and may get a rude awakening when they are demoted to a lower place, and find their standards of judging their own holiness are not those of Christ himself. read this in conjunction with the series of kingdom parables that precede and follow it.

 

[jlucko]

To second what the last person said, on the level of the Kingdom, don’t go around bragging about all the good things you do and how holy you are, because at some time you will falter and people will be led away from God because they will say “look at that person who said they were all holy but they were a sinner just like everyone else.”

instead do good works humbly and God will exault you and lead people to Him through you actions.

 

[Yerusalyim]

It means just what it said…be humble…there are lots of ways in American…or any other culture… in which one can be boastful and try to grasp the attention of others.

Paul writes in Phillipians…“esteem all others as better than yourself.”

 

[ryanoneil]

I found this in a workbook for lectors and gospel readers. year C 2007 James L. Weaver
verses 7-11 and 12-14 both end with prophecies of the end time. The phrase"For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" is the true basis of the parable. Blessing and spiritual repayment await those inviting not their friends, but “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” to table. We are to work as Church to make Jesus social vision a reality.