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Luke 14:10
ESV But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.
NIV But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.
NASB But whenever you are invited, go and take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are dining at the table with you.
CSB "But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests.
NLT Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.
KJV But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
NKJV But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

What does Luke 14:10 mean?

Jesus finishes His parable about banquet seating arrangements. When invited to a formal meal at the home of a Jew, seating depends on social ranking. The higher "ranked" a guest is, the closer they sit to the host. When guests arrive, they need to figure out who sits where. But if someone of a high rank arrives late, one of the people who assumed a seat they did not warrant will be publicly shamed and sent to the foot of the table (Luke 14:7–9).

Conversely, Jesus explains, if someone humbly assumes a seat at the foot of the table, the host may publicly honor the guest and escort him to a higher seat.

Jesus' teaching is not new; it is just applied in a different way. Proverbs 25:6–7 says, "Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower in the presence of a noble." While Solomon spoke of standing before kings, Jesus applies this to any social setting.

Jesus is using the culture's honor/shame system to encourage the guests to be more virtuous. Even today, in the East the culture is based on what family or individual or clan is the most honorable and which have been shamed. Ironically, Jesus is using this broken worldview to teach godly humility.

And yet, Jesus doesn't criticize the act of bringing someone to a higher place. It is good to be humble in a group and still know your worth. It's bad to assume glory and honor that hasn't been offered by another, but it's okay if others offer it.
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