Year C 1 September 2019
A very old story is told about a man who is searching for the meaning of life. He has heard of a holy hermit who lives in the forest so he decides to pay him a visit. As he wanders into the hermit’s hut, the hermit offers his guest tea and keeps pouring tea into the cup until the cup is overflowing. The man watches the overflow until he can no longer contain himself. “Stop!” he yells, “the cup is full. No more is going to fit in.” The hermit replies, “Just like this cup, you are full of our own opinions, preconceptions and ideas. How might I teach you unless you first empty your cup?”
This is a story about humility which is esteemed by many religious traditions. Dante in The Divine Comedy thought of humility as the most important virtue. But society today certainly struggles with the concept of humility and it is not generally seen as a primary virtue.
Let me remind you of the words of a Mac Davis song …
“Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble – when you’re perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror – I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me”[1] … and so it goes on.
We can laugh at these words, but society today tells us that it is important to be noticed. Just think about the things that that we read … books on famous or successful people, those who have ‘made it’. Our television shows are the same … MasterChef Australia and Sports Finals are some of the most watched programmes in Australia. Dancing with the Stars has a huge following … but who would watch a reality show called Dancing with the Stay-at-home Parents? We love success, status and prestige. It is important to know the pecking order, where we fit in it, and how we can use it to our advantage.
The admonition that we hear in Hebrews 13:2 to “not neglect to show hospitality to the stranger” is vividly illustrated by the advice that Jesus gives to guests and hosts in the passage from Luke. This advice comes before the revolutionary statement that “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11). Jesus turns things on their head when he speaks about this world of divine hospitality, where everyone is family and all are welcome.
This passage from Luke, also known as the parable on humility, finds Jesus in the house of a leader of the Pharisees, on the Sabbath. Luke tells us that the Pharisees were “watching him closely” (Luke 14:1) which helps set the scene. I sometimes wonder whether Jesus was invited to be part of this meal simply so his behaviour could be watched? Luke often uses Pharisees to fill the role of the ‘baddie’ in this gospel so that should also indicate to us that there is going to be some sort of conflict.
Meals feature heavily in Luke’s gospel and one cannot overstate the importance of the meal as the setting for this narrative. Eating is essential for life and no-one can manage for too long without it. But a dinner with guests is an occasion of social importance, to which you invite those of your own class and where there is an implied sharing of values and ideas. The status and rank of individuals is legitimated by their inclusion on the guest list and their location on the seating plan.
Jesus begins by warning about taking a prominent seat at the table. To do this risks the humiliation of being moved to a lower position. This is common-sense advice until Jesus creates a polar reversal … not only will the humble be exalted, but those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Jesus turns things on their head.
What begins as a breech in etiquette suddenly becomes a prediction about radical change – God’s polar reversal which comes with the breaking in of God’s kingdom. It is then that we move onto the guest list. Guest lists are usually composed of those who are closest to the host – relatives, friends, rich neighbours – and this fosters a cycle of reciprocity. In this way hospitality becomes self-serving. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Jesus proposes inviting a different group of people – the poor, crippled, lame, blind – not only those who are outside the normal categories, but those who are by Jewish law unclean.
The host is urged to cross a huge boundary and offer hospitality that can’t be repaid. Yet this hospitality allows marginalised people to become members of the group. Symbolically they are no longer outside the circle of power. And because Jesus includes them, we cannot ignore them.
At this meal Jesus presence is disturbing and he upsets the standard protocol, but his words open the way for the transforming structures of the kingdom of God.
It is this encouragement to the Christian community that we encounter in the letter to Hebrews, where the early church is encouraged as they live in difficult times. The letter (thought by some to be a long sermon) summarises key messages for this fledgling community. While times are difficult they are called to:-
- Show love for other members of the Christian family (Hebrews 13:1)
- Show love to both strangers and guests (13:2),
- Remember those who are suffering in prison (13:3),
- Be faithful in relationships (13:4),
- Keep free from love of money and be content (13:5), and
- Do good to others are share (13:16).
This is the call on Christian communities today, to open ourselves in mutual love as we give and receive. In sharing hospitality with strangers we cannot tell what effects our acts of kindness may have. We may hear years later that one small thing made a big difference or we may not hear at all. And you never know, we may receive surprising gifts from strangers and even “entertain angels” (Hebrews 13:2)
We are to be encouraged in all that we do that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), and is a sure and constant presence supporting us, encouraging us and guiding us at all times.
May we, as a church, be willing to extend our love and hospitality to those not only within our walls, but also to those who might be newcomers or strangers.
Amen. © Rev Heather Hon – August 2019
[1] Mac Davis, Oh Lord It’s Hard To Be Humble, Casablanca, 1980.