Daily Readings - Sat Nov 03 2018

¹⁸What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.¹⁹For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,²⁰According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.²²But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.²³For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:²⁴Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.²⁵And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;²⁶That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Luke

Chapter 14

¹And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.⁷And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,⁸When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;⁹And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.¹⁰But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.¹¹For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall 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.