The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr
Luke 14:1, 7-14
In his autobiography, Benjamin
Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers, listed 13 virtues he thought were
necessary to live a good and moral life: temperance, silence, order,
resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness,
tranquility, chastity, and humility. He wanted to improve himself and reach
perfection in each of these areas. To keep track of how he was doing, he had a
notebook. On the pages, there was a grid for each week. Across the top of the
grid were the days of the week, and down the side he listed the virtues. Each
time he broke a virtue, he would mark a black spot in the box on the grid. His
goal was moral perfection.
Of the virtues, Franklin said
“order” was the hardest for him. He was not good at organization. Concerning “humility,”
Franklin said that the virtue of humility was impossible. However, he said he was
able to manage the appearance of it.
Franklin said that when he was
young, he loved to argue and prove others wrong. But constantly proving others
wrong was not the best way to make friends. So, to keep people from disliking
him, he used “humble language.” Instead of coming right out and saying someone
was wrong, Franklin would use phrases like, “It seems to me…” or “If I’m not
mistaken…” Speaking to people in this way gave him a reputation for being
modest. Though he was not patient, he made a habit of listening patiently. Franklin
learned to have the appearance of being humble so people would trust him. He
sounded humble, and in return, people would listen to him. He acted humbly to
the point that people said he was modest.[i]
Humility is not a virtue that comes
easily to most of us. Most of us inherently like to be right. We want to get
recognition when we’ve done something good. Our society has come to base “success”
in life on what people have done, what people have accomplished, how and where
they live…on status.
Imagine being at this dinner that Jesus
has been invited to. A Sabbath dinner at the house of a leader of the Pharisees
was a special event. At these fine dinners, people did not sit in chairs.
Instead, they would recline on couches arranged in a U-shape. Guests would lean
on their elbows with their feet stretched away from the table and eat with
their other hand. The place of honor was always the seat nearest to the host,
who usually sat at the center of the U-shaped table – that way, everyone could
see them. If you sat further away from the host, it was assumed that you were
less important than the people sitting closer. There was jockeying for position
to get that closer seat.
At this dinner, the Pharisees are
watching Jesus to see whether or not he was going to break Sabbath traditions
again, as he did in our Gospel reading last week on the bent over woman. But as
they are watching him, Jesus is watching them, and he notices what is happening
in the room. The guests are jockeying for position. They are trying to get the
best seat, closest to the host. This is when he gives them a lesson on status, honor,
and humility. He says, “You all think you are of the highest status and should be
the ones to sit at a place of honor at the table. What if someone of higher
honor comes and the host asks you to move down a seat or two? That would be a
disgrace, wouldn’t it? Isn’t it better to start at a lower place at the table
and have the host come and ask you to move to a higher place of honor? In this
way, you act in humility. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those
who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus wasn’t just talking about how
to behave at a banquet. Jesus was talking about how God’s kingdom works. The
proud will fall, and the humble will be lifted. Our honor comes from God, not
our social status. In God’s kingdom, human values are turned upside down. This
is pretty simple logic.
This week, I’ve been thinking a lot
about Jesus’ message, “those who humble themselves will be exalted.” There is a
difference between genuine humility and humility as a performance. What if we
continuously sit at the end of the table, in what looks like a humble act, only
because we want to be called to the head of the table? Humility as a
performance is not a trap we should get ourselves into. Benjamin Franklin admitted
that he used humility as a social and political tool. He used humility as a
tactic to win influence. He said that humility was one of the virtues he was
never successful at. However, he had perfected the appearance of it. In other
words, he didn’t feel humble inside, but he looked humble from the outside.
Jesus calls us to true humility, not
the appearance of humility. Jesus’ humility is sincere. It means that you sit
in the lowest seat every time, even if it never leads you to be moved to a
higher seat. While Benjamin Franklin was living an outwardly humble life, he
was concerned with status. Jesus’ humility is about kingdom values.
When we focus our humility on
ourselves, we say, “If I go low enough, maybe people will notice me and lift me
up.” When we exhibit true humility, we say, “Even if I stay in the lowest place
forever, I’m content, because my worth is secure in God.” Our affirmation of
who we are does not come from others; it can only come from God.
Jesus teaches us that humility is
lived out in love, hospitality, and generosity. But those things have to be
rooted in the fact that we are not doing them in fear of losing our social
status. We don’t have to grasp for honor. We are already in a place of honor.
“All who exalt themselves will be
humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Jesus
says, “Be humble and you will be exalted, ” not from people noticing you, but exalted
from God. To be exalted by God is much deeper than recognition, applause, or
promotion. To be exalted by God means that God is delighted in you. God
approves of all you are doing. God takes pleasure in you now and into eternal
life. In your humbleness, God will provide you with all you need. Psalm 81 from
today reads, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10).
We are called to live in true
humility, to stop scrambling for honor and affirmation, and let God’s presence
and affirmation be enough. Jesus’ final words to the people at the banquet are
to invite those who cannot repay them the next time they hold a banquet. When
we live in true humility, our call to action is to provide for those who cannot
repay us – those who are struggling physically and emotionally, those who are
elderly, disabled, and lonely. We are people who can not repay God. We come
with empty hands, and God welcomes us with grace.
I ask this question of you…This
week, where is God inviting you to take the lower seat — to step away from
seeking recognition — so that you can serve, listen, or welcome someone who
cannot repay you? Amen.
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