Humility. Based on Luke 14:1,7-14

What’s one of the most challenging tasks of organising a wedding? I reckon it’s deciding who to invite to the reception and then putting the seating plan together. So many opportunities for upsetting people for what should be a joyous occasion. Of course, as Christians, we always believe that Jesus is there with us whatever the occasion and that’s a lovely thought to sustain us. But in today’s Gospel reading from Luke, it doesn’t sound if Jesus was the most ideal house guest they could have had amongst them, does it? Mind you the Pharisees certainly had an ulterior motive to inviting him there. 

As we know though, context is everything. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and faces increasing hostility as he travels south. We don’t learn why the Pharisee invited him to a meal, but verses 12-14 suggest that part of the reason was a wish to impress and gain influence with their like-minded friends. This was normal at the time, when a person’s honour depended on their proper reputation among peers. Our Lectionary, the set readings for a certain day, often throws up some interesting dilemmas. Today for example we used verse 1 from chapter 14 and then jump to verses 7 to 14. That leaves out the story when Jesus firstly arrives at the meal, immediately meets and cures a sick man much to the anger of the other attendees as it’s the Sabbath when, according to their laws, no work must be done.  I think that’s quite important background to describe the atmosphere of the place. They are angry and even more determined to catch Jesus out. Jesus takes the lead in the conversation and challenges them both on Sabbath law when it comes to important things like healing people as well as the tradition on being seen to be the most honourable and important person in the room by expecting the best seats. Jesus points out the risks of being asked to move lower down the table as it could bring them serious shame. He stresses God’s commitment to those who choose humility, as Jesus himself does.

Jesus goes much further. He criticises the host by directly challenging his motivation. His suggestion of inviting the poor and downtrodden instead without a focus on honour means that Jesus’ suggested guest-list is radical as well as seriously offensive to them. In the next verses in chapter 14, 15-23, also not used today, Jesus doubles down on this approach by telling the story of the host whose guests refused to come. After this insult he sent his servants out to invite people from the streets to the party. This gets to the heart of God’s kingdom when all are invited, and it gives full context to Jesus’ earlier teaching.

The English New Testament Scholar, Tom Wright, gives us some useful background and context to today’s Gospel reading. He writes, ‘Within Luke’s lifetime thousands of non Jews had become Christians – had entered, that is, into the dinner party prepared by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Many Jewish Christians, as we know from

Acts, had found this difficult, if not impossible, to understand or approve. They were

so eager to maintain their own places at the top table that they could not grasp God’s great design to stand the world on its head. ‘Pride notoriously, is the great cloud which blots out the sun of God’s generosity: if I reckon to be favoured by God, not only do I declare that I don’t need his grace, mercy and love, but I imply that those who don’t deserve it shouldn’t have it.’ 

Essentially, our Lord teaches us to be humble in all things. Humility should be a characteristic of every Christian. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to understand our need of Christ, is the very beginning of the wider Gospel of Jesus. Humility has been a characteristic of many of the great Christians in the Bible – men like Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, and Paul all appear humble men. Humility is also something every Christian should have. We aren’t all preachers, or teachers, or organisers, or youth workers. We can’t all cook meals, drive people around, or give generously beyond our tithe, but we can all be humble. It is within the grasp of every believer. But so often it needs us to work at it.

How do you become humble? Well, I suggest the root of humility is us really knowing ourselves and our own hearts. We should strive to know God through Jesus, our ultimate role model, recognising his infinite majesty and holiness. And with the power of the Holy Spirit to empower our daily lives this should assist us to be humble. Our Hebrews reading today (13:1-8, 15-16) outlined just some highlights of the lifestyle of those who based their lives on the humiliating gospel of Jesus. I use the word humiliating as there can’t be a much more humiliating way to die as Jesus did for us on that cross. 

I believe humility works itself out in the way we treat others. As Jesus modelled for us, we should be living our lives to love and serve God and to love and serve our neighbours. We should be wanting to help those in need. Further, Jesus tells us that we should go out of our way to invite those in need specifically rather than wait for them to come to us. And He reminds us that though we may receive no thanks or appreciation on earth for doing good, our Father in Heaven sees all that we do. As kingdom people, we can take risks in caring for others without needing to worry about our status, for we can have confidence in God through Jesus.

Revd Alun