Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there is an old saying, “A nail that sticks out will be pounded.” Although this saying might be appreciated by those in the building trades, I think it originated in the military. It’s nice to receive recognition, but not too much. You don’t want to call too much attention to yourself, especially not from some mean training instructor.
Our Lord Jesus put it this way: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Those who like to exalt themselves are like that nail that sticks out and gets pounded.
I read a story that Tomas Wheeler, chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company told on himself. While he and his wife were driving in the country, he noticed they were low on gas. So, he pulled off the first exit and came to a dumpy little gas station with only one pump. There was only one attendant working in that place and Thomas asked him to fill it up while he checked the oil level. He added a quart, closed the hood, and noticed that his wife was talking and smiling at the gas station attendant. When they noticed he was looking at them, the attendant walked away and pretended as if nothing had happened. Wheeler paid the man and pulled out of that little station.
Somewhat puzzled, he asked his wife if she knew the attendant. Well, she admitted she did know him. In fact, she had known him quite well. Not only did they attend the same high school, but they had also dated seriously for about a year. Well, Tom Wheeler couldn’t help bragging a little so he said, “Boy, you were lucky I came along. If you had married him, you would be the wife of a gas station attendant, instead of a CEO.”
To which his wife briskly replied, “My dear, if I had married him, he would be the CEO and you would be the gas station attendant.”
That’s what they call a well-pounded nail. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled.
Few people are more exalted in our society than movie stars. We treat them nearly as gods. My first church was in Hailey, Idaho, a community where some of the famous people could be seen - Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Clint Eastwood, and Batman to name a few. The favorite topic of conversation among local residents was where and when they saw these movie stars. As if breathing the same air with them were a means of exultation.
But, sometimes even famous actors could fall off a pedestal. One of the most popular shows in the golden age of television was Studio One. During one memorable broadcast, the scene was the interior of an airplane cockpit, flying at an altitude of 30,00 feet over the mountains of Tibet. Three men were in the cockpit talking, when suddenly there was silence. One of the actors forgot his lines. This being a live production, there were no retakes, no stopping action. That was it! Millions of eager viewers were glued to their black and white screens, waiting to see what would happen next. The actor’s solution? He got to his feet, in a cockpit supposedly at 30,000 feet over the mountains of Tibet, and voiced the immortal line: “Well, this is where I get off!” He left the set and walked into the history of unforgettable bloopers. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled.
I had one memorable humbling experience over 25 years ago on the Island of Kauai. Our pastor, Edward Spirer, was celebrating his 50th anniversary of ordination. His friends put together a marvelous banquet for his at the Coco Palms Hotel. Number of distinguished guests were present from all over the island, from Honolulu, from the synod office. Now Pastor Spirer was in his 80s and would get mixed up in the liturgy so there were two people assisting his at worship. Myself, a floor covering contractor back then, and Frank, a retired CEO of some big utility company.
It just happened that Frank, his wife, and I arrived at Coco Palms together. We walked down toward the banquet hall exchanging polite conversation, when the congregation president motioned to follow to one of the front tables. Somehow I assumed that I too was to be included in the places of honor, by the virtue of my service in the church, so I followed all the way to the table. There I discovered that they were one chair short, and they were not planning to play musical chairs.
Have you ever experienced a moment where you could just crawl into the woodwork? Time for damage control! I smiled, wished them a pleasant evening, and back-paddled to one of the outer tables. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled.
Our Gospel lesson from Luke 14: 7-14 portrays an interesting scene. It was a Sabbath and Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee. He noticed how people were taking up places of honor, so He shared a parable. Please follow with me in your Bibles or on the back cover of your bulletins. Luke 14: 7-14
Now this is not only a good practical advice to save us some embarrassment, it also has much to do with our true self-esteem and attitude toward God an other people. There is an ongoing struggle within us - a struggle between the flesh and the spirit, struggle between our vices and our virtues. Struggle between pride and humility. Unhealthy pride that is, selfish pride, not to be confused with healthy sense of pride: pride of belonging, pride of accomplishment. We have witnessed this at he graduation ceremonies at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. What the new airmen radiated was a pride of being part of something greater than ourselves. And we are very proud of our two sons serving in the Air Force.
But there is also pride that exalts the self, and that is contrary to God’s will. Such unhealthy pride tries to obscure God, and seeks to puff up the ego at the expense of others. There is nothing wrong with celebrating our accomplishments, as long as we recognize who is at the origin of our blessings.
I like what Jose Valverde, the closing pitcher of the D’backs does when ever he saves a game. After the enthusiastic gesture of victory, he points toward heaven. To God be the glory. Celebration, yet with humility.
We are not called to be doormats or refuse positive feedback and recognition. We are called to develop a humble spirit, at all times seeking closeness to our heavenly Father, and giving Him thanks for all the good things we have been blessed with. We are called to give respect to whom respect is due, and not to think of ourselves anymore than we ought. Have reverence for God and respect for other people.
The Bible teaches us wisdom as we struggle between pride and humility. Please turn in your Bibles to the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs 11: 2 When pride comes, then disgrace comes, but with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 16: 18-19 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a humble spirit with the poor than to divide spoils with the proud. And Proverbs 29: 23 A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who humbles himself in spirit will obtain honor.
In other words, Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
We cannot come to Christ unless we are of humble spirit. The proud don’t seek Him because they feel they don’t need Him. But when we come to realize that we cannot obtain the righteousness by our own power (usually when we are faced with our mortality), we gratefully accept what he offers. The transfer of all our sins onto His blood sacrifice on the cross.
I am sure you have heard about the statue of Christ that someone stopped to observe. He said, “But I can’t see His face!” And somebody answered, “You have to kneel down to see His face.” Let us live every day of our lives kneeling to see the face of Jesus.
Some of you may remember the movie classic “The Shoes of a Fisherman.” Anthony Quinn played the role of a newly elected Russian pope. The movie was made before John Paul II or Benedict, so in the story Anthony Quinn was the first non-Italian pope in 400 years. At first the former political prisoner has a hard time adjusting to the place of such honor. He is a down to earth priest who is more at ease with the common people than with the college of cardinals. When he befriends a young priest with rather unorthodox theological views, some of the older cardinals don’t take it very kindly. Especially one of the Italian cardinals, a man who had been the closest advisor to the previous three popes, doesn’t take the absence of honor very well and gives the new pope a bad time.
But something happens and in a very touching scene of this movie, the cardinal comes to the pope with heart-felt repentance and humility. He confesses that he had been jealous because his he thought his previous service entitled him to deserve better. And he says, “I have been wrong. None of us deserves anything more than the wage of a worker in the vineyard.”
And the pope confesses to him that he had been resentful of the cardinal because of the fear of opposition. And smile breaks out on both of these men’s faces, and they begin the road to friendship. As they walk down the hall together, the pope puts his arm on the cardinal’s shoulder and asks him to be his closest advisor.
Those who humble themselves will be exalted. Today, we have been invited to a very special feast. Having come with a humble spirit, we having confessed our sins to our heavenly Father, and He puts His arm around us and leads us toward a banquet that has been prepared for us. And the Lord Himself invites us to His table, to take a place of honor, every one of us, as we partake of His special presence in Holy Communion, a place of humility and exaltation, Amen.
