Today's Gospel contains two teachings of similar styles.  Both start with when, "When 

you go to a banquet" or " When you give a banquet." Both have a cautioning phrase, "Don't 

sit at a high place, lest you be put down," and  "Don't put out a spread for the rich to impress 

them, lest you already receive your reward." Both have the teaching, "But when...".

            The Lord is not playing Miss Manners.  He's not giving lessons in proper etiquette.  He 

is teaching us the proper way to view ourselves and others.  He is teaching us about honor, 

respect, and, particularly, about humility.

            A number of years ago there was a terrible article in T.V. Guide entitled "You are where 

you sit."  Part of it is as follows:

“In Hollywood you are where you sit.  This is called power seating.  A strategically placed 

table indicates to the community your prominent and important position in the industry.  It 

s so important that one major studio assigns a full time PR person to make sure the studio doesn't play second fiddle to anyone.  One television producer has his secretary call before 

a meal and politely note that if the table isn't in the right place, her boss won't go.  One producer put it this way, ‘Information is power.  I don't want to be seen seated with two dentists and 

three veterinarians.  It ruins my image and they have nothing to offer me.’”

            The first dinner instruction speaks about who we are before the Lord.  We are told that 

we shouldn't think so highly of ourselves that we put ourselves over other people.  Symbolically, 

we shouldn't move to the best table at the banquet thinking that we are so much better than 

everyone else. 

            A number of years ago I was very much involved in a youth retreat movement here in the 

Diocese called COR.  There was one young lady, about 20 years old, who gave some of the best 

talks and the most spiritual sharing.  One day she told me that she wanted to start a separate prayer 

group for those who were “really up there” spiritually speaking.  I left the discussion thinking, “How 

can she possibly think that she was spiritually superior to someone else?”  Unfortunately, she soon found herself on the other end of the table when she thought it would be alright to become sexually active.  I keep finding older adults who purport to be so much better than everyone else.  "You 

haven't made this movement, you haven't visited this shrine, well, you're just not up there, 

spiritually."  A true holy person would never belittle the faith-life of another person.  The first 

dinner instruction encourages us to recognize who we are before the Lord, not to be concerned 

with making believe we are better than others.

            The second part of the gospel speaks about honoring people for favors to come later. 

            During my senior year of college I was invited to a meal that I was surprised to find out 

was in my honor.  It was put on by the parents of one of the Freshmen that I was assigned to 

supervise by the college-seminary.  These people owned a very good restaurant in New York City. 

The table was stacked high with filet mignons.   The meal was more than I could have ever imagined. 

The parents kept telling me that they were happy I would supervise their son.  They were more 

lavish in their praises of me than in the food they offered me.  I left feeling very good about myself because of all I heard.  After all, I had to agree with some of it.

            About a week later, the young man mentioned to me that when I assign jobs for the 

Freshmen for the next month, he really didn't want to do anything that would take too long 

or would be too difficult.  I ignored this and gave him whatever job he was in line for.  His parents 

never spoke to me again. 

            I was not being honored, I was being used. 

            The second dinner instruction, about not looking for pay-backs,  tells us to be sincere. 

The Christian attitude should be to care genuinely for others, not try to buy them.  If we are 

concerned with who they are, not what they can do for us, then we are honoring the Lord who 

is present within them.

of the Lord in ourselves and in others and honor that presence.  This is Christian humility. Humility 

is rejoicing in who we all are before the Lord.  If we live this way then we, the humble, will be 

exalted by the Lord. As the prophet Micah put it: "All the Lord wants from us is to do justice and 

love kindness and to walk humbly before our God."