Daily Readings - Sat Nov 03 2018

¹⁸What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,¹⁹for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,²⁰as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.²³I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.²⁴But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,²⁶so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Luke

Chapter 14

¹One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.⁷Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,⁸"When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,⁹and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.¹⁰But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.¹¹For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful lessons about humility and trust in God’s plan. The first reading from Philippians finds Paul in prison, yet he is filled with joy because he knows that, despite the challenges he faces, the Gospel is being proclaimed. Paul’s confidence comes not from his own strength but from his trust in God’s plan. He writes, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” showing that his ultimate hope is in union with Christ, whether through life or death. This passage reminds us that our true strength lies not in our circumstances but in our faith and surrender to God’s will. The Gospel from Luke offers a parable about humility. Jesus notices how guests at a banquet rush to take the places of honor, and he warns against seeking to exalt oneself. Instead, he teaches that true greatness comes from humility. When we humbly take the lowest place, God will exalt us in His time. This parable challenges us to examine our attitudes in our interactions with others. Do we seek recognition and praise, or do we serve others with humility? Jesus makes it clear that “everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Both readings call us to live with humility and trust in God’s plan. Like Paul, we are to find joy in serving Christ, even in difficult circumstances, knowing that our ultimate reward is union with Him. And like the guests in the parable, we are to approach life with humility, recognizing that true greatness comes not from self-promotion but from surrendering to God’s will. Let us strive to live in such a way that Christ is magnified in us, whether through life’s triumphs or trials.