Jesus did not only respond to questions which sought to trap Him; He also exposed the motives of their hearts: He knew what they were thinking (Luke 11:17).  On this occasion, at a banquet given by a prominent Pharisee (Luke 14:1), Jesus saw how other guests tried to get places near the host because that would make them look more important.  His parable in these verses was not very subtle because, although the story was set in a wedding feast, the parallels would have been embarrassingly obvious.
 
Jesus had observed that those who pushed themselves forwards were likely to be publicly humiliated if they were asked to move when important guests arrived.  But this was not just a lesson on etiquette or good manners; it wrapped up several important messages in one.  Firstly, proud people will be brought low (Proverbs 18:12) - it is a divine rule which applies on earth and at the great judgement - because all are equal except God -  those who express superiority over others are assuming they are better than their neighbour and so are elevating themselves to being gods and taking God's place.  

Humility is therefore the normal characteristic of truly godly people; and pride marks out those who God will have to deal with (1 Peter 5:5).  The Pharisee and his friends arrogantly thought that their piety brought them nearer to Father God, even though God the Son was sitting at the same table, and they resisted His authority.  They would be in for a big shock on judgement day.  
 
We will do well to learn the simple lessons of humility.  James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote the same message to the churches (James 2:1-7).  Apart from the benefits of humility in social interaction, there are great benefits for the proclamation of the Gospel.  Although the message is powerful, an arrogant messenger will get in the way of what he/she is saying.  The message cannot be heard properly because it is all about Jesus who humbled Himself unto death (Philippians 2:5-8).  And if integrity in our witness is important, so it is vital in our worship.  If we think of ourselves more highly than others (Romans 12:3), are we not falling into the same trap as the Pharisees who were unconsciously trying to grab God's place?  Such people cannot worship with any honesty.  So, for our own sake, the sake of our friends and colleagues and for God's sake, let us learn how to humble ourselves now.