Luke 14:1,7-14

Encountering Christ:
Humility:
Our natural inclination is to seek the best for ourselves at the expense of our neighbour. The virtue of humility counteracts this tendency. A humble person recognises God as the author of all creation and knows that he is dust and to dust he will return, If a humble person is given honour, he attributes it to the gifts and talents he has received from God. He is comfortable with himself as a ‘work in progress'. Proud and vain people has eyes only for God.

Joy:
Jesus promised in this Scripture passage that the humble would be exalted. Is there any greater joy than being drawn closer to God in exaltation? When we are humble enough to be ‘real' with people and to allow our true selves to love purely and mercifully, pride is tamped down and joy floods into our hearts. ‘The humble are necessarily joyful, for where the is no pride, there can be no self-centredness, which makes joy impossible,' said Fulton J. Sheen

Freedom:
Imagine the inner turmoil of the Pharisee's guests as they sought positions of honor at the table. Their Minds were likely busy with comparisons, judgements, and guardedness. A humble person would feel none of these anxieties. Free of negativity and distractions, he or she would be focused on warmly greeting other guests, and most importantly, on acknowledging and attending to Jesus. May humility be the source of our security rather than wealth, honors, or esteem.