Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Humility is Key to Hospitality and Reconciliation

Today's Scripture Readings

Sirach 10:12-18 (NRSV)

The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord;

the heart has withdrawn from its Maker.

For the beginning of pride is sin,

and the one who clings to it pours out abominations.

Therefore the Lord brings upon them unheard-of calamities,

and destroys them completely.

The Lord overthrows the thrones of rulers,

and enthrones the lowly in their place.

The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations,

and plants the humble in their place.

The Lord lays waste the lands of the nations,

and destroys them to the foundations of the earth.

He removes some of them and destroys them,

and erases the memory of them from the earth.

Pride was not created for human beings,

or violent anger for those born of women.

Psalm 112 (BCP., p.755)


Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 (NRSV)

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." So we can say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper;

I will not be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?"

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Luke 14: 1, 7-14 (NRSV)

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.

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."

Blog Reflection

Whenever I read a set of Lectionary readings about pride, I have a hard time with them.   The word pride in the Scriptures means something very different than how we use it in the LGBTQ communities.  Yet, when I read about pride and humility in this Sunday's readings, my initial reaction is one of thinking that even my pride as a gay man is what the Scriptures are talking about.   That is why taking the Scriptures at face value, is usually not a good way to interpret them.  

The pride written about in Sirach (or Eccelsiasticus, as it is also called) is Wisdom Literature.  Wisdom Literature in the Bible is to help us take the word from the page and translate it into our actions as believers in God's gracious promise for our lives.  This reading from Sirach is taken from a time when it was thought that God visits calamity upon the human community because of sin.  The sin here is pride.   This kind of pride refuses to acknowledge that God is God and we are not.  It is the pride that seeks what is best for oneself, and not necessarily what is best for the other person.  While God does not visit calamity on anyone, a pride that wraps a person all up in themselves is one that is destructive not only to one's faith, but also to the sense of responsibility we should have for the community of humankind.  It is the same kind of pride that contributes to massive wealth, greed and the exploitation of the poor, the oppressed, the sick and those without the basic necessities of life, only to get wealthier and gain more power.   It is this kind of pride that forgets that every one of us is part of the human family, and that our dignity as God's beloved is based on the reality of our being created and redeemed by our loving and gracious God.   It is this pride that brings about it's own calamity to the point where God doesn't need to give us anymore.  It is also such, that God will intervene when we turn in repentance towards God and seek reconciliation for ourselves, and our neighbors.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews reminds us that it is because of Jesus Christ and his self sacrifice on the Cross, that we should extend hospitality to each other.  The judgement of God is brought upon us, by ourselves when we neglect our responsibilities to one another.  This reading from Hebrews is one of those rare moments when the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Testament are well connected in context.  The connection is our love of God, our neighbors and ourselves. When we welcome one another, we are welcoming Christ and His Paschal Mystery and  we live it's meaning in our lives.   It is a difficult message for all of us, because we have our secure comfort zones that we do not like disturbed.   We would like to arrange our lives in such a way, that no one who is different from ourselves can cause us displacement.  But, the Christian faith is about just that.  Our Christian faith is best expressed when we allow God to move us by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we are never idle in terms of spiritual maturity.  

Jesus tells the parables in today's Gospel Reading to call those he is with to seek God in the place in which they already are.  To recognize that the place where God has us, is where God wants to converse with us, and through us.  St. Benedict had such in mind when he wrote his longest and most in depth chapter on humility in The Rule.  In Chapter 7: On Humility, Benedict tells us that the first step on the ladder of 12 leading up to humility is to always keep the consciousness of God before us.   In Benedict's Rule, self-exaltation means we decline in humility.  While becoming more humble, means we ascend on the ladder.   The very first step means that we should remember that God is God and we are not.   When we keep this in mind and heart then we have reverence for God in worship and in our relationships with others around us.  Our last wish, would be to show a lack of reverence for God who is present in all things and people.  

This awareness should make us take a good hard look at the importance of securing the freedom to marry for LGBT people nationwide and world wide.   In showing reverence to God, we should be very concerned about the massive chemical weapons that have killed thousands of people in Syria, but not even think of a military strike in their country as a solution.   More military style weapons that become the cause of more massive destruction, violence and civilian casualties is not a solution.  Our reverence for God should make us pause and look at our policies towards women, children, education, health care, the poor and the immigrants.   To view and behave towards such people in a way that denigrates them, is to fail to give the reverence for God in all human persons.

As we celebrate Labor Day, may we also do our part to support those who work to provide for themselves, their families and society.  May we spend our time, resources and political capital so that every person who is able to work receives a livable fair wage, and those who cannot receive the assistance they need to be functional and productive in whatever capacity they can.  

Humility is an important key to hospitality and reconciliation.   May we take the key and start the engines of compassion, inclusion and hope for our world that is so in need of God's Providence.

Amen.


Prayers

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good
things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in
us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth
in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 17, Book of Common Prayer, p. 233).

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p.815).


Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another
that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide
us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but
for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for
our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of
other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out
of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen. (Prayer for Labor Day, Book of Common Prayer, p. 261).