"Jesus who invited you comes and says to you: Friend, go up higher!" Trinity 17 2024

22. September 2024
Trinity 17
Luke 14:1-14

When you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

It comes as no surprise to hear Jesus, wisdom incarnate, teach the virtue of humility. We are hearing in our daily consideration of the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs and before our Divine Service from Ecclesiastes this same core virtue, explained in detail and demonstrated with example. Despite our culture’s promotion of self-esteem and pride, Jesus teaches us to be humble and not think too highly of ourselves. It’s off-putting, especially for the newcomers. But if God’s Word is an essential virtue for life “under the sun” and “under heaven.”

The Proverbs extensively condemn pride and espouse virtue. It is one of the fruits that distinguishes the faithful from the unfaithful and the righteous from the wicked. You may even have unwittingly memorized one or more of these statements. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Proverbs 16:18-19 KJV). To better understand why humility is a godly virtue and pride is an ungodly vice and how this plays out in day-to-day life, I encourage you to read along and meditate on the Proverbs given in the Congregation at Prayer for each week.

For anyone who is a student of the Psalms and Proverbs, you are not surprised by Jesus’ statement: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” David’s son Solomon and the Son of David Jesus speak with unanimous agreement. It is given in the context of a parable spoken to the Pharisees and other guests invited to a Sabbath meal. Jesus repeatedly accuses the Pharisees of being an elitist Good Ol’ Boys club. Most people are beneath them because they “keep the law.” The general populace lacks the thoroughgoing catechesis of the Rabbinical school under Gamaliel. Their families neglected the rules and regs of the Pharisee life.

But “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” and in this case, Jesus is the one who sets them up. He causes a man with edema to be placed in their midst and asks them, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” In other situations, Jesus is the one who openly and flagrantly seemingly violates the Sabbath, and they’re the ones trying to capture Him in error. Today, the tables are turned, and they refuse to play along, but “they kept silent.” He pushes them further, demanding an answer from their law on what to do with a donkey or ox that falls into a pit on the Sabbath. Again, they’ve nothing to say.

Their law has led to selfishness that neglects the neighbor. Their pride over obedience and status gets in the way of love for the one in need. They have attempted to salve their conscience with a love of the law, but despite their attempts, it now only accuses them of hatred towards the ones given them to love. In other words, they love the letter of the law but hate the spirit of love it provides.

Specifically, Jesus is putting them to the test regarding the Third Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” The bare and straightforward meaning of the Third Word you learned in your catechesis is, “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” Luther is echoing the spirit of the Sabbath law as revealed in the New Testament teachings and trials of Jesus. No one can fear, love, and trust in God, the Holy Trinity, without listening to Him in His revealed Word. And no one can truly learn to love and serve the neighbor without listening to the instruction and exhortation to Christian love in the self-same Holy Word.

Had these lawyers and Pharisees been listening to preaching on the Sabbath rather than boasting of their obedience to the laws created by their fathers to protect and encourage hearing and meditating on the Sabbath, they would have been able to answer Jesus. “Of course, you heal the man with dropsy on the Sabbath! Of course, you’d pull your ox, donkey, or even your son out of the pit to save them from death, even on a Sabbath!” All laws, both human and godly, that command outward works are no further binding than charity extends. Love is the exposition and the fulfillment of all laws. If loving service to the neighbor is wanting, all is vanity, even if the law demands it.

As Paul exhorts the Romans: Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments… are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Ro 13:8–10).

Thus, Luther was right when he told us to confess that the Sabbath is for hearing God’s Word. Indeed, he omits the day because every day for the Christian is a Sabbath. Yes, Sunday is set aside by our common agreement that everyone may hear and learn God’s Word and live according to it. But some think slavish obedience to this and other commands is what it means to be a Christian. Even then, they will do the minimum to keep on the up-and-up with God, maybe once a month or twice a year. That’s no different than the maximal every-Sunday-and-feast-days-besides the approach of the Pharisees.

All laws given by God are for the sake of love. And God loves you so much that He gives you His Word to read, mark, and inwardly digest not just once a week but daily and richly. This love lived in humility is not an abstract idea but is taught and demonstrated by God’s people, preachers, and teachers in the Holy Word. Your attention to this Word will reveal to you who God has given you to be and what He gives you to do.

Remember that it is Jesus who humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross. For this reason, the Father highly exalted Him, “and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Php 2:9–13).

Your Christian walk is not to make you proud and boastful, self-confident and deceived. God gives you to live in loving humility and charity towards all those God has given as neighbors, a love you learning and practicing this congregation in Divine Service. The Sabbath rest of the Word is yours here and now, as Jesus forgives you your sins, washes you in His crimson tide, sets you apart for His good use, and feeds you with His body and blood for live in this world “under the sun” and life to come “in the heavens.” Friends, let’s go up higher. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guards your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School - Sherman Center
Random Lake, Wisconsin