Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 2, 2001
Heavenly Father empower us to see everyone’s self worth in the light of Your estimation. Amen.
Title: “True Humility.”
Luke 14: 1, 7-14
Jesus, at dinner in the house of a leading Pharisee, counsels both the host and his guests about humility and generosity.
It was customary to invite the “visiting preacher,” in this case, Jesus, and other guests to dinner after the synagogue service. However, the details given indicate that this occasion was staged. That “the people there were observing him carefully,” indicates that he was a curiosity piece, to say the least. That there were “scholars,” there indicates that they were more interested in evaluating Jesus than eating dinner. Finally, that a man suffering from dropsy just happened to be there, so that the scholars and people could evaluate Jesus, seems more than coincidence. This scene is a typical setup by the Pharisees to build, or at least add to, their case against Jesus. But Jesus went anyway. The Pharisees had their purpose and Jesus had his. He used the occasion to teach about humility and generosity, using accepted practices surrounding “formal dinners,” as examples of how not to behave.
In verse seven, he told a parable, the term “parable,” is not used here in its usual sense of comparison or similitude, but has the meaning of “rule of thumb,” or “rule of prudence.”
The places of honor at table; at banquets the basic item of furniture was, the triclinium, a couch for three. A number of such couches were arranged in a U-shape around a low table. Guests reclined on their left elbows. The place of highest honor was the central position on the couch at the base of the U. The second and third places were those to the left of “center,” that is, reclining behind him and to the right, that is, reclining with the head on the bosom of the “center”. At this particular feast there was a rather noticeable undignified scramble for the places of honor. Jesus used the situation to comment and teach.
In verses eight to ten, at this time precedence depended on the rank and distinction of the guest. After 300AD it depended on age. The most important guests arrived fashionably, late for banquets, no doubt to be noticed and, perhaps, take pleasure in unseating an earlier but less important arrival. When Jesus criticizes the guests for staking out positions of prestige he is doing no more than echoing sound advice given by many other sages, Prov25: 6-7. Worldly wisdom, even common sense, would dictate that one should avoid the possible public shame of being demoted by being unwilling to promote oneself prematurely. However, for Jesus there is more to it than that. He is less interested in “worldly” advice and much more interested in “other-worldly,” advice. His point will apply to all of life’s situations, not merely banquets for the rich and foolish.
In verse eleven, humbled…exalted, this saying appears in several contexts. It has broad applicability. It also appears in the form of “first vs. last.” In this context the saying teaches that a person’s real position depends on God’s opinion of him or her, not on one’s own self-seeking. The verse shows that Jesus is teaching much more than social etiquette. From good manners at table he draws conclusions about the Kingdom. In this sense the passage can be called a “parable” since it compares a “known,” good manners at table, with an “unknown,” behavior appropriate to Kingdom members or guests. Attendance at God’s banquet depends upon God’s invitation, not upon a person’s qualities, achievements or social standing.
In verse twelve, to the host who invited him, while the ensuing lesson is addressed to the host, it clearly is meant for everyone. The host is advised not to invite his friends lest they invite him back and he be repaid. Do not invite your friends, to avoid misunderstanding this verse, one must keep in mind the Semitic way of expression. The meaning is not that one should never have a party for one’s friends. Jesus is not forbidding normal social life. That would run counter to his own way of life.
In verse thirteen, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, four unfortunate types, poor, crippled, lame, and blind are contrasted with four affluent types, friends, brothers, relatives, and wealthy neighbors. The first group cannot reciprocate. Helping those, feeding those means that one will not be repaid. They are unable to do so. This is true generosity. Spending money on people who will invite one back, pay one back, is not generosity. It might be worldly wisdom or “business sense,” but it is not really generous.
In verse fourteen, blessed will you be, the word in Greek, makarios, means “heavenly bliss,” the bliss of the gods, a bliss unaffected by human circumstances. Jesus uses this term here and elsewhere, notably in the Beatitudes, for the end result of living in a right relationship with God. To behave in the way described, Jesus says, will result in eternal bliss. At the resurrection those who have a feast for the poor will enjoy a feast forever. There is such a thing as “pay back” after all, but it is also after death.
Sermon
The Pharisees were what we would call “church-going people.” They went to synagogue weekly and so did Jesus. They were not for the most part what we would call “upper class,” but “middle class.” They did not inherit their wealth but earned it through hard work and they were proud of that fact. They were also, for the most part, proud of their moral status in society. They were looked up to, if not by those of the lower class, by themselves. They really did strive for and, in many cases, achieve just about the highest level of moral uprightness in the entire ancient world. They observed the Jewish Law meticulously, even scrupulously. One would think that Jesus would have admired their version of Holiness of life, but he did not. He was not impressed by their external piety or their moral uprightness. He considered it to be self-righteousness rather than Godly righteousness. The Pharisees had the most trouble in accepting Jesus and his “brand” of religion. They were too smug for Jesus’ tastes. Yet, he did not shun them. When invited to their homes for a meal, a formal affair with many rules of etiquette, he went anyway. Knowing that he was being set up to be scrutinized and criticized, even trapped into being labeled a “heretic,” he went anyway. Jesus was so genuinely righteous that he excluded no one offhand simply because of their self-righteousness. He considered everyone reform-able. No one was finished changing and growing until he or she physically died.
At the same time Jesus did not play their games. Their negatively judgmental attitude towards people whom they considered beneath them really annoyed Jesus. When they tried to lure and trap him into some error, error as they defined it, Jesus would turn the situation around and expose their evil intentions, attitudes and practices for what they really were- hypocrisy. This gospel story was just such an occasion.
After synagogue “one of the leading Pharisees” invited Jesus back to the house for a meal. Jesus accepted, knowing full well that the Pharisees intentions were to trap him in some heresy or, at least, to entertain his friends with this rather unconventional religious teacher. As it turned out it was Jesus who was entertained by, if also disapproving of, the antics of these self-styled “important,” and supposedly serious people. They were jockeying for position and scrambling for the seats of honor. Who among us has not had a quiet laugh as we observed people at banquets or weddings or even funerals either trying to sit next to people they consider their social equals or complaining that they were put down too low on the seating order of importance? First it is funny. Then its sort of sad that such folks are so insecure within themselves that a chair’s place or a place in line is so important to their self-worth. We laugh, of course, until we realize that we are just as insecure, only we have enough sense to try to hide it.
Jesus is certainly not recommending that we pretend to be humble, all the while remaining proud undercover. He is recommending, requiring really, that we be truly humble. That means that we see everyone’s self worth in the light of God’s estimation. It matters not to God what our social or economic status might be. All his children are worthwhile to him and that is so because of him, not because of us. We cannot earn our worth before God. It is given. We can reject it, neglect it, tarnish it, try to trash it, but we cannot really lose it. The Pharisees overestimated there worth, thinking it had something to do with themselves and their self-righteousness. They also, thereby, underestimated the worth of the poor, the disabled, the outcast and even the sinner. They would never think of having such folks for dinner or associate with them in any way whatsoever. After all, they were not their “kind,” of people. The irony was that this Pharisee had invited Jesus for dinner, who, at this point in his life, had no home to invite him back.! Jesus was, in effect, saying, “Now that was not so bad, was it? Why not invite more folks like me into your home and into your charity and generosity?”
Real generosity, non-reciprocal generosity, will actually be repaid but not directly, if not here and now then in eternity. Doing kindnesses for people who will repay us or can repay us is not real charity. It is okay as far as it goes, but if that is the level and quality of our generosity, it is no better than a business deal-“ I do for you and then you owe me one and I’ll collect later,” or “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours.” Real generosity says, “I do for you because I owe God everything, God who really owns everything I have, and want to show him my appreciation.”
Our place in the world is not determined by where we sit or what our title is, but where we stand before God and what he calls us, namely, his children.
People who overestimate their own worth underestimate the worth of all others.
Real generosity is giving to those who cannot give back.
In eternity everything we have given away will be returned to us in a different form.
Self-deprecation: We can fake humility. We can pretend to have a lower opinion of ourselves that we really have in our hearts and tell others how humble we are. How would anyone know otherwise? It is really the way we treat others that shows whether or not we are truly humble. Humility is simply having the same opinion of ourselves as God has of us. God has his “rank,” his order of preference. Jesus has told us that true greatness consists in service to others. However, if we serve the poor but still look down on them as less worthy, less important, less human than ourselves, we are not truly humble. “Poor” is an economic term, not a religious one, unless, of course, we mean “poor in spirit.” Many people help the “poor” but also look down on them. Indeed, helping the “poor” gives them an even greater sense of pride in themselves. Associating with the poor does not produce the attitude- there but for the grace of God go I- but rather a feeling of superiority. This feeling sneaks out and leaks out at the most unexpected times and places, such as when a “poor” person is honored,. Then comes the slips- “Well, I have been doing that for years now and no one has recognized it or me” or “I really deserve than honor more than the one who got it” or “If it were not for me that person would still be in the gutter” or “I made him or her what he or she is today.” So much for the conceit and deceit of self-deprecation!
Public Generosity: During holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, oddly, never at Easter, we frequently see on TV and read in the news churches sponsoring a big meal for the “poor.” Why is that news? Because that is the only time these churches do so. Are not the “poor,” hungry every day? Who cares for them and feeds them the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the days after that? This display of public generosity, supposedly a sign of caring for the poor, is really an indictment against many Christian communities who dedicate too small an amount of time and money to serve the “poor.” It indicates just how truly poor many Christian communities are, poor not economically but “poor” in what matters to God, Luke 12: 21. Jesus does not forbid throwing parties for one’s friends. He commands that we also do the same for those who really need a meal and need one every day. If it is an every day occurrence it will not make the news because it is the good news in action, not a rare event but a real one. Each one of us needs to see to it that we are supporting those who cannot return the favor. They could also be relatives and friends, but need not be. We do so not only to help meet their needs but to meet our own needs as well. When Christ is alive in us we simply need to share with others. It is part and parcel of the wonderful experience of being two lives- Christ’s and our own- in one body.
Dealing With Hypocrisy: The hypocrisy of others serves a good purpose if it points out the same hypocrisy in ourselves. Jesus did not merely condemn the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He used their examples to help others, including us, to see the same attitudes, tendencies and actions in our own lives and do something about it. No doubt, Jesus also wanted to give the Pharisees as many chances to reform their lives as he gives the rest of us. Jesus dealt with hypocrisy by calling it by its right name and, at the same time, not rejecting the hypocrite. Jesus judged behavior, but not people, at least not yet, not until death. He wants us to do the same. If we snub our noses at hypocrites, then we have to snub our noses at ourselves as well. It is not easy in a social setting to express our inner objections to displays of hypocrisy, but we must. Throwing cold water on people who are blind to hypocrisy will not kill them, only wake them up. It does have the effect, though, of putting the cold-water thrower into hot water with the gaggle of hypocrites who are playing the game. Amen.
