Chief Seats

The Pharisees loved the chief seats because it made them look important. Jesus taught us humility, rather, to take the lower seat. It is the Christian way to grant honor, not to seek out honor.

         It is also the Christian way that things turn out far different than we expect. When we take the lowly route, the route of humility, of service, of deferring to others, then the Lord looks upon this with favor.

         "Come sit up here," Jesus says to us, "up here in these special seats reserved for my lowly and humble guests." And here we are, deserving of the lowly seats, and invited by Jesus to the chief seats, the seats of honor, privilege, and blessing, seated here by Jesus, Himself. We wouldn’t have guessed it would turn out this way, and our only appropriate response is thankfulness.