THE TABLE OF HONOUR

DAY  308

Luke 14:10 But when you are invited, go and sit down [to eat] at the last place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; and then you will be honored in the presence of all who are at the table with you.

It can be very easy to interpret the words of Jesus as recommending mediocrity or seeing oneself as inferior: ‘take the lowest seat first and then you will be called up in honour to a better seat’. Unfortunately, even if you do take the lowest seat first, you are not automatically going to be bumped up to the honours list.

All men are worthy of honour (1 Pt 2:17), but a seat at this one particular table has to be earned. You could think of the seat of honour as one located on ‘the table for rewarding and celebrating anyone for their uniqueness, contribution and excellence to a cause’. Therefore, the harsh reality is ‘not everybody has a seat at this table.’

Your seat has to be merited because honour is always ‘externally rendered’, the recognition is determined by others, not yourself. In other words, whatever you claim to bring to this table in terms of value, competence or accomplishment, will have to be vetted to acknowledge its place.

Beloved, the table of honour is not one you simply choose to sit at, because if you have nothing that justifies your seating, you will be asked to offer it up to another. Otherwise, there is no reason to be concerned about losing your seat.

#sly