Have you ever been in a room and you can just feel everyone's eyes are on you? You are being checked out, examined, put under a microscope!
It is certainly uncomfortable, the reasons could range from social status, age, race, religion etc. Most people long for acceptance and not to be the odd ball out, so in these moments do we compromise to fit in or do we keep our true identity in tact.
Jesus experienced this continuously especially from the Pharisees. Here in Luke 14:1 Jesus knowing their thoughts asks them a question, with the purpose of helping them see how ignorant they really were. The traditions we create to look religious usually if we think about it don't make much sense. The sad thing is many of us are too gullible to even realize it or just don't have much understanding of the scriptures or we are just too timid to point them out. The world has no problem pointing out our foolishness so why don't we? We give the world so many excuses for rejecting Jesus, yes they still will be held accountable but so will we.
Jesus was not moved by the Pharisees even knowing it was life threatening, He was obedient to the utmost. He silenced the religious folks, they did not know how to respond, because He exposed their ignorance. The bible says traditions nullify the word, meaning it makes it of no effect. These Pharisees were blind and they continued after Jesus no matter how many times He made them look like fools.
In Luke 14:7 Jesus exposes religiosity again. Religious people have to prove their spirituality, they have to be seen, so they sit in seats of honor, etc. True children of God don't need to prove anything, they simply just live to please God, not to gain man's approval. Things only have to be proven when they are not certain. When one truly knows God they are confident in His approval through Christ Jesus, and therefore can just walk in peace, not striving and conniving to try to be something they are not.
God has away as we see in this passage of embarrassing us, showing the world our true colors, humbling us when we think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Humility is the grace to acknowledge God as Lord of all. As it says in verse 11 "for those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those that humble themselves will be exalted." This takes putting God first in everything, so that He is placed before us, and not we leading ourselves.
We must not choose whom we minister too, disciple, invite to events, according to natural selection, the survival of the fittest, the strong and proud. God uses the downcast, despised, disenfranchised, to bring glory to His name. I find many Christians around me don't make any commitments, yes it's important to take care of family, job, etc. but I believe people make excuses because their obedience level only goes so far. I don't believe we are to be out every night at church events, we are to have balance, yet the early church did meet together often and were empowered greatly, signs and wonders were a common thing, and the church was added to daily.
There are banquets, love feasts, divine appointments that God wants His bride together, to receive from Him as His body. Many of us are not attuned with God's timing, He is not the author of our calendar, we dictate what we want to do when we want to do it, and God is there when we want Him. Where are the broken vessels that realize they are nothing apart from Him, that are desperate that He takes full control of their lives at all times.
The world watches us and comes to their conclusions depending upon their perception that is limited to outward appearance and lacking complete understanding, but God sees and knows all. He judges us by the state of our heart. His microscope is more powerful than any earthly device. We need to acknowledge Him in everything so that we know our heart is right, for God longs for hearts like David that are after His own heart.
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