Meals with Jesus - Week 9

Seating Charts and Guest Lists

Luke 14:7-14

Teacher: Jon Morales, Lead Pastor at Oak Pointe Church

Ancient Rome utilized the dining table as a means for gaining social, political, and economic advantages. The host of an opulent dinner party would be an elite Roman citizen, and their goal was to showcase their wealth and sophistication by bringing out the best in class from food to entertainment. Their guest list was a who’s who of influential society, and the seating arrangement around the central table was no mere coincidence. Places of prominence were reserved for those guests who offered some kind of gain for the host, be it political or financial.

When Jesus attended dinner parties of the prominent Pharisees, He was surely rubbing shoulders with people of means and power. He frequently called out their motives and lack of humility because their dinner parties were no different than their Roman counterparts. Jesus has a much different guest list in mind for us, however, and in this message, we will walk through His instructions for us.