And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” — Luke 14:7-11, NASB

Jesus spoke this parable at a banquet of the Pharisees after observing how the attendees were scrambling for the most prominent seats in the room. It provides a practical application of Proverbs 25:6-7 and underscores God’s disdain for pride and self-aggrandizement. While great etiquette advice, its main purposes were to rebuke those who exalted themselves and to illustrate the kind of humble spirit that is pleasing to God.

This is not the only parable Jesus directs at the religious elites on account of their pretentiousness. He knows what makes them tick, which is being revered in the eyes of men. It is a character flaw that is not exclusive to the Pharisees of Christ’s day. Fueled by basic human nature, pride is a sin that we are all vulnerable to and have to guard against. Through the example of the banquet scene, Jesus shows us that conceit only leads to problems, and the acceptable way for a person to advance is through humility.

It is certainly true in attaining the kingdom of heaven. Throughout scripture, a humble spirit is shown to be a key characteristic of the saved while pride is a trait of the condemned. It helps to remember that by definition, the poor in spirit do not seek honor for themselves. Rather than clamoring for the best seats, we must instead clothe ourselves with humility, knowing that the sinner who humbles himself in repentance will surely be raised up by God.

In the ultimate example, Christ humbled Himself by taking on the nature of man and all of his past, present and future sins, allowing Himself to be nailed to a tree and slain to settle our account. It amounted to the most honorable act in human history, and God did not fail to exalt Him.