The desire for recognition
Luke 14:1, 7–11. October 29, 2022 - Saturday, 30th Week.
I have mentioned once that in China there are round tables but it does not mean that all who sit around them are equal. The host or the most important person sits facing the main entrance - he is the centre of attention. The most distinguished guest is placed to his right, and his left the second in rank, and so on. The lowest position is for the one who sits opposite the host and faces the main entrance with his back - nobody can see his face.
The desire for recognition extends through all cultures. The guests at the party of the leading Pharisee were not the only ones who choose the places of honour. We do the same today. As Jesus noticed their behaviour, so he is also noticing ours. And as the parable was meant for them, so it is also meant for us. By trying to choose the places of honour we want to associate ourselves with the powerful and influential of this world to reap benefits for ourselves from such a relationship. But self-promotion is self-defeating.
One of the tenets of the Bible is the realisation that God does not like proud people and nations. Apostles Peter and James captured this truth in a statement: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). This is also evident on a historical level. The powerful empires mentioned in the Bible - Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon - were humiliated by God for their pride in elevating themselves above other nations. None of them lasted long. Spanish, Dutch, and British empires that once spanned the entire globe are gone with the wind, and the American empire seems to be crumbling in front of our eyes.
Losing face in front of others is humiliating, but what happens if we lose face before God? Jesus’ parables are not meant to be advice for social living, they contain the seeds of God’s wisdom. Often those who are not recognised by the world are the most distinguished people in the eyes of God. Are we among them?