Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
What Jesus Said
Jesus told his followers that they should take the lowest seat at the banquet table. He pointed out that it is embarrassing to take the grandest seat and then be asked to move down. It is better to take a lower seat and be asked to move up (Luke 14).
As I am reading through the Book of Proverbs I am seeing that Jesus said a lot of the same things. This does not paint a picture of Jesus that is unoriginal, it paints one that is firmly rooted. Jesus understood the writings of the Old Testament and applied them correctly. Others did not understand the principles of the Old Testament even though it was their job to be fully versed in them.
Today we see those who use the Old Testament, and the Proverbs as self-help or as a means to affirming their own righteousness. It is not about lifting ourselves up, but it is about lifting up God and allowing him to lift us up as he wishes.
Questions
- What should one not do?
- What should one do?
- Why would someone in ancient Israel do this?
- Who do people try to impress?
- How do we go about ceasing to try and impress people?
Plymothian 