As Professor Sally Smith Holt observes, "In Luke, the themes of social status and the reversal of social status are constantly present. Luke's Jesus is one who comes to turn the present world upside down. In the world Jesus brings, social status and wealth are not the markers by which we judge ourselves and others, because these are not the markers that God untilizes to determine our importance....

"In this passage, Luke's Jesus highlights humility as a virtue. In a social context where humiliation and shame are to be avoided, the idea of voluntarily humbling oneself is unusual...

"In some ways, our world may not be so very different from the one depicted in the Gospel of Luke. If our context is built on the notion that individuals matter simply because they might contribute to the whole,

Luke's Jesus proclaims that individuals matter simply because all are included and invited to participate in the communal banquet offered by God.

In both worlds, the illusion of worth based on wealth and social status distorts what is truly significant according to the teachings of Jesus."

Dr. Sally Smith Holt's reflections on Luke 14:1, 7-14 may be found in Connections: A Lectionary Commentary, Year C, Vol. 3, 2019, pages 283-285. She is Professor of Religion at Belmont University College of Theology and Christian Ministry in Nashville, Tennessee.