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Sunday, August 29, 2010

14th Sunday after Pentecost Luke 14:1-14 08/29/10

14th Sunday after Pentecost
8/29/10
Text: Luke 14:1-14
Title: Pride comes before the fall.

Today is the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Some in our Saint John community experienced terrible losses in that hurricane; homes, personal belongings, pets, jobs, and the death of loved ones. That day will live in their memories for the rest of their lives.

For others, mostly those who did not lose much, if anything, 5 years is long enough. It now time to move on, to quit dwelling on the past and look to the future. While it is correct that we cannot live in the past, it is not correct that we should forget the past, admitting that it has changed us in ways that we could never have imagined.

I would dare say that everyone here who went through Hurricane Katrina in some way has conflicted emotions today. I think we are conflicted in one way or the other because in the face of Hurricane Katrina and more recently the BP spill we have had to face something that we do not want to face. We are not in control, at least as much as we would like and that weighs us down in ways that we never would have imagined.

To not be in control is a bad thing, for we are taught from early on that as Americans we can do anything with God’s help. We, who cannot control the next second, think that we can control what happens to us. I wonder if that doesn’t give God a chuckle from time to time. Actually I know that it does not give God a chuckle or even a grin, for listen to his words as they are written in Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

Notice the first thing on God’s list of things he hates in his righteousness, is haughty eyes, or, as we would say today, “pride.” God hates pride because he knows how harmful pride is to our relationship with others and him. Pride elevates self above God and can lead to the other things God hates; lying, murder even if it is just in thought, pursuit of evil, unrepentant living, gossiping, and causing problems among fellow believers. Pride is what brought sin into the world when Adam and Eve thought God was holding out on them.

God has no choice, but to hate all those things listed in his Word. And, because he hates them he no choice but to punish those who commit them. I can’t speak for you, but I know without a doubt that I stand guilty before God. I deserve God’s wrath, but I will not receive his holy wrath, for Jesus took it in my place. Contrary to popular believe that is not to say that God will not let me or anyone else that he loves not feel the results of their sin here on this earth.

Pride is what God is talking about in our Gospel lesson for us today. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders and teachers are trying to figure him out, but their pride will not let them open their minds to Jesus teachings. Everything Jesus does is a teaching moment and the account of his healing a man who had dropsy which is the accumulation of water in the soft tissue in the lower legs and feet such as you would have when you suffer from heart disease and some other illnesses.

The religious leaders have a fit, for Jesus has healed a man who could have been healed on another day other than the Sabbath. I was against their religious law. If they let Jesus get by with this the people might start questioning them about other laws.

Pride stopped them from the joy and wonder of the healing of the man. They thought their religion centered around them and their laws much like the most prideful man in America that thought so highly of himself that he would call the local prayer line to see if he had a message.

As Jesus entered the wedding feast he was invited to he noticed how people, now these are all invited guests, made a rush for the places of honor. Seeing another teaching moment he tells them a parable. Those who are invited to a banquet ought to first sit at the least distinguished spots, so that, if the host decides, he will move them up to the better spots. This could save them from embarrassment of being moved down and will gain them approval of all the other guests. A good lesson in social etiquette, but that was not what Jesus was teaching

Two years ago in VBS I was teaching this story to the children, so I had John and Earl set up the room like a banquet room. They put comfortable chairs at the head of the table with less and less uncomfortable chairs going down the table. I told the children outside of the classroom that we were going to have party and that I had invited some special guests. I opened the door to the party and the bigger children crowded into the room headed for the best seats, including my seat, leaving the less comfortable chairs for those who were not fast enough to get by them.

I let them all get seated and then I introduced my special guests which were all the smaller children who had to sit in the uncomfortable chairs. As you can imagine the bigger children were not too happy, for I had hurt their pride while the smaller children rejoiced that they were invited to set in the better chairs at the front of the table.

Pride is a terrible thing, for it usually will harm relationships with others. Pride is especially harmful when it involves your relationship with God, for pride does not allow you to humble yourself before God thus keeping you from receiving God’s free gift of forgiveness, the forgiveness he wants you to have, so you can be the whole person he wants you to be.

Pride is the opposite of humility, for while pride separates us from God’s forgiveness humility allows us to receive it. Humility, as God describes it, is not the same as the world sees it, for humility in God’s eyes comes from recognizing, as Romans 3:19-24 tells us, that you are a sinner and thus have fallen short of God’s perfect demands. Humility in God’s eyes is knowing that apart from Jesus you are worth nothing, for humility allows God’s law and then his grace to work in you.

Now those who have worldly minds would say that is terrible to think that on your own you are worthless before God, for having low self-esteem keeps you from reaching your full potential as a human being. That is what they say, but in saying that they show that they don’t understand that in recognizing your complete unworthiness, relying only on God’s gracious will toward you on behalf of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection you have the highest of self-esteem, not as the world defines it, but as God defines it. You belong to him and there is absolutely nothing better than that, for in that relationship you are everything that you need to be to be completely human.

To admit that is a humbling experience, but it is also a rewarding experience, for it is only through God that you can be the person God wants you to be. It is only through God that you can truly forgive others, as you have been forgiven. It is only through God that you can truly pray for your enemies, and help the poor and hurting.

In and through Christ you are, as Martin Luther once said, “A little Christ.” There is nothing better than that, for in Christ you are a reflection of God’s self-image. Amen.