Summary: The past eight months I have been planning the trickiest, most time-consuming event I will probably ever plan: my wedding. By the end of this month, I will get to marry the love of my life. However, I do not know if I am looking forward more to marrying him or being done with wedding planning. When we first got engaged back in January, my mom gifted me a couple of things to help with the process. The first gift was a binder to hold all of the contracts, the second gift a notebook to keep track of to-dos and thank you notes, and the last gift was a wedding etiquette manual by Emily Post. As much as I have appreciated and used each of these gifts, the last is as useful as it is stress-inducing. Emily Post's legacy is answering any question that you might ever have, and some you would never have thought of, with regards to etiquette. Her manual has taught me the proper way to address inner and outer envelopes, choose flowers and write thank you notes. Every time we came across a dilemma or were unsure of the traditions, Emily was there to answer my questions. While we have not always followed her guidance, it has been reassuring to have this manual to fall back on. So when I read today's scripture, I could not help but look over at my Emily Post manual sitting on the table. Jesus' instructions to these Pharisees feel reminiscent of chapter 16: Planning Your Reception. On the surface, Jesus gives the Pharisees instructions on how to conduct themselves at a dinner party as well as who should be on the guest list. His guidance comes in the form of what not to do. Do not sit in the seat of highest honor. Do not invite the guests who will be able to return the invitation. Jesus is a killjoy of a dinner guest. Yet, for his plain language instructions, Jesus is actually teaching an important lesson.
