Grace and Peace to you from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord and Savior sanctify you in
the truth; for His word is truth. Amen
Fourteenth
Sunday after Pentecost (2010)
Humility is a
gift of the Holy Spirit
Luke
14:1-14 (ESV)
One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the
house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. [2] And
behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. [3] And Jesus responded to
the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or
not?” [4] But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent
him away. [5] And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that
has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” [6]
And they could not reply to these things.
[7] Now he told a parable to those who were
invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to
them, [8] “When you are invited by
someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone
more distinguished than you be invited by him,
[9] and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your
place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest
place. [10] But when you are invited, go
and sit in 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 table with you. [11] For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
[12] He said also to the man who had
invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends
or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you
in return and you be repaid. [13] But when you give a feast, invite the poor,
the crippled, the lame, the blind, [14] and you will be blessed, because they
cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Much of what passes for Christianity today is little more than socializing with like-minded friends; such as these rarely understand the sacramental heart of worship. For them it is what they do, how much they do, and who they do it with that speaks of their fellowship. It’s all about what they are willing to give to God in order to receive something in return rather than graciously and humbly receiving the blessed gifts of forgiveness God is eager to give. Rather than entering God’s house of prayer as a penitent and unworthy sinner, they’re more interested in visiting with people whom they haven’t seen throughout the week. They’re motive is social not spiritual. Moreover, as social creatures, they begin to become conscience of the peeking order among them.
Having
been members of the congregation for many years, some begin to think they
deserve special consideration for their years of faithful attendance; a seat of
honor in the Nave, a badge of recognition for their service, the reputation as
a “Christian person.” They begin to
think, “Look at me, I deserve to have praise heaped on me. I’m really a good
person. I faithfully give to the offering plate, I say my prayers everyday, and
I keep the commandments. God will certainly reward me for my good and faithful
service.” We’re reminded of the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and the
Tax Collector told to us by our Lord Jesus; “The Pharisee, standing by
himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all
that I get’ ” (Luke 18:11-12 ESV). He was setting himself above others
based on his self-perceived importance. The tax collector on the other hand
prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13 ESV)
Truly, the tax collector was a humble and repentant man before God. He could not, would not come before God in any other frame of mind than as a humble, repentant sinner seeking to receive God’s forgiveness. He could not and would not elevate himself above others or seek a position of honor. He was content to be in the presence of Almighty God, for he knew to be in such a position was more honor than he ever deserved. He had been blessed with the gift of humility from the Holy Spirit.
When I read Luke 18, I am reminded of what one pastor told a group of us regarding a member of his congregation. This man, an older man, a true convert to Christianity, who, while they were in Bible Class discussing Luke 18 and the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector said, “I like to say that I'm trying to be the tax collector - humble, pleading for mercy. But, that's the Pharisee in me talking.”
Someone identified the tendency the old man was speaking of as “having change in our pockets.” That is, having something with which we believe we can bargain with God for that better seat. However, what we need to realize is that we're not worthy to sit in any seat at the heavenly banquet! Luther had it right. On the day before he died, he said, “We are beggars. That is true.”
Given the confession of the old man and Luther, we can rightly say, “You cannot take refuge in pride that apes humility insisting upon calling God by splendid names just to impress others.” True faith is declared in the foolishness of the Gospel truth, which declares that God exalted His One and only begotten Son who had humbled Himself to point of death on the cross all for our benefit; our forgiveness and reconciliation. Thus, we must ask ourselves, “Who among us is worthy to make a decision about healing on the Sabbath, or arrogantly assume the high seat is ours, or who is truly able to give a dinner party for friends of whom we can rightly consider their repayment as worthy of notice? Who is able to buy God’s favor? I dare say, not one.
Those
who believe they’re worthy, aren’t, while those who believe they not worthy, truly
knowing that all they are or will ever be is because of our Lord, Jesus Christ;
are worthy. Again, Luther said, “Consequently,
even if we are not perfectly holy, Christ will wash away our sins with his
blood and, when we depart from this life, will make us altogether pure in the
life to come. In the meantime we are content with that righteousness which
exists in hope through faith in Jesus Christ.” It all revolves around our Lord
Jesus Christ and true fellowship, communion, with Him. It is not that we are
worthy. On-the-contrary, it is the One in whom we believe and trust, our Lord,
Jesus Christ. He is alone is worthy.
In the Gospel Reading for today, Jesus says, “For
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted” (v. 11). However, no sinner has the capacity to humble
themselves only God is capable of humbling a sinner and this He does through
the Law. By nature we are filled with ourselves. Our culture teaches us to
excel, to be better than the person next to us, to be the captain of the
football team or the head cheerleader. It is human nature to be on top. The
very law of nature is survival of the fittest. Only when we see ourselves as
the Law sees us, only when we are brought to our knees, surrendering to God as
helpless infants unable to help ourselves are we prepared to receive from God that
which makes us humble; the blessed truth of the Gospel that although we are
undeserving of God’s love, He sent His Son to be our substitute and take upon
Himself the punishment we so richly deserve.
Therefore, when Jesus says, “When you are invited by someone to a
wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor” (v. 8), it is not
about self-improvement or even self-humbling. Rather, our Lord is teaching us
to see ourselves as the Law see us, as we really are; corrupt, sinful beings
who are saved only by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Failure to see
ourselves in this light will result in our failure to hear and believe the
Gospel. Jesus tells us to humble ourselves because He knows that by nature we
are prone to seek works in order to fulfill the Law. Yet by works of the Law no
man will be saved (Rom. 3:28). Only after being truly humbled by God’s Law will
He exalt us by the Gospel.
Church fellowship is not a gathering of worshippers, a gathering of saints out of a desire on their part to be together, or to socialize together. No, fellowship, as Holy Scripture intends it to be understood is communion with Christ. The Church is where Christ is and people gather to hear His Holy Gospel preached in all its purity and to receive His gracious gifts of the sacraments; Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and absolution. The communion of saints spoken of in the Apostle’ Creed isn’t a gathering of congregational members desiring to be with each other. No, it’s an assembly of saints gathered around the altar of God to receive the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ in the bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist. It is a communing fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ. For it is there, in the means of grace, that our Lord, bringing us into fellowship with Him, offers us the forgiveness of our sins and strengthens our faith. We cannot receive these blessed gifts from one another, they are offered only by God. Thus, if we are gathering for any other purpose, we are not gathering as an assembly of saints to worship our Lord. Instead, we are gathering as an assembly of Pharisees seeking the seat of honor among Pharisees.
Come to the Lord as did the tax collector; filled with humility and sorrow because of your sinful condition. Seek the Lord in repentance, confessing your sins eager to hear His words of absolution, “My grace I give you. I forgive you all your sins. Go and sin no more.” Give thanks and praise for this wonderful and gracious gift of forgiveness and in humble reverence leave His house of prayer knowing that your sins are forgiven and that His Holy Spirit fills your heart, leading you everyday to live the Baptized life of repentance while empowering you to be a true disciple of Christ.
Humility is indeed a special gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift
granted to all who have been elected and called to faith. Amen.
May the Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.