“Um, Mom, I think we should sit more in the back,” one of my wise children insightfully spoke up. Instead of heeding that unsolicited advice, however, I pressed on to reserve very-much-in-the-front seats for us at our Chinese friends’ wedding.

My reasons felt justified. We were there early. The seats were currently empty. I wanted my young children to see better. And we were foreign guests. It was normal for exceptions to be made for us.

There was no doubt in my mind that our Chinese friends would want us to be up front.

And so, I settled myself comfortably into a seat of honor that was not meant for me.

As more guests began to arrive, my family humbly experienced in real time Jesus’ parable regarding seats of honor at a wedding banquet:

“When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, “Give this person your seat.” Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 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. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’” (Luke 14:7-11)

Before I even had time to hand out pre-wedding snacks to my kids, an embarrassed Chinese host approached us and apologetically asked us to move farther back.

I averted looking into my children’s I-told-you-so eyes as we gathered our things and found available very-much-in-the-back seats.

Swallowing my sense of entitlement, I accepted the humiliation of believing we deserved better. From those seats in the back, I realized that it was possible to experience contentment with a less ideal view. Acknowledging my pride that had refused to listen to my children’s wisdom, I now understood Jesus’ parable in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise. I was not the exception, but the one it was spoken for.

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.