Lutheran Daily Devotional 25 August 2022 || Where Will You Sit?

Lutheran Daily Devotional 25 August 2022 || Thursday Message By Lutheran Hour Ministries

Read Lutheran Daily Devotional 25 August 2022

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TOPIC: Where Will You Sit?

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Luke 14:7-11 – Now He [Jesus] told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.

But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When I was young, I took these words of Jesus to be exactly what they seem on the surface: excellent advice on how not to make a fool of yourself at a party. People who push themselves into areas reserved for the family of the bridal couple are likely to find themselves reseated; people who hang back and behave modestly are often (not always!) rewarded when their host makes a fuss of honoring them.

But of course, Jesus’ real concern goes far beyond this. He’s thinking about the marriage feast of the Lamb, when Jesus comes in His glory and all His people join Him to celebrate in His kingdom (see Revelation 19:9). And just as with any wedding reception, there are many guests—and you can see what’s in their hearts by the way they behave before the event gets started.

There are some folks who make a big display of their faith. They have crosses everywhere, they are prominent in the local church, and they would never dream of eating in public without an obvious prayer. Everyone within earshot knows that they are Christians. Indeed, it is impossible to miss them—to judge from surface appearances, these people will be sitting right next to Jesus in His kingdom.

And then there are the quiet, humble people who don’t make much of a splash. They do the work—they run the food pantries, call the lonely, and quietly help out people in need with food or money. But they rarely get noticed, and they’re okay with that.

They’re not fussing about their rank in heaven or their image here on earth. Their attention is somewhere else. Their hearts are in love with Jesus Christ, and everything they do, they do with gratitude to Him. They can never forget that He loved them enough to suffer, die, and rise for them—and to bring them to Himself to stay forever.

It’s clear which kind of Christian Jesus wants us to be. If our hearts are set on display, they won’t be set on Him. But if our hearts are set on Jesus, our seat at the table is guaranteed to be a close one. After all, who sits closest to the bridegroom? It’s the bride, isn’t it? The one who loves Him most.

WE PRAY: Dear Lord, set my heart on You. Amen.

Lutheran Daily Devotional 25 August 2022 Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is the worst behavior you have seen at a wedding reception? The best?

2. Who is a Christian you know who really shows God’s love to other people?

3. Why do you think Jesus chose the image of a wedding feast to describe the time when we are with Him forever?

Today’s Bible Readings: 1 Chronicles 28-29    1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Lutheran Daily Devotional 25 August 2022 from LHM will help strengthen and encourage your faith as you do the same for others. Have them delivered right to your inbox, podcast the audio devotional, access them on your mobile device through the FREE app, or listen with Spotify, iHeart Radio, Alexa, or Google Home. Seasonal Devotions for Advent and Lent are also available in both English and Spanish. Perfect for personal reflection or to share with family, friends and congregations, these seasonal meditations will help prepare you to celebrate the true meaning of these seasons.