The 13th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17C), Aug. 29, 2004
Ecclus. 10:(7-11) 12-18; Psalm 112; Heb. 13:1-8; Luke 14:1, 7-14
Most of us are do-ers, and we like lists of things to do. So when we come up to lessons like these, we run the serious danger of reducing them to conveying good things we ought to be doing. That will happen if we pass over the principles of faith underlying the actions listed.
Both Hebrews and Luke give the foundation of faith for the activities suggested. In Hebrews, it comes as a verse that seems out of place. In Luke, Jesus reflects on the virtue behind the behavior.
In the midst of comments on entertainment, marriage, prisoners, and rulers, the writer inserts two quotations. First, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Then we get another: “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can others do to me?” (13:6).
With those verses the writer gives the strength that displays itself.
It goes something like this: “Because I know that the Lord will never leave me, that frees me to take up radical callings of discipleship. I can provide haven and hospitality to strangers and overcome my fear or my greed. I can befriend prisoners, no matter the sordid stories, remembering the depths of my own needs and failures. I can show the respect, integrity, and affection that the marriage bed expects, facing down my temptations. I can rise to these occasions because I know I am protected and loved and assisted by my Father in heaven.”
In the gospel from Luke, the virtue of the lesson can be easily missed. We would be pleased to put a slightly different spin on it. “If you are looking for a way to get exalted, then here is a tip: Start low and manage to get moved up. You’ll garner good vibes as you shift your seat.” Nice, perhaps, but not the point.
Jesus says the point is simply this: “Bring enough honesty and scrutiny to your self-awareness to know what you deserve.” Couple that with his first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and we can see what posture fits.
We are most truly ourselves and most appropriately before God and others when we do not think too highly of ourselves. Sometimes that behavior brings circumstances that lift us higher, sometimes our circumstances don’t change, but that is not the point. Humility puts us in the position of honoring God and letting God honor us.
Look It Up
How do you connect confidence in God’s protection with your marriage, strangers, and prisoners?
Think About It
Where else do we find divine partiality to the humble and the humbled? (Luke 1:26-38; 3:16; 5:20; 7:50; 9:48; 15:22; 18:13)
Next Sunday
The 14th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18C), Sept. 5, 2004
Deut. 30:15-20; Psalm 1, Philemon 1-20; Luke 15:25-33
