Just as they were watching Jesus, they may be watching us, too

By Dean Collins

People-watching can be quite educational and entertaining. In fact, at some level, I suppose we are all always watching each other, either to catch someone in an act of kindness or an act that is less righteous. You can’t help but notice people and what crazy or good thing they might be doing at the moment, even if you have no agenda for noticing the people around you.

But the Pharisees in Luke 14 were watching Jesus with an agenda. Some watched for the same reason everyone watched Jesus. They were both curious and amazed at the uniqueness, power, love, and grace they witnessed. Some watched to see if Jesus was following the laws as they understood them. And as time passed, many watched to catch him in some act that would justify having him arrested, thus eliminating the threat he was to their power, rank, and influence.

The Luke passage suggests that Jesus had noticed some things about the Pharisees as well. He didn’t need to watch them since he knew what was in all humans. Since Jesus was with God in the beginning, he was very familiar with our weaknesses and tendencies toward selfishness, pleasure, and preferences for power and prestige. As the Pharisees were watching him as he dined with one of their leading citizens, Jesus told a few parables.

Best seat

One of the parables had to do with the temptation of assuming we should be seated in the best seat for dinners, weddings, or just any public gathering. I doubt Jesus really cared much about seating charts. (Apologies to all the event planners.) The bigger point Jesus was making was about humility. He was likely also referring to delayed gratification. We have a tendency to want to be recognized sooner rather than later. However, a careful reading of Jesus and later of the apostles suggests that recognition and exaltation come ultimately when Jesus returns and not here. There may be moments of recognition here, but if we are serious about our discipleship, we know on this side of eternity our focus is on servanthood and not recognition.

We must watch ourselves and guard against temptation toward both pride and laziness, regardless of where we sit. Being seated up front can get a little heady if you are not careful. And choosing to sit in the back may not be humility. It might signal disinterest or laziness.

Middle seat

In early June of 1974, I was in a weeklong training at Lake Aurora Camp in Lake Wales, Florida. Bill Redmon was the executive director of the camp. At one of our meals we sat down at the large tables in the camp dining hall. The food was served family style. Bill sat in the middle of the table and not on the end. As we ate he explained that as leaders we shouldn’t sit at either end of the table but in the middle. Being in the middle would place us where we could see and hear the campers better than at the ends. 

But Bill had another reason for us to sit in the middle. He had noticed that sometimes adults sit on the end out of a sense of importance. Sitting at the end can send a message of detachment. He wanted us to see ourselves as servant leaders who understood that it is essential to join the campers and serve them rather than being seen as above the campers in any way.

That lesson has stuck with me all my life. I don’t always sit in the middle, but I usually avoid the head of the table. My usual practice is regularly to vary where I sit in meetings. Sitting in different places lets me see people differently and hopefully allows them to see me as with them versus over them.

Seeing Jesus, watching Jesus

Someone is always watching. As followers of Jesus we want those who watch to see Jesus in us. And we want to place ourselves in places where we can see eye-to-eye with those around us and never as one who thinks they are better than anyone else. We can learn a lot by watching and listening to Jesus. His ways lead to peace, joy, and love. The world sometimes uses the language of Jesus but rarely follows his example. As kingdom people we must watch the King and make sure our daily habits reflect his glory and never seek ours.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:1; 7-11 ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Chase Clark at unsplash.com

To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
To download a printable version of today’s post, click here.