The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 14:8-11, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both shall come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.

10 “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

11 “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Some days ago the President of the United States held a signing ceremony. All of the invited dignataries were gather in the East Room of the White House. A few were designated to stand on risers on the platform immediately behind the speaker. It was an assembly of carefully orchestrated decorum. There was no rushing for the front row seats. If someone discovered himself to be in the wrong seat, he vacated that seat and sought the place reserved for him.

I have to wonder of anyone at that signing ceremony recalled the verses from Luke’s Gospel. In His parable, Jesus allowed that everyone who was invited to the wedding feast was guaranteed a seat. He also noted that each invited guest was designated a specific seat, and that arrangement was decided by the one in charge of the feast. The person in charge had the authority to seat people where he desired. The one who chose a front-row seat for himself would in time suffer embarrassment by being told to move to seat in a row further back. It was a value system. Those valued more highly were awarded the better seats.

Sometimes we over-value ourselves. We view ourselves as smarter, wealthier, even better looking that others, thus we believe we should have higher honor than others. But, that’s not how it works! The LORD is in charge, and His value-arrangement is what matters. So, how do we increase our value in His sight? We do it by being faithful, by living as He directs, by working diligently, minding our own business –which is His business; by sharing His likeness in our daily lives, and sharing His Word in a verbal witness, as His Spirit prompts us. From the LORD’s viewpoint, that is what constitutes true value. Where will you sit when the Wedding Feast is announced?

We love you dearly and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”