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"Honored Friend..."
#1
There are reasons I feel the Court Ordering of Herod carried through the years.
Here are 2 translations. The first is from Murdock, the other from the RSV:

Luke 14:
07 And he spoke a similitude to the guests that were present, as he noticed how they chose places on the highest couches.
08 When thou art invited by any one to a house of feasting, go not and recline on the highest couch; lest there should be invited there, one more honorable than thou;
09 and he that invited both him and thee come and say to thee, Give place to this man; and thou be ashamed, when thou risest, and takest a lower couch.
10 But when thou art invited, go and recline on the lowest [couch]; that when he who invited thee come, he may say to thee: My friend, come up higher and recline. And thou wilt have honor, before all that recline with thee.

[7]Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,
[8] "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him;
[9] and he who invited you both will come and say to you, `Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
[10] But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.

BTW, Lamsa has, "My friend, go up and sit higher; and you will have glory before all who sit with you."

See what's happening here? It's not just a call for humility, although it certainly does point to that! This makes sense as an Ordered Court where everyone has a place. That the Pharisees are singled out for scorn is no surprise to me but the Ranks are as clear as can be - if this is in fact the "Hellenistic Court Ordering" from Herod's orders. By all means, read the whole story but look at even the RSV in v. 12:

[12] He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid.

Begin as a "Friend" and then be called. You will be "Honored" by your "Friends". If you are a "Kinsman" beware! They may invite you and you might even get "Repaid"!

CW
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