While I was struck by the beauty of both buildings one architectural detail caught my attention. From the Narthex of the Hagia Sophia there were three different sized entrances into the sanctuary. The largest was in the middle and was reserved only for the emperor. The next size down was for nobles, and the smallest were for the common people.
This reminded me of something we saw in Sepphoris in Galilee. This town was heavily influenced by Greco-Roman culture and was filled with outstanding mosaics. There was one from a dining room that had a large white portion where the three sided table would have been placed. It is on the left in the picture.
The host of the banquet would sit near the bottom center and then guests would sit in order of importance in a clockwise direction with the most important being next to the host. In reference to this Jesus said, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at 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 the table with you. " (Luke 14:8-10). He encouraged people not to take places of honor. But the Hagia Sophia distinguished the honor of those who entered the church and by doing so became the same as the Greco-Roman culture Jesus spoke against.
May our churches never distinguish between people but see that we are all sinners before a Holy God. May we never try to exalt ourselves but rather seek places of humility. May we become less and He become more!
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