Psalm 8:1, “I Am Thine, O Lord,” (Crosby, 1875)

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Luke 14, contemplating the exhortation to not assume a place of honor when invited to a feast, or any social event. The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind at verse 10:

Luke 14:10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

What I found strange was the premise of motivation to follow Christ’s advice was the same that inspired the guests to create the offense He was correcting: “Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them.”

It’s Sunday morning, and I’m running late “for class.” I can’t present the underlying Greek word used here, doxa, and show the distinction of that word from proskuneo and sebomai. Suffice it here to say, we are not talking about the sort of Worship God claims as exclusively His, or what Satan attempted to seduce Jesus to give him. Doxa refers to admiration, praise, honor — not surrender of the will to a Master.

Along the still waters, I thought it interesting that Jesus would appeal to the motivation driving the behavior to redirect that behavior. Sometimes it’s not the motivation that is in question, but the direction we take to satisfy that motivation.

Of course, it can be that Jesus was being sarcastic. But I think an important insight is missed if we dismiss the fact that Jesus appealed to the desire being served, and offered a better way to serve it.

This reminds me of the book I wrote, “New Cart Church,” a good man doing the right thing the wrong way. One can be motivated by a noble aspiration, but he must take care how he or she goes about achieving that aspiration.

In the valley, I thought of Jesus, Who, in the garden of Gethsemane, requested a different way to achieve redemption for mankind:

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

There was only one right way to fulfill God’s motivation to save mankind, and Jesus submitted to it: He took the lower seat! And because He took the lower seat, He was elevated above all (Philippians 2:5-1).

At the table, Jesus anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup intermingled with His grace.

Praying for revival!  🙏