Proper 17 C Be True to the Truth About Yourself

 Proper 17 C Be True to the Truth About Yourself
September 3, 1989
By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell

It must be obvious that in today’s Gospel, Our Lord is not simply talking about our behavior at banquets and dinner parties. As children, we no doubt thought; that sounds just like my mother teaching me about good manners. 

Many in this congregation, including myself, have attended numerous dinner parties where nothing like the presumptuous behavior of the Pharisees ever happened. At least in my experience, dinner guests are polite; they sit where directed, and are happy and honored wherever that place might be located. In fact, our polite behavior at banquets might prove the effectiveness of today’s Gospel teaching. My dad used to say, “it doesn’t cost anything to be polite.” 

When I first heard this parable, I thought to myself, how prideful can you be? I would never for one moment presume to take a seat at the head table unless I was invited to do so. Then I would thank God that I am not like “those” arrogant Pharisees. Then I think wait a minute, I have just now prided myself in thinking that I am better than the bunch of prideful Pharisees. I did in my mind exactly what they did at the banquet?! Thank you, Lord, for letting me see that this parable is not only about good manners, but about human pride. 

The account in today’s Gospel was meant to strike much deeper than behavior at dinner parties. Our Lord simply used the occasion to drive a wedge into the presumptuous superior attitude of the Pharisees. It is a lesson to provide all of us an opportunity to look for any personal signs of religious arrogance.

Before I attempt to develop the signs of that arrogance, I think it would help to take a look at the dictionary definition of the word pride. The interesting thing to me about the word, is that it seems to have the ability to slip very quietly from a good word, to a bad one, without changing a single letter. The dictionary begins by saying that pride is

1) a high opinion of one’s own dignity (that seems to be good).

2. Satisfaction in a hard job, well done (that’s good pride). Then it shifts to

3) Having a too-high opinion of oneself, and acting as if you were better than others (wrongful pride).

I’m sure it was this last, negative, and potentially destructive definition of “pride” that Jesus is speaking to. Suggested synonyms of the negative side of pride are words like; haughty, overbearing, presumptuous, and arrogant. That is what I believe Jesus saw in the behavior of the Pharisees. 

Now, if any of us were guilty of religious arrogance what would it look like? Why would it be so bad? It would look like we thought we were more important than others. Why? Because of our “good” behavior and presumed friendship with God. Our prideful arrogance would allow us to assume we could judge others who we decide are behaving contrary to the law and/or community standards. 

St. Paul wrote: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” What is Paul saying to us? As believers in God’s love through Christ we live in pure grace. It’s important that we don’t misinterpret ourselves as people who are bringing this goodness from God. In truth, God brings it all to us! The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is, and by what He does for us -- not by what we are, and what we do for Him. Jesus doesn’t love us because we are worthwhile. We are worthwhile because Jesus loves us! Arrogance is a mark of weakness; humility is a mark of strength. If we know who we are in God’s love there is no need to push ourselves into the lime-light.

Example: A monk was awarded the monasteries “Most Humble Man” medal. The next day they threw him out because he wore it.

Fulton Sheen wrote: “Humility for the Christian is like underwear. You should always wear it, but you should never let it show.”

The trouble with wrongful pride is that it insists on thinking that others are less worthy than we are. Why is religious arrogance so bad? Because eventually, since we are all sinners (we have all fallen short of the mark), we will all be cast out. This is what I believed Our Lord observed in the behavior of the Pharisees at the wedding banquet. They were caught trying to make themselves look good, and thereby justifying themselves in the eyes of their fellow man and in the eyes of God. What could be more deadly than a religious system that eventually rejects everyone?! 

From Isaiah 13:11 we read, “I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sin: I will crush the arrogance of the proud man and the haughtiness of the rich, few will live when I have finished my work.”

From Jerimiah 48:29: “We have all heard of the pride of Moab (a small but defiant nation). We know your loftiness, your arrogance, and your haughty heart. I know her insolence, but her boasts are false – her helplessness is great.”

And we are all familiar with this verse from Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.”

Since we are all citizens of planet earth by God’s invitation, and since we all have our exitance by God’s grace we have no reason for boastful arrogance. As we read in Ecclesiastes: “How can he who is dust and ashes be proud?”

Our Lord, I believe, is asking us to be more inclusive instead of more exclusive. The author of Hebrews puts it like this, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares.”

To distance ourselves from the poor, the handicapped, and the powerless, we are to look for opportunities to help them experience the love of God through our welcome and hospitality. Some will resist the idea with this concern – isn’t there a possibility that people will take advantage of our welcome and generosity? 

Of course! Every society has its percentage of “users.” But….and this is the most important thing that we Christians have to say to those who are reluctant to take the risk of caring…. Because of our place at the banquet, we have already been repaid! By simply knowing who we are in relationship with the Father, we cannot lose! No one can rip us off! We have His love….in good measure, pressed down and overflowing.  

Example) The shopping spree – There was a competition once to see who could fit the most in a shopping cart in a certain amount of time. The winner would be able to keep everything they had collected. When one contestant was asked why she only filled half of her cart, she said, “My father owns the store.”

When we know that our Father owns the store…when we know that all power comes from God, there can be no basis for a superior attitude of self-righteousness. In God’s plan we will all be sitting at the head table, and in that faith, we will find ourselves empowered to give a hand to the poor – the handicapped – the powerless.  

St. Augustine wrote: “Should you ask me, what is the first things in religion? I should reply, the first, second, and third thing therein is HUMILITY.”