Sunday Reflections on The Southerner Newspaper
Sunday, August 31, 2025
(Luke 14:1, 7-14, Sirach 3: 17-20.25-29) (NLT)
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”… “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbours. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Luke 14: 11 – 12.
My dear brethren in Christ, Peace and Love of Christ be with you. Today, Christ through the voice of the Church draws our mind to a very important aspect of our life that seems neglected and perhaps misunderstood.
Humility is a very important virtue and aspect of living that propels greater heights, through human connection and disposition to growth, hence, the mother of all virtues.
Most importantly, is the fact that humility includes and not exclude. It puts one in a position to see beyond himself to the other person. Empathy cannot thrive without humility.
Humility then, is the ability to understand your worth and status and yet not put before you, allowing it to form the basis of your human relation. It is the ability to let go of the ‘Self’.
Today, our reflection will be into two parts from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 14, verse 7-14. In the first part, the reflection will be looking at Jesus’s reaction to persons who arrived at a banquet and are striving to take the place of recognition (Luke 14:7-11).
The second part will take us to the other side of humility often neglected, that’s inclusion which relates on the treatment of others (Luke 14 :12-14).
In the first part of the reflection, the Gospel presents us with a ceremony where everyone that came, mostly on the invitation of the host wants to have the front seat.
From our conventional every day living, it’s perceived that the front seat is for those of the elite and need recognition. But today, Christ is giving another narrative to it. Christ is saying that you do not need the front seat for recognition.
The host knows the value of the people he invited to be his guest and will definitely accord each his respect accordingly, hence, no need for unnecessary fight for recognition because it will be more shameful if at the end of your struggle the Host takes you below where you have placed yourself.
Have you imagined seated in a ceremony at the high table and before the whole people the host comes and tells you to go to the back to join the common people and replace your seat with another perceived to be below your status.
However, this does not mean that having a place of honor is wrong or bad but it should not be something to put first while dealing with people. React and relate accordingly, add value to your life and let your value attract men to you.
This is because, most times, the more you work to gain ‘Vain’ recognition before men, you devalue yourself. Actually, honour is not taken, it is given and must be earned (Hebrews 5:4).
The second part of the reflection points to the aspect of humility that deals with human relations. An aspect that is often neglected, yet is important to look into. Christ said to the host, when you are having a feast, do not invite your friends, family etc but invite the poor and the needy because they cannot pay you back hence the true value of your action.
He is not cancelling out celebrating with friends and family but highlights the need not to be blinded by just your immediate circle, forgetting that there are those who need that moment to cheer them up, encourage and revive their hope that one day, perhaps fate might smile on them.
Not being able to repay you lies the true value of your action. Most times, we are urged to throw feast at a level beyond our capacity because Mr. A did this and Mr. B did that and invited me, I have to reciprocate it, too. So it will not be as if…
Most ceremonies are just to impress and effort to feel belonged to a particular circle. But when you include those who are outside your circle, that may not stand the chance of inviting you to their party, the value of your action begins to show. It entails, you also value others outside your circle and your philanthropic action then can be recognized.
My dear brethren in Christ, it is only humility that gives birth to simplicity and make you put value on those outside yourself, your circle. It is not about just having a feast, when we are reaching out to people, giving charity or an act of generosity, always remember that people who need it the most are outside your circle.
Sometimes, we see opportunities open to help people, but you insist if it is not your family or friends then it should die. Humility is a call to add value as well as recognise the value in others. Pride makes you see only yourself but humility makes you see not only yourself but others before you.
Let us not be too quick to gain human recognition but let our value attract men to us. Remember, there are those in need of encouragement your little acts of generosity can give.
May the Peace and Love of God that surpass all things, rest and abide in our hearts. Amen .
