Hard to Be Humble

This is a sermon I wrote in September 2007 (notice the reference to U of Michigan losing to Appalachian State? How topical.) I actually meant to post it way back then. Apparently I did not. So here it is 3 and a half years later. Enjoy.

Luke 14:1-14

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. ²Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. ³And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath, or not?” ⁴But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. ⁵Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a Sabbath day?” ⁶And they could not reply to this.

⁷When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸“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; ⁹and 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. ¹⁰But 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. ¹¹For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” ¹²He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

It's Hard To Be Humble

This passage reminds me of the old song: “Oh Lord it’s hard to humble, when you’re perfect in every way.” We’ve all been humbled. Or maybe I should say humiliated. Maybe even in a situation similar to this. We proclaim ourselves an expert on a subject only to have someone ask a question we don’t know the answer to.

Our setting is a simple meal. A group of people invited over for dinner on the Sabbath. Jesus is being watched closely, but he is watching also. Where you sat at a meal was very important in the culture of the time. It determined your social position. Maybe Jesus notices the other guests elbowing, pushing, arguing. Maybe one uses the old tried and true “move your feet lose your seat” rule. The guests are jockeying for “the seat of honor,” the best seat at the meal. Jesus offers some sage advice. Don’t seek the best seat. There’s a good chance someone more important will be there and the host will ask you to move. How embarrassing. Instead go to the last seat. When the host sees you there he will ask you to move up to a better seat.

Have you ever been just completely embarrassed? Had someone show you up? Put you in your place? Bring you back down to earth? Anyone want to share an embarrassing moment?

Humble yourself and you will be exalted. Exalt yourself and you will be humbled. It’s the first weekend of college football, so I have to use a football example. Luckily enough, I was provided with one yesterday. The University of Michigan football program is one of the top in the nation. As a matter of fact, they are the all-time winningest college football program. They have the largest football stadium in college football. Michigan fans are proud of their Wolverines. Yesterday they were humbled. What should have been a tune up game against tiny little Appalachian State University, turned into an embarrassing nightmare. I’m sure all of the more than 100,000 Michigan fans in attendance planned to celebrate a victory after the game. Instead they were shocked, embarrassed, humiliated.

What Jesus was teaching was, at least partly, simply good etiquette. Maybe just a good way to avoid embarrassment. If you set yourself up at the top, don’t be surprised when someone knocks you down.

My Dad tells a story about a return trip from Rome. It was the early 80’s and He and my Mom were on a trip sponsored by an electrical supplier. When they arrived at the airport in Rome to leave, they were told there had been a bomb threat. They were to get in line at the gate to receive their boarding passes. Be cause of the threat all seating assignments were thrown out the window. Get in line, get your boarding pass and sit in the seat printed on it. The line moved slowly. Every one was nervous and the longer it took, the more agitated they became. Finally my parents were at the front of the line. As my dad reached to take a boarding pass a woman behind him burst past him and shouted, “That’s my ticket.” She grabbed the boarding pass from the ticket agent and ran down the jet way. They were all a little shocked and stood there for a second. My dad started to take the next pass the agent had in his hand. But he told them to wait. He reached behind the counter and took out two red passes and handed them to my parents. My dad shrugged and went along to the plane. When they entered the plane they turned right to head to coach. The flight attendant stopped the immediately. “No sir, your seats are this way.” And she led them to First Class. The spent the 10-hour flight sleeping in reclining chairs.

But there is more to Jesus’ story than be nice to each other. More than just a trick to gain praise. Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisee’s guests, and us, to live a life of humility. But why? Why should we humble ourselves?
If we don’t how can we ever allow God to work through us? If we are not meek, how can we ever realize that we don’t have all the answers? If we don’t have a spirit of humility how can we ever reach out to those we are commanded to love?

Jesus turns to the host of the meal. When you give a dinner don’t invite the people you know will repay the invite. Instead invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. Then you’ll be blessed.

When we are humble we realize that we are the poor. We are the crippled and the lame. We are the blind. I am poor. I am crippled and lame. I am blind. We are often spiritually poor. Our lives are crippled by sin. We are blind to others in need and our own shortcomings. I am poor. I am crippled and lame. I am blind.

I am truly humbled every time I take this stage. Humbled that we have an amazing God who can take a wretch like me who is shy and introverted with no rhythm and very limited musical knowledge or ability and use me to shore his love for you. I am poor. I am crippled and lame. I am blind.

But we’re still invited to the banquet. We have a meal here today. Who do we invite? Know that you are all invited. We are all invited. The poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. As you come, think about your place at the table. Where do you seat yourself and why?