I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Luke 14-16

There is more to Jesus’ teaching about honoring ourselves than is obvious.  Jesus gives the example of taking the seat of honor and being forced to give it up because someone of greater significance arrives.  Instead, He says that we should take the seat of least honor, then our honor will be even greater when the host moves us to the seat of honor.  However, there is more to it than that.  There are all sorts of social dynamics revealed here, but Jesus goes on to tell us that when we throw a party we should invite those who are unable themselves to throw a party.  So, while there is greater honor in being elevated to a position of honor from the humble position we chose for ourselves, we should not seek to be honored at all.  Or, perhaps a better way of putting it, we should seek the good opinion of those whose opinion society does not value.

Luke recounts five of Jesus’ parables here (well, actually six, but the first one is part of completely different theme).  Three of them illustrate the importance of befriending and loving the “lost”.  The parable of the lost sheep and the one of the lost coin illustrate how much joy and pleasure God takes over sinners repenting of their sin and returning to Him.  They also illustrate how that repentance does not happen by chance.  It is the result of great effort on God’s part, and perhaps on the part of those who serve Him.  I realized today that the parable of the prodigal son is actually more about the older son.  The older brother was angry that his father threw such a feast for his brat of a brother.  From our human perspective we tend to sympathize with the older brother.  He had done everything he was supposed to do, yet his younger brother who rebelled and ran away was given a celebration.  However, the parable points out that the older brother experienced all of the good things which come from being faithful.  He was not loved any less because his father was overjoyed that his rebellious brother had returned.