The Necessity of Humility: Required reading for fourth grade public school students in Texas

Luke 14:7-11 New International Reader's Version

⁷ Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So he told them a story. ⁸ He said, “Suppose someone invites you to a wedding feast. Do not take the place of honor. A person more important than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come to you. He will say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be filled with shame. You will have to take the least important place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.

¹¹ All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”

Well that's a nice story, but it should be read in its proper context. Here is are chapters 13-15 of the gospel of Luke from our "Bible in Fewer Words" podcast.

Episode 259: Hate your family

Repent or be killed

13 ¹ Jesus had heard about some Galileans who were killed by Pilate while they were offering sacrifices. ² Jesus said,

Do you suppose those Galileans were especially bad sinners?

³ Well, they weren't. And unless you repent, you're all going to die like that.

⁴ Or how about those eighteen people who were killed by the falling tower in Siloam.

⁵ Unless you repent, you're all going to die like that.

Jesus heals a woman on the sabbath

¹⁰ Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath, where there was a woman who had been unable to walk for 18 years.

¹¹ When Jesus saw her, he said, “Woman, you're cured of your illness.”

¹³ Jesus touched her and immediately she stood up straight.

¹⁴ The leader of the synagogue said to the people, “There are six days in the week on which to heal people. But not on the sabbath day.”

¹⁵ Jesus said,

You hypocrite! Don't you help an ox or ass get water on the sabbath?

¹⁶ Satan has bound this woman for 18 years. Why isn't it okay to heal her on the sabbath?

Jesus: On the third day I'll be perfected

³¹ Some Pharisees said to Jesus, “You'd better leave. Herod's going to kill you.” ³² Jesus said,

Tell that old fox that I'm casting out devils, curing today and tomorrow, and on the third day I'll be perfected.

³³ But I must to go to Jerusalem, because that's where prophets go to die.

Jesus heals a man on the sabbath day

14 ^1-2 Jesus was eating dinner at the chief priest's house on the sabbath day, where there was a man who suffered from edema.

² Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?”

⁴ But they didn't answer. So Jesus healed the man.

Don't take the best seat

⁷ Jesus told them this parable:

⁸ When you go to a wedding, don't take the best seat.

⁹ Because the host might say to you, “Let this person sit where you're sitting.” Then you'll have to sit in the worst place.

¹⁰ Instead, sit in the worst place. Then your host might say to you, “Come and sit in a better place.”

¹¹ Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

¹² When you have a feast, don't invite your friends, family, or neighbors. If you do, they'll invite you to their events.

¹³ Instead, when you have a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.

¹⁴ They won't be able to pay you back, but you'll be rewarded in the resurrection of the just.

Hate your family and your life

²⁵ A great crowd of people were following Jesus, when he turned and said,

²⁶ If a man wants to be my disciple, he must hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and his own life.

²⁷ You must give up everything to be my disciple.

The lost coin

15 ⁸ Jesus said,

What woman who has ten coins and loses one, doesn't look for the lost coin?

⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors and says, “Come rejoice with me, because I found a coin that I'd lost.”

¹⁰ Likewise, the angels will rejoice when one sinner repents.

The prodigal son

¹¹ Jesus said,

A man had two sons.

¹² The younger son said to his father, “I'd like my inheritance now.” And the father gave it to him.

¹³ The younger son then went away and wasted the money on riotous living.

¹⁴ Then there was a famine and the son had nothing.

¹⁵ So he got a job feeding pigs.

¹⁶ He was so hungry he ate the pig's food.

¹⁷ He finally decided to go home to ask for his father's help.

²⁰ When his father saw him coming, he ran and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to his father, “I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.”

²² But the father told his servants,

Bring my son the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ Kill the fatted calf. Let's eat and be merry!

²⁴ Because my son was dead and now he's alive. He was lost, and now he's found.

²⁵ The older son heard the music and dancing.

²⁶ And said to a servant, “What's going on?”

²⁷ The servant said, “Your brother has come home, and your father is rejoicing.”

²⁸ The older brother was angry, and said to his father,

²⁹ I've served and obeyed you all these years, yet you never killed a calf or had a party for me. ³⁰ But now my little brother comes home after living with harlots, and you kill the fatted calf for him.

His father said to him,

You're always here; all that I have is yours.

³² But your brother was dead, and now he's alive. He was lost, and now he's found.

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Questions for Students

1. Jesus said in Luke 13:5 that you will be killed in some horrible way if you don't repent. And yet most people die of natural causes without buildings falling on them? Why is that? I that because most people repent? Or was Jesus just trying to scare people into repenting?
2. In Luke 13:16, Jesus said that a woman couldn't walk for 18 years because of Satan's power. Do you think that's why some people can't walk today?
3. Why do you think Jesus told his disciples that they must hate their family in Luke 14:26?