Lowest Seat At A Feast; Luke 14:7-14

Church History: 7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Christ gives us an example of how we should find our proper place, when we are in company with our friends. We find that when he was alone with his disciples, who were his own family, with him at his table, his conversation with them was good, and uplifting. But, when he was in company with strangers, with enemies that watched him, he took occasion to admonish what he saw amiss in them, and to instruct them.
He takes occasion to criticize the guests for striving to sit in the best seats, and therefore gives us a lesson of humility. He observed how these lawyers and Pharisees affected the highest seats, towards the head-end of the table. Those who took the best seats were asked to move and often exposed themselves to embarrassment, whereas, those who were modest, and seated themselves in the lowest seats, often gained respect by it.
He criticized the master of the feast for inviting so many rich people, who had wherewithal to dine very well at home, when he should have invited the poor, or, which was all one, have sent portions to them for whom nothing was prepared, and who could not afford a good meal themselves. Christ teaches us that the using of what we have in works of charity is better, and will turn to a better account, than using it in works of generosity.