Humility and High Places
On Friday, Jill brought Nathan back to Swarthmore College for his sophomore year. Meanwhile, I was at my family’s cottage in Maine with Greg because he hadn’t been able to get there this year because of his summer schedule. When Nathan went to college a year ago, one of the things I missed the most was his presence at the dinner table. That’s where I felt his absence most profoundly because our family has always made having dinner together a priority. Studies have demonstrated the value and benefits of eating together as a family. It’s a time to catch up with the activities of the day, as well as just a respite from the busyness of life. It’s good for us to connect with one another in this way and to know what is going on in each other’s lives. We have good discussions about current events and we often laugh. Sometimes we discuss important decisions that one of us or the family needs to make. If you were to ask them, I think Nathan and Greg would tell you that having meals together as a family through the years has been enjoyable, important, and interesting.
September 1, 2013
Luke 14:1, 7-14, Humility and High Places
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
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One writer noted, “We all need to eat just to survive. Eating together almost always involves something more than nutrition, however. When we eat together, we learn about human nature. Eating together reveals deeper aspects of our relationships. On a first date, for example, people usually sit apprehensively at dinner to start things off. In between small talk and nervous laughter, they may notice table manners. Where do the elbows end up? How does the prospect treat the server? What size tip gets left? What you notice at that first dinner may affect the rest of your life.
If we walk into a high school cafeteria, we can see a laboratory of humanity. Who sit together? Which groups keep their distance from one another? Does anyone notice the shy girl who sits by herself? In just a few minutes, we can see who fits in and who doesn’t. Some invisible hand has drawn the lines, and in the cafeteria, and we see them.”
One of the biggest stresses around some weddings is figuring out the seating at the reception. Jill’s younger brother Andrew got married three weeks ago and the seating at the reception was done so that members of both families were at each family table so folks could meet each other; that was an interesting idea and we tried to get to know the folks at our table a little bit, understanding they were seeking to do the same. If we pay attention, we can learn a lot when we eat together.
Jesus also recognized and enjoyed the value of eating with other people. Jesus loved gatherings around meals; at least, that’s what we are told in the Gospel of Luke. This was one of the primary distinctions between him and his cousin John the Baptist. In Luke 14 Jesus is eating a Sabbath meal in the house of a leader of the Pharisees. He tells a “parable” about a meal setting, which is followed by another teaching about a banquet. Jesus can’t seem to get enough of what happens at meals. Luke 14:1 says, “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.”
The first thing to notice reading Luke 14:1 is that Jesus is not afraid to eat in the house of a leader of the Pharisees even though he knew, “they were watching him closely.” How comfortable would we be going to eat in a home where we suspected there were people hoping to catch us saying or doing something wrong that they could use against us to hurt us or to harm our reputation? I doubt any of us would be enthusiastic about accepting such an invitation, but, of course, Jesus is kinder, more loving, and surer of himself than we are and he liked eating with folks so he accepted.
As often happens with Jesus, he turns the tables on people. When people question Jesus, he ends up questioning them. When people are watching Jesus closely, guess what Jesus is doing? He’s taking notice of them. We continue with Luke 14:7-14, “When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “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; and 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. But 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. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He 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. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The first part of this passage demonstrates Jesus’ peerless insight into human behavior and his sense of humor. Jesus noticed people looking around at the other guests, elbowing each other and climbing over each other striving to get the seats of honor in the center of the table and to him it must have looked comical and sad. Social status was important in antiquity and it was made obvious by the seating of dinner guests at banquets. This status was especially a problem in well-to-do Greco-Roman circles, but seating by rank also happened in Palestinian Jewish society, and is mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The human desire to elevate ourselves, to stress our self-importance, to demand that we receive attention is ancient and seemingly insatiable. It is also unattractive, unappealing, and spiritually immature.
In the first century, well-known teachers customarily lectured or participated in dialogues at banquets. So tongue in cheek Jesus offers some advice to would be social climbers based on Proverbs 25:6-7, “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” Jesus reminds the guests at the dinner of a scripture they know, but aren’t paying attention to and the Teacher says in effect, “Don’t rush to take the best seat because if someone more respected or prominent comes and the host has to move you that’s embarrassing. If you want to get attention at a meal, you should take the lowest place at the worst table in the back of the room by the bathroom or by the door to the kitchen. That way you never have to worry about being bumped, but your host may see you and invite you to a better seat in the view of everyone and they’ll know you’re special.” It isn’t Jesus’ intention to provide practical advice about how to puff up our ego and self-importance in front of other people. This is called humor. He is skewering our desire to have the best seat in the highest place. According to Philippians 2:5-11, Jesus gave up equality with God to take the form of a servant, so he would find it pathetic that human beings are so obsessed with grasping at things he willingly gave up.
Jesus had been invited by a leader of the Pharisees to a Sabbath dinner and he used the occasion to teach two great truths. The first concerns humility. From being humble like a child, to not seeking positions of power as James and John did, but being willing to be a servant, to today’s teaching over dinner, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the importance of humility. The spiritual principle at the heart of Jesus’ teaching this morning is verse 11: ‘Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ On our mission trip we saw a practical application of this teaching. Deb Hunt, on her own, made it her goal to clean every bathroom at Kodiak Baptist Mission. She didn’t make a big deal about it, she just did it and by willingly doing a less than appealing but needed, not very public job, she had our appreciation.
The second lesson is in verses 12–14 and let me state what should be obvious which is Jesus is not saying you should never invite your family, friends, or well-to-do neighbors over for a meal. In fact some of us may need to do that because we haven’t. He is saying when we do that there is often reciprocity of hospitality – they have us over, we have them over and it is nice and enjoyable and that’s how we’re repaid – we enjoy one another’s company. Sometimes, though, it is nice to invite over or invite out those who can’t reciprocate in kind. The spiritual principle here is the importance of showing kindness to those who can’t repay us. How rare it is to throw a dinner party for those who might desperately need the food. Jesus emphasized the importance of inviting those who cannot do the same for us. A striking parallel occurs in Plato’s “Phaedrus,” (233) which was written around 370 BC, “And, in general, when you make a feast, invite not your friend, but the beggar and the empty soul, for they will love you, and attend you, and come about your doors, and will be the best pleased, and the most grateful, and will invoke blessings on your head.”
Plato’s quote and Jesus’ story are reminders about the company we keep and our need to expand our relational circles. I think we all know this past week marked the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights March on Washington and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, I Have a Dream Speech. Writing about the church in one of his final books, King stated a goal which was basically Jesus’ purpose: “Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” How many of our friends we eat with are from different ethnic groups or nations or different social-economic status or a different faith?
Jesus wants us to seek our reward from God alone and not from people. Looking for ways to show kindness to people with no thought of being repaid is actually a lot of fun. Whether that is paying for someone at a take-out window or a toll booth or buying lunch for a homeless person, there are many ways we can show kindness to others who can’t repay us if we use our imagination. One of the more touching examples I saw this year involved the Los Angeles Dodger’s Gold Glove Centerfielder Matt Kemp. On Sunday, May 5, Kemp became an Internet sensation after an impromptu gesture he made to Joshua Jones, a 19-year-old cancer-stricken Dodgers fan, who was attending a game at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.
Kemp was informed of the fan’s plight by his third base coach Tim Wallach during a 4-3 loss to the Giants. After the game, Kemp went to the other side of the field with Wallach and met Josh and his father, who were sitting in the front row adjacent to the third base dugout. ‘‘Wally told me that there was a big Dodger fan at the game and that he didn’t have a long time to live — not longer than a month and a half,’’ Kemp said. ‘‘So after the game, I just decided to go meet him. He couldn’t talk because I guess his speech was gone. When I said ‘Hi’ to him, he just looked at me in shock. It almost got me.’’
Kemp shook hands with Josh who was wearing a hooded Dodgers sweatshirt, autographed a ball and handed him his cap. ‘‘I didn’t know that anybody was filming it. I wasn’t aware,’’ Kemp said. The video, which can be seen on YouTube, also shows Kemp pulling his jersey over his head and handing it to Josh — along with his spikes.
‘‘I didn’t plan on taking my jersey off. It was just something I felt that probably would have cheered him up a little bit and helped his situation,’’ Kemp said. ‘‘It was the first time I ever took my shoes off on a field, but that was something I felt I needed to do, and I’m glad I got to do that,’’ Kemp added. ‘‘Hopefully, that made the kid’s day. I don’t even know his name. God willing, a miracle happens and he lives for a while. But his father told Wally that he didn’t have much time left on this Earth.’’
An incident that occurred when Kemp was 12 years old helped contribute to his positive attitude toward fans — particularly those who are experiencing hardships. ‘‘One of my favorite basketball players — I’m not going to say who it is — kind of played me,’’ Kemp recalled. ‘‘I asked him for his autograph and he said he was busy. As a kid, you always remember those things and it kind of sticks with you. So as much as I can sign, I try. I know fans get mad when I tell them I have to do something at that moment. But I try to do as much as I can.’’ Kemp’s recollection was similar to something that happened to former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who was rebuffed by one of his favorite players when he was growing up. As fate would have it, he later faced that same player in a game and hit him with a pitch.
‘‘I don’t think some athletes understand what they can do with a simple gesture and how big it is, just shaking a kid’s hand or saying ‘Hi’ to him. It can make a fan’s day — or a fan’s life,’’ Kemp said. ‘‘I get really emotional, especially with kids, because they can’t control anything that’s going on. You can’t control these diseases like cancer and other things that are going on. Some of these kids get their childhoods taken away from them, and they’re unaware of anything other than just living life. So if there’s a way that I can make any kid in that situation happy, then I’m going to continue to do what I can.’’
Afterward, Jones posted a picture on Instagram of what Kemp gave him with the caption: “Matt Kemp gave me his uniform! Thanks Matt, I will never forget that moment!!! The video of Kemp’s gesture went viral — with millions of views and media attention all across the country and Kemp flew Jones to a Dodgers game in L.A. where he got to see Kemp again and meet other Dodgers such as Clayton Kershaw.
‘‘Life is so much bigger than baseball,’’ Kemp said. ‘‘I mean, you can sit here and think about going 0 for 4 with four Ks and you get mad, and you can complain about the stupidest things sometimes. But things like this humble you and keep you grounded and let you know that somebody’s life is way worse than whatever it is you’ve got going on. That makes you a stronger person and makes you grateful for everything that you have.’’
Josh lived three more months and then passed away on August 6. According to his Aunt Laelah Quintor, the moments he shared with Kemp and the Dodgers, “definitely made a difference for Joshua.” Kemp, meanwhile, was saddened to hear about Jones’ death, but said that he was grateful to have met and spent time with Jones. “He has given me a new perspective on the things that are really important in life.”
Jesus would have us remember two things that are really important in life:
“All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
How important it is to show kindness to those who can’t repay us.
Blessing: Revelation 3:20-21,
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.
To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.