QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DIG DEEPER IN THE MESSAGE FOR YOUR FAMILY DEVOTIONS OR SMALL GROUP:

READ THE TEXT: Luke 14:7-11.

Our text begins with Jesus noticing the behavior of the guests at the meal He is attending. Do we make any assumptions about why the guests are behaving this way (“choosing the places of honor”)? What assumptions are those? Why do we think this?

What influences us when we choose a place to sit at a social gathering of some kind (e.g., a meal, a lecture, church)? What similarities do we see between ourselves and the guests in the story? What differences do we see? What insights does this comparison give us?

Jesus ends this parable by saying, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Probably most people have no issue with taking a seat at the back of the room and giving the place of ‘honor’ to someone else… but is it possible to do this with our conversation? For example, when we ‘bad-mouth’ someone else (e.g., a co-worker, friend, spouse, brother or sister in the Lord) are we, in a sense, exalting ourselves and humiliating them?

Read Mark 10:35-37. Even Jesus’ own disciples were fixated on the honor and prestige that came with procuring the best seat. What was Jesus’ response to them when they did this? How does Luke 23:32-33 relate?

Pastor Michael mentioned that ‘humility’ is closely linked with ‘submission’ (to God and G0d-appointed authorities)… and he said that even Jesus lived a life of submission (to His parents in Luke 2:41-51, and to His Father in Luke 22:42). Do you agree that humility is linked with submitting to God and God-placed authorities? Is this always true? If not, when is it not true?

“False-humility” was talked about and described. Have you ever seen this used by someone? By yourself?

Finish by reading Philippians 2:2-9. What stands out in this passage to you? Talk about C.S. Lewis’ quote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less“.