The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean
Grace Cathedral
8/29/10

Luke 14:1, 7-14

WHEN MY SON WAS LITTLE, HE, LIKE MOST KIDS, WANTED TO PLAY T-BALL. AS A DUTIFUL FATHER, I ATTENDED EVERY GAME I COULD. HIS TEAM WAS, WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, ONE OF THE FINEST GATHERINGS OF UNATHLETIC KIDS EVER. THEIR COLLECTIVE INABILITY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BALL WAS COMPLIMENTED BY THE OUTFIELDERS PICKING FLOWERS, OR WATCHING CLOUDS, AND THE INFREQUENT BASE RUNNER GOING THE WRONG WAY. NEVER THE LESS, AFTER EVERY GAME, THEIR COACH LED THE TEAM IN THE CHANT OF “WE’RE NUMBER ONE!” OF COURSE, I SAID NOTHING AT THE TIME, BUT I DID WONDER, AS I DO STILL, WHETHER THIS INNOCENT ATTEMPT TO BUILD THE SELF – ESTEME OF THE PLAYERS ON THE TEAM WAS A BIT OFF THE MARK. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO INSTILL A LOVE OF THE GAME AND THE JOY OF PLAYING ON A TEAM, IT SEEMED AS IF THEY WERE BEING INDOCTRINATED EARLY INTO THE IDEA THAT WE ALL MUST STRIVE TO BE “NUMBER ONE” IN LIFE.

THIS DESIRE TO BE “NUMBER ONE,” OR THE BEST, BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, CAN BE FOUND IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AND SEEMS PRETTY CONSTANT ACROSS THE AGES. THIS IS, OF COURSE, REINFORCED IN VARIOUS WAYS, DEPENDING ON THE CULTURE AND HISTORICAL PERIOD, BUT HAS BEEN PRESENT THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY. WHEN THIS COMPETITIVE ASPECT OF HUMAN NATURE BECOMES DOMINENT IN OUR LIVES IT PRODUCES SOME VERY NASTY RESULTS. THE RECENT NEWS OF FAMEOUS ATHLETES USING STEROIDS TO ENHANCE THEIR PERFORMANCE, OF CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE LYING ABOUT THEIR MILITARY SERVICE, OF UNBRIDLED GREED IN CORPORATE BOARDROOMS, OF THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE ABOVE THE “LITTLE PEOPLE” OF THIS WORLD ARE ALL SYMPTOMATIC OF THIS NEED TO BE “NUMBER ONE.”

WHEN JESUS, IN THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY, WENT TO THE HOUSE OF A LEADER OF THE PHARISEES FOR A MEAL ON THE SABBATH, IT WAS NOT A FRIENDLY SOCIAL OCCASION. HE HAD BEEN STIRING UP THE PEOPLE WITH HIS TEACHING AND HIS HEALING; EVEN HEALING PEOPLE ON THE SABBATH. HE WAS INVITED TO EAT WITH THE PHARISEES SO THEY COULD QUESTION HIM AND, HOPEFULLY, TRIP HIM UP IN SOME WAY. THEY WERE, AS THE TEXT ASSURES US, “WATCHING HIM CLOSELY,” BECAUSE HE WAS A THREAT TO THEIR PRESTIGE AND THEIR POWER AS THE IMPORTANT ONES. IF YOU READ A LITTLE BEFORE THIS PASSAGE, YOU WILL FIND THAT JESUS HAD ALREADY STIRRED UP A HORNET’S NEST BY HEALING A POOR UNIMPORTANT MAN ON THE SABBATH RIGHT IN FRONT OF ALL THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE. NOW, THEY WATCHED HIM CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT ELSE HE WOULD DO OR SAY. OF COURSE, JESUS WATCHED THEM JUST AS CLOSELY, AND, SEEING HOW THEY HAD ALL SCRAMBLED FOR THE BEST SEATS TO BE “NUMBER ONE” IN THE EYES OF ALL ASSEMBLED, JESUS GAVE THEM A LITTLE LESSON IN PROPER BEHAVIOR AT A BANQUET.

WHAT HE TOLD THEM WAS, ON THE SURFACE, JUST GOOD COMMON SENSE, AND, IN FACT, SIMILAR ADVICE CAN BE FOUND IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. HIS ADVICE TO THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE CAN NOT BE CHALLENGED, BECAUSE IT IS BOTH SCRIPTUAL AND APPEALED TO THEIR OWN SENSE OF IMPORTANCE. IF YOU TAKE THE HIGHEST PLACE AND YOUR HOST ASKES YOU TO GIVE IT UP TO SOMEONE MORE IMPORTANT, JESUS TOLD THEM, YOU WILL LOOK FOOLISH AND BE SHAMED. HOWEVER, IF YOU TAKE THE LOWEST PLACE, AND YOUR HOST ASKS YOU TO MOVE UP, THEN YOU WILL REALLY LOOK IMPORTANT AND BE HONORED IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. I CAN IMAGINE THAT ALL THE HEADS NODDED AT THIS SAGE ADVICE AND MISSED COMPLETELY THE UNDERLYING CONTEMPT JESUS HAD FOR THEIR LITTLE POWER GAMES. WHAT HE TOLD THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE, WRAPPED IN THIS LITTLE ETIQUTE LESSON, WAS THAT ALL THEIR ATTEMPTS TO BE IMPORTANT, THEIR DESIRE TO BE “NUMBER ONE,” WERE MEANINGLESS.

WHEN HE TURNED TO ADVISE HIS HOST ABOUT WHO HE SHOULD INVITE TO LUNCH OR DINNER, JESUS’ DISMISSAL OF THE IMPORTANT ONES IS MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR, AND. AGAIN, HE DID IT IN A MANNER THAT COULD NOT BE CHALLENGED. WHEN YOU INVITE PEOPLE TO DINE WITH YOU, JESUS TOLD HIS HOST, “DO NOT INVITE YOUR FRIENDS OR BROTHERS OR 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.”

THE TRAP THEY HAD SET FOR JESUS HAD CLOSED ON THE ONES WHO SET IT. WITH A FEW WORDS, JESUS DESTROYS OUR FEABLE ATTEMPTS TO BE IMPORTANT BY WRAPPING OUR SELVES IN OUR PRIDE AND PRESTIGE AND SUPERIORITY. IN A FEW WORDS, JESUS TEARS DOWN THE WHOLE FALSE EDIFICE OF PRIDE OF PLACE, PRIDE OF ANCESTRY, PRIDE OF WEALTH AND POWER. IT IS ALL MEANINGLESS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THESE EMPTY GAMES OF POWER AND PRIDE, GO AHEAD, JESUS TOLD THEM, FOR THERE YOU WILL FIND YOUR REWARD IN BEING “NUMBER ONE.”

JULIUS CAESAR IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT HE WOULD RATHER BE THE FIRST MAN OF A LITTLE VILLAGE IN GAUL THAN THE SECOND MAN IN ROME. EVERYTHING HE DID WAS IN PURSUIT OF BEING “NUMBER ONE.” HE BRIBED, PLOTTED, AND MURDERED HIS WAY TO THE TOP. HE DESTROYED THE ROMAN REPUBLIC TO BE “NUMBER ONE,” AND ACHIEVED HIS LIFE-LONG GOAL. THAT IS HOW HE DIED, AS FIRST MAN IN ROME, BLEEDING OUT HIS LIFE ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. THAT IS HOW “NUMBER ONES” OFTEN END UP; ON THE KNIVES OF NUMBER TWO OR THREE. BEING “NUMBER ONE” IS A VERY TEMPORARY CONDITION. EIGHTY YEARS LATER, ANOTHER MAN DIED THE DEATH OF A COMMON CRIMINAL ON A CROSS. HE OWNED NOTHING BUT THE CLOTHES ON HIS BACK. HE HAD NO WORLDLY POWER OR AUTHORITY, NO PRIDE OF POSITION OR WEALTH, YET HIS EXISTANCE WAS A CHALLENGE TO THE FALSE PRIDE OF THE WORLD AND TO THE FALSE HUMILITY OF RELIGIOUS HYPOCRACY, AND SO HE HAD TO BE PUT TO DEATH. YET HIS DEATH CHANGED THE WORLD MUCH MORE THAN THE DEATH OF CAESAR, FOR, IN HIS DEATH, HE SHOWED THE WORLD WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WE WALK HUMBLY BEFORE OUR GOD, RECOGNIZING THAT WE, AND ALL THINGS, COME FROM HIS HAND; THAT WE ARE HIS, AND ALL THAT WE THINK WE HAVE ARE HIS AS WELL. IF WE HAVE ANY POSITION OF IMPORTANCE, ANY POWER OR AUTHORITY, EVEN THE IMPORTANCE WHICH COMES FROM GREAT WEALTH, IT IS TEMPORARY AND IT COMES FROM THE HAND OF GOD AND IS TO BE USED FOR OF OUR SOLE PURPOSE. OUR SOLE PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO GIVE GOD PRAISE AND GLORY, AND TO RETURN TO HIM THE LOVE HE HAS SHOWN TO US. THE WAY WE RETURN THE LOVE HE HAS SHOWN TO US IS BY LOVING ALL OTHERS AS HE HAS LOVED US. WE LIVE AND BREATHE BY HIS GRACE. WE ARE CALLED TO HIM THROUGH JESUS BY HIS GRACE. IN JESUS, OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND WE ARE MADE NEW CREATURES WHO ARE IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF IT. LIVING IN GRACE IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY THE WORLD LIVES. IN THE LIFE OF GRACE, ONLY GOD IS “NUMBER ONE,” AND ALL OTHERS COME BEFORE US. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST IS THE SIGN AND SEAL, AND THE COMPLETE EXAMPLE, OF THE GRACE OF OUR GOD. AS HE GAVE ALL HE HAD FOR US, EVEN HIS LIFE, SO WE, LIVING IN GOD’S GRACE AND BY GOD’S GRACE, MUST GIVE ALL THAT WE ARE AND ALL THAT WE HAVE FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO HAVE NOTHING AND NO ONE IN THIS WORLD BUT US TO SHOW THEM GOD’S LOVE.

WE DO NOT PLEASE GOD WHEN WE TRY TO BE “NUMBER ONE” IN ANYTHING. TO PLEASE GOD, WE MUST CAST OFF ALL FALSE PRIDE AND FALSE IMPORTANCE, AND LIFT UP TO HIM OUR HUMBLE AND CONTRITE HEARTS IN CONTINUAL THANKSGIVING FOR HIS GRACE AND MERCY, AND, AS THE WRITER OF THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS SAYS, “SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE, FOR SUCH SACRIFICES ARE PLEASING TO GOD.” IN GOD’S GRACE, WE HAVE NO NEED FOR POSITION, POWER, RECOGNITION OR FALSE IMPORTANCE; WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE IMPORTANCE THAN BEING THE SON OR DAUGHTER OF GOD. HE IS THE ONLY “NUMBER ONE” WE NEED IN OUR LIVES.
AMEN