The Warning Against Being One Of Those Who Seeks Out The Chief Seats (14:7-11).
This passage is parallel in the chiasmus with those who are to seek, not food and clothing, but the Kingly Rule of God, and to have their minds set on Heaven (Luke 12:22-34). Those described here are the opposite of that. They are concerned to have the chief seats on earth, and to exalt themselves. They seek glory on earth (how like the disciples, and the Pharisees, and how opposite to what God wants them and us to be). And in their self-conceit they think that one day in eternity God will give them the same credit.
But Jesus' point here is that those who are truly seeking the Kingly Rule of God with all their hearts, with no thought of status, will take the humble place, and will in the final Assessment be ‘moved up higher', while those whose eyes are fixed on obtaining honour and status for themselves will in the end discover that they have lost both. They will be told to ‘go down lower' and will have to descend to ‘the lowest place'. Thus it is not only teaching them a lesson in humility, it is pointing them towards life under the Kingly Rule of God.
Analysis.
a ‘He spoke a parable to those who were bidden, when He marked how they chose out the chief seats, saying to them' (Luke 14:7).
b “When you are invited by any man to a marriage feast, do not sit down in the chief seat, lest it chance that a more honourable man than you be invited by him” (Luke 14:8).
c “And he who invited you and him shall come and say to you, ‘Give this man place,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place” (Luke 14:9).
b “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who has invited you comes, he may say to you, “Friend, go up higher.” Then you will have glory in the presence of all who sit at meat with you” (Luke 14:10).
a “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
Note how in ‘a' He marked out how men chose the chief seats, and in the parallel points out that such people will be humbled. In ‘b' the man is advised not to take the highest place, and in the parallel he chooses the lowest place. In ‘c' the central emphasis is on the shame of being removed from the highest place.