For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things. 

 

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But 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 table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 14:1-11 

 

Yesterday we read that some Pharisees came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

  Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.  The issue of healing on the Sabbath is a recurring problem and accusation for Jesus from the Pharisees and scribes; see, for example, Luke 6:1-11.  Here, Jesus takes up the issue rather directly with an example of the way that ailing animals are treated on the Sabbath, compared to their condemnation of Jesus' healing human beings.  The argument here is a continuation of the conflict found in Wednesday's reading, in which Jesus healed a woman who'd been bent over for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17).  Here He builds upon the argument He began in that passage.

 

 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But 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 table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Here Jesus gives a parable directed toward guests (in the following verses, not found in today's reading, He will tell another directed at hosts).  Both parables are based on gracious behavior the Lord teaches and models.  The Orthodox Study Bible comments that in imitation of Christ, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts (see James 4:6).

 

 Perhaps in Jesus' parable of the wedding feast, He's giving a subtle hint to the Pharisees regarding their grandiose behavior, and by inference, this would particularly apply to their judgment of Jesus.  They have no hesitation in finding fault with Him, criticizing on the most legalistic grounds regarding His performing healing "work" on the Sabbath.  If we consider the Sabbath significant in terms of the wedding feast of the Lord and His bride, the people of God, then we can place Christ's teaching in a different light than it appears as one supper on one particular day.  For the Sabbath is truly about union of God and God's people.  It is a day in which all are invited to enter into the rest of their Lord -- and all the things that this might incorporate.  So, if we (like many Church Fathers who've commented on this parable, such as St. Cyril of Alexandria) consider the host in this particular parable to be God, then we can come to see Christ's teaching of humble behavior in this light.  It is God who elevates and extols, and God who teaches gracious behavior.  It is God who claims to teach the virtues, and we, as God's children, who are to learn the virtues to which we can aspire.  This is the ground of humility, the understanding that we all, being imperfect, have much to learn.  The law -- and a very strict and demanding interpretation of it -- cannot claim all there is to know.  It cannot claim to create perfection in us.  Jesus will say as much directly when He teaches the rich young ruler about obtaining eternal life (Luke 18:18-29).  Perhaps most significantly and notably for today's reading, a strict reading of the Law cannot teach us mercy.  It cannot teach us gracious behavior, nor discernment that depends upon our love of God in our hearts.  Most of all, it takes humility to find these "finer things" which the Lord would teach us beyond legalism.  How do we become like Christ?  He teaches us that in today's reading, when He teaches about the necessary humility of guests, and therefore our humility before God.  He teaches humility as an attitude first toward God, our ultimate host who gives us good things, an understanding that we always have more to learn, and more ways to mature and grow in God's sight.  These men consider themselves authorities and in a position to judge Christ, but their lack of humility prevents them from seeing God at work in their very presence -- even in His healing on the Sabbath.  Indeed, they seek to judge the Lord Himself.  Jesus teaches, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  This is a warning that we will be judged particularly on our reception or rejection of God's work in the world, the Holy Spirit at work within us and among us.  Let us pay strict attention, for every bit of this also applies to us, and to how we judge and think of ourselves as well.