August 28, 2010
God's Word thru Luke 14 reports Christ was invited to a Pharisee's home to
be closely watched for breaking the Mosaic Laws. As you heard, He showed how
their pride bent Sabbath laws for animals, but they would not show love for a
fellow human being. He also closely watched them, exposing their pride, and He
gives us not just a model but power to act in His same humility.
Before I go too far, I need to say that being proud is not a sin in
itself. When a man crafts a fine cabinet, a football team wins a game, a child
conquers reading skills, or a woman comforts a friend well: each of those is a
reason for some feelings of pride. But like so many of God's gifts, pride
turns into sin when it inflates to conceit or vanity.
You can see that in the first six verses. Many people take pride in
caring for their own clothes, animals, and other things. That can be okay.
But ugly conceit moves in, and people feel they are better than others and
try to show it. People spend great amounts of money to build their wardrobes
to flatter themselves; then step around a homeless hobo. They pay for the best
animal feeds, and then keep their money in their wallets, ignoring the need for
people to be spiritually fed with authentic Gospel. There are victories in
sports; and there are humiliations. We, as Christians, should know that. The
learnèd Pharisees did not. Proverbs 16:18.
Christ told a short story to the Pharisees (and us) teach a spiritual idea
from Proverbs 25:6-7. He puts an important word in the parable I'll say in a
moment that gets overlooked. It reminds us the difference between real and
FALSE humility.
A person with false humility will boast about humbleness. You may have
met a few. They will brag about how they could do a better job than the other
person; or gripe when the other guy gets promoted.
Such false humility can lead to embarrassments not just here, but
hereafter. A man who felt certain about heaven found himself moved down in
last week's lesson.
He felt his good actions and associations with Christ earned him a seat at the
head table; not being locked out of heaven forever. That warning is for you,
too.
Knowing ABOUT Christ will not get you into heaven. God, the Judge of all
(Hebrews 12:23 from last Sunday), cannot be bribed by any of good deeds.
Again, Jesus tells the story NOT to say "don't invite your friends and
family to the party." Jesus says invite people who can't pay you back over to
dinner after church. It would be a act of Christian kindness that reflects
God's love for us.
But here is that overlooked word for true humility in v.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 higher.'" MAY possibly but not certainly.
In other words, you just might not be called friend; or even noticed at
all on earth. Then it's a true test of humility. (Illustration from Concordia
Pulpit Resources 1977) Archbishop Fulton Sheen had a bright saying. "Humility
for the Christian is like underwear. You should always wear it on, but never
let it show." It doesn't matter what honor happens, OR does not happen, to
you. Another person is honored - rejoice for them that day. (Romans 12:9-21).
We can look at the world around us, controlled by the same Old Sinner
inside of us. We see people grabbing for honors, full of false pride, and
secretly stinging because they did not get what they felt they deserved. We
can see them wishing THEY were on the guest lists to the big parties. But
don't you do the same?
I'm not talking about the runner-up congratulating the grand prize winner.
I mean the dead-last-place team sending a "well done" card or cheering
enthusiastically for them.
So long as we are on earth, no person can ever get rid of sin (1 John
1:8-10). The kind of pride that won't help others in need, the pride that
makes us feel better than others, the pride that excludes people unless they
can pay us back (or God will reward us), the pride that YOU have that is
damnable and you can never rid yourself of it and earns you an honored spot in
hell: THAT pride, and all other sins, were paid for completely and forever on
the cross.
"Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the position of a
slave, coming in the image of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross."
(Philippians 2).
The Son of God didn't cling to heavenly honor: He emptied Himself of
pride. In genuine humility, He became a human being. He was like us in every
way, but without sin. (Hebrew 4:15). He lived the absolutely flawless life
you could never live as your perfect Substitute.
Then He took your place again in His passion. All of God's holy anger
against your pride, your failures to be caring and helpful to others as well as
your cold and callous actions against them: all the fury of hell was dumped on
Him rather than you or me.
Then three days after the Prince of Life was murdered in your place, He
rose again. NOT to seek revenge on you for His wrongful death that you caused.
He rose to put your name on the invitation list for the fantastic banquet at
the resurrection of the just.
WE are the poor, who have nothing to offer God. WE are the crippled, lame
and blind, unable to do any good deed, move to God, or see Him.
The LORD God calls us by His Name in Holy Baptism. We are His entirely by
His acts of mercy. He does not just heal sin-sick souls. (Ephesians 2). He
takes us from being dead in sins to being alive in Christ's Name. He feeds us
with His Word in His holy house. But even after that, He puts our name on His
"A" list to be part of the resurrection feast of all Christian believers.
While we wait in certainty for that Day, God works to keep us IN Christ.
His Holy Spirit puts that same attitude, or heart, in us that is in Christ.
(Ylvisaker) "Many generous deeds may pass unnoticed or may be even
despised on earth, while acts that have their origin in selfishness and egotism
are lauded as the greatest of achievements. Time alone will reveal that God's
repayments don't fail. He Who gave strength to accomplish such acts
(Philippians 2:13) of mercy shall see to it that they are not forgotten on the
Day of Reckoning."
God is not against helping others, competition, or finding a good seat.
But He is a jealous God Who does not share His glory with others. He is also
the God of all compassion, Who has invited us to the resurrection of the just
in the cross of Christ, and He fills us with good and gives opportunities for
us to show His love to the broken world around us.
May we, as God's people, "not neglect to do good and to share what we
have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Epistle v.16). He has assured
us of a place of honor entirely by His grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ
Jesus alone. "Blessed is the one who shall eat of the food in that Kingdom of
God." (Luke 14:15). Amen.
Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
