A Lesson in Humility September 1, 2007

A Lesson in Humility The scripture from jeremiah starts out with some pretty strong words to have to hear – What wrong have I done that you and your ancestors went away from me and went after worthless things. How do you answer a omnipotent God who is everything who asks you want have I done wrong that you left? That question could be construed as a guilt trip – afterall, we would never leave God. We put God first in our lives everyday. We heed the words of God in our lives, we take seriously what God says to us and we apply it diligently to our lives. This scripture must be addressing a situation of the past – not us. Actually Jeremiah is giving a final warning to the ancient people of Isreal. They have gotten to know the people around them, they have incorporated their ways of life. But they have also started to practice their religion – to even believe in their God. Knowing full well that the God that they worship is the one and only real God. Any other religion is only junk in the face of God. There us no other God but the one God of Heaven. In order to bring peace to his land, the king of isreal has allowed this incorporation of other worship practices. We learn later in the scripture that the people are indeed taken away to Babylon, and the country of isreal ceases to exist,because they were not wholeheartedly faithful to God. It is easy for us to think that this is about them – and not a wake up call for all faithful people- including us here. God is speaking to us when he has what he has done wrong that we have strayed from God. This is an invitation for us to look at our own lives – where have we gotten so comfortable with our lives, that we have forgotten to look at what we are doing. Is worshipping God in our lives really the most important thing to us? Or have we let other things creep in an take our attention? Are we more concerned about that project at work, or even that project at home. Do we care more about what the neighbors say about us than about what God says about us? Do we just assume that we know what it means to be a Christian – that we don’t have to examine our lives? At some point or another- actually each and every day we need to examine and question our lives – and to answer God’s question of why we have strayed away. One lesson that I think that we all know about – but don’t always apply to our lives is Jesus call to be humble in Luke 14. Jesus has been invited to a breakfast at the house of a prominent Pharisee. This was a sign that Jesus has really made it – only important people invite other important people to their functions. In those days to invite someone less than you to a party, meant that you would lose your social status. Whomever you invited to your party was obligated to invite you to one of their functions. That was how you moved up in the world. Jesus was happy to oblige that social necessity. But it wasn’t quite appropriate for him to instruct the host and his friends on how to throw a party. Everyone seemed to think that they were the most important person at the party. So they were jockeying for the most important positions. Jesus tells that that is a little rude, they might be embarrassed at how unimportant they really are. But he also tells them not to invite those of equal status, but to invite those who are too poor to return the favor. These words of advice stick out in my mind – this was the first bible lesson that my cousin taught us as a child – that when you go to a party – to make sure to take the lesser seat, and if you are worthy they you will be invited to a more honorable seat. But for Jesus, this was not a lesson in etiquette of how to behave at a party. This is a lesson on how to live our lives today and in eternity. Jesus us teaching us to be humble – to not think of ourselves as more important than anyone else. Humility is the absence of pride, conceit and vengeance. But us is also the presence of a willingness to be helpful and a selfless concern of the things that matter most to God. Humility is our open door to a relationship with God. It allows us to honesty answer God when we are asked why we have abandoned God. It allows us to acknowledge what we have done and to ask for forgiveness. It allows us to listen when God tells us how to go forward and to serve more fully. One man had to learn his lesson of humility, like most of us the hard way. He finally was hired at an important company in town. He was just a mail clerk who worked in the basement, but it didn’t matter – at least he was in the door – which is more than he could say for others. One day a cock roach crawled in front of him on the floor. Just as he raised his foot to kill it, he realized that it was talking to him. If you spare my life, then I will grant anything that you want. The man thought a minute, and decided at least it was worth a try – well if you just get me a job on the first floor- I will feel so much better about myself. The next day that he comes to work he is informed that he has been promoted to a desk job on the first floor. He is so excited – when the cockroach crawls by his desk the next week we thanks him. But the cockroach asks if there is anything else that he could do for him – and the man asks for a promotion to a job on the second floor. I don’t know that I could be that comfortable talking to a cockroach crawling across the floor- but anyway… The man is amazed at his wonderful luck. As the weeks pass, he has moved all the way up to a corner office in the sixth floor. There are only seven floors in the company – and the entire seventh floor is reserved for the president of the company. He knows he will never get to the second floor but he can dream can’t he. Sure enough that night the cockroach pays him a visit and he makes the request. On the news the next day he hears the report- the president has had a heart attack and died. When he comes to work the next day his told that he has been chosen as the president. The seventh floor office is his. When he sits at his desk gloating at his success, he realizes that that there us an opening in the ceiling which leads to the roof. Just to make sure that he has indeed reached the highest spot in the company – he climbs through the hole. He notices that there is a man in the corner of the roof. He walks over to the man to see what he is doing there – the man in tattered clothing says that he knows that he is the most important person in the company- but there is still someone who is higher then he and he is praying to that person. Our successful man is utterly outdone by what he has seen and heard – someone more important than he is his company. In his conversation with the cockroach – he says that he wants to get to know this God who is more important than he. He want to be near God and to value the things that God values. The next morning he returns to work – to his place in the basement. He comes to understand the importance of humility in his life and in his walk with God. Humility is the doorway where we get to know God. Humility is our opportunity to be in tune with those things that are important to God. Each and every day, there are certain spiritual pills that we need to take in order to live a healthy Christian life – they are prayer, forgiveness, thankfulness, humility, hospitality, and charity. Instead of jockey positions with the people on the social A list – we need to hobknob with the people on the k list- Those whom God had a special care and concern for. Afterall God reminds us that in the eyes of heaven we are all equal and deserving of God’s love. I would like to try an experiment in order to do this I need to have three volunteers to come up to the front. It is important that everyone have an open mind and take this game with a grain of salt….. Arrange yourself from left to right from youngest to oldest. The trick is you can only trade places with the person next to you, and there can be no talking or hand gestures. You just have to assume that you know – no arrange yourselves according to height order. Now arrange yourself in order of intelligence. Now to make this easier- I would just ask you given the lesson that we just learned – what would Jesus do? It is not our place to judge whether the order you chose is right or wrong - because in God’s eyes we are all equal and equally important. Let us remember that the lesson is not about age, or height or intelligence, but in humility. Our personal ability to put others before us. Thank you to our volunteers for demonstrating that for us. Humility – is our invitation to a very important party. God’s party- where anybody who is anybody is invited. And God has given the church the responsibility to carry out the party plans. To be intentional to include those whom the world has forgotten and forsaken. Because those who are the people who embody the spirit of God – who we must not forget and forsake. Come to be a part of the party at God’s table. Amen.