Sermon by Pastor Jody - October 30, 2024
Sermons
He walked into the church just like he did every Sunday morning. Straight down the center aisle — head held high. He was glad to be there, it was where he belonged. He was ready for the day, ready to do what was expected of him. Collar starched stiff, cufflinks polished, tie in a perfect half windsor knot. He was ready.
As head usher, he was tasked with making sure the service went off without a hitch. He began every Sunday with a stop at the altar, as he knew the importance of prayer. As he made his way to the front of the church, he glimpsed a most unexpected sight.
What was he doing there?
Everyone knew him as the owner of a rather unsavory establishment. Libations and wagers flowed freely there, and many a young soul had lost much as he made much. And here he was.
Approaching the altar, the man in the suit began his prayer with a thanks that was a thin veil for his bumptiousness. “I thank you, God, that I am not like “others”. …thieves, rogues, adulterers, even bar owners. I am here every Sunday, I fast, and I tithe.”
The man in the suit was distracted by the sound of sobbing — gut wrenching, breath catching, sobbing. The other man sat with his head down, begging for mercy.
Jesus offers this parable “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.” And he tells them that all who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
So my question for us today is, “What is so important about humility?
Luke 18:9-14
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I have over 30 first cousins. There were 18 grandchildren on my momma’s side and 18 on my daddys’ side of the family.
That is a lot of family, but we are all family.
We don’t all agree on everything. I would guess that I have some cousins that see the world in a very different way than I do. We likely do not enjoy the same music or TV shows. It is possible that our views on climate issues, race, even GOD are not aligned. That does not stop us from gathering every Thanksgiving for turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. It does not stop us from greeting each other with long hugs, reminiscing about the old days, and crying together over our shared losses. It does not stop us from laughing together, prayering together and sharing a meal together.
We are family. We come together to celebrate our unity in spite of our differences. We belong together, to each other. WE- not us and them. WE.
The Pharisee thanked GOD that he was better than the tax collector because of his works — effectively “othering” the tax collector. The one who strives to be close to God, who has devoted his life to Godly living, does the most unGODLY thing. He leaves the tax collector in his suffering…alone. Stripped of empathy, he feels no solidarity, no sense of belonging, with the tax collector. He only sees the other.
What is so important about humility?
A sober assessment of self levels the playing field. It forces us to see ourselves as we are, no more or less, and to see others as equal. It combats contempt, especially what Bruce Maples calls Passive Contempt — “when we act as if the other person doesn’t matter.” He says, “It’s not that we are actively trying to put them down, or actively comparing ourselves to them. It’s just that we don’t see them as a fellow human being, at all.”
Elie Weisel offers “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
Othering takes many forms, is done in numerous ways actively and passively.
Beyond the obvious… Jesus teaches us about unity. Lack of humility is an obstacle to belonging and an obstacle to the kingdom. Humility prevents the societal imposed hierarchy of who is and who is not from taking hold. It prevents othering.
Othering is the gap created by enmity or indifference, and it is an obstacle to the kingdom.
Solidarity is the antidote to othering. Belonging leads to healing… wholeness. The beloved community is the balm for the world.
We are a family. We don’t all look alike or think alike or act alike. But we are family… a collective… a community.
Now here is the tricky part…
We, as a collective… not all of us, but part of us… like collard greens…the Duke Blue Devils… Donald Trump.
Well, I don’t especially like any of those things. I really really hate collards… I don’t want to be part of that WE and so THEY is born. They like collards and Duke and Trump… I am not part of them. They are the other.
Y’all, they is so much easier than we.
They allows us to cling to our differences. We demands we look for common ground. It takes a lot of work and a lot of moxie to earnestly seek commonalities. To strive to be family.
Edwin Marham poet laureate of Oregon in the 19th century sums it up quite well in his poem “OUTWITTED:”
“He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic rebel a thing to flout
But love and I had the wit to win
We drew a circle that took him in.”
The humble tax collector went home justified. As far as we know he did not repent, maybe he changed his ways, maybe not. What we do know is that his humble posture prevented or maybe protected him from contempt, his honest look at himself left no room to look down on anyone else.
Humility is the remedy to othering. It is the pathway to acceptance and belonging. And so the way of the coming kingdom.
Amen.