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 the 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, saying to Jesus, "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.  This argument continues from the events of the reading on Wednesday, in which Jesus healed a woman who'd been infirm for eighteen years.  That healing varied slightly, in the sense that her infirmity was seen as an affliction of an unclean spirit.  This illness, we should note, is not attributed to a spirit.  Dropsy was a term for edema, caused by heart failure which led to accumulation of fluid and resultant generalized swelling.  But the issue here which is taken up by Christ is the same one as at that earlier healing.  The scribes and Pharisees had built up traditions around the Law, and in that tradition healing was considered work; it therefore was not permissible on the Sabbath.  But, once again, building on His previous argument (in Wednesday's reading), Jesus brings up the issue of a working animal, for whom exceptions were made if its life were threatened on the Sabbath.  Hence, they cannot answer Him.

 

 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 the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study Bible points out that this parable is directed toward guests, while the one that follows (verses 12-14, to be included in Monday's reading) is directed toward hosts.  In imitation of Christ, it says, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts (see James 4:6).

The note in my study Bible regarding the command for perfect humility of guests, and boundless charity of hosts, should make us pause to think about what we might call today common courtesy, or good manners.  These traditions of charity, which over time became understood as good manners or courtesy, should not be forgotten as institutions made holy for us by Christ.  We can see in the readings in the Gospels the various aspects of formal practices at feasts and dinners which are mentioned, often coming from religious practice, such as formal washing of cups or other vessels (Mark 7:4).  Jesus also takes to task a particular host for being remiss by comparison to a notorious sinful woman who anoints Him with oil.  When Jesus knows that His host is scandalized by the woman, He first tells a parable about forgiveness and love, and then He says to him, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in."  These are customs of courtesy we may assume are present in the society.  But Jesus takes courtesy, especially in the forms of humility and charity (about which we shall read in Monday's reading) to another level, and renders them essentially commands of God.  In the practice of humility at public events, Christ speaks of gracious behavior.  In so doing, He says, we will be exalted and receive for ourselves a kind of glory in the presence of others.  This enshrining of gracious behavior is something we shouldn't forget in our own commerce and interaction with others, no matter the occasion.  For should we engage in both humble behavior or charitable behavior, in both cases we are not simply following the dictates of polite society or good manners, we are following Christ to be "like Christ."  These are commands for humility and compassion, for the practice of charity, for charity also depends on the graciousness of humility and not boastfulness or self-indulgence.  When we practice such practices of "good manners" we are, in effect, engaging in the spirit of Christ, treating others as we would be treated, and thus we can consider His words to be His gracious response to us:  "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   Therefore let us ask ourselves to be consciously aware of such behaviors, and not consider the forms of social intercourse of every day life to be absent significance for Christ -- for here in today's reading He declares them to be so by preaching about them.  Every small instance of engagement with another, whether we are a guest or a host, or even simply a chance encounter, is an opportunity for participating in the spirit of God through such practices of humility and charity, both synonymous with gracious behavior.  It's my belief that we're given these teachings in the Gospels for significant reasons, therefore they should not be dismissed as mere social teachings or customs, but we must see them instead as precious to Christ through His own words here.  Jesus teaches us "what manner of spirit we are of" (Luke 9:55).  In the monastic tradition, hospitality was so treasured in response that even prayer would be interrupted in order to greet a stranger at the door.  In a modern secular context, we are often unaware what social class, wealth, education, and other differences make to people, and the significant impact they have on social interaction.  Such differences can be intimidating.  For one faithful to Christ, humility can be a form of recognizing these difficulties and treating all with equal graciousness and kindness, honoring the "poor in spirit" beloved of Christ (Matthew 5:3).   We can also understand Christ's words as teaching those with many blessings the absolute necessity for humility.  Let us take to heart the significance of each opportunity for doing as Christ commanded.  In the presence of the stranger or the one known to us, we are given an opportunity to serve Christ, no matter how insignificant or unknown to others we may consider the encounter to be.

 

 

 

 

 

Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost

 

 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

- Luke 19:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.  Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  In yesterday's reading, about the blind man who received his sight, Jesus was coming near Jericho.  Here, Jesus enters and passes through the city.  My study bible notes for us that Jericho was notorious as a place of iniquity, and is commonly associated with sinful living (in both Old and New Testaments; see 10:30, the beginning of the parable of the Good Samaritan).

Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  See also 18:24-27.   My study bible comments that this encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus demonstrates that grace can accomplish that which is impossible for human beings on worldly terms. 

And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  My study bible tells us that there are many spiritual interpretations which express the universal significance of this encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus.  Theophylact comments that the crowd symbolizes sins:  "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus."  St. Ambrose comments on several parallels he sees in this passage:  first, Zacchaeus as short of stature indicates his being short of faith and virtue; second, that Zacchaeus must ascend a tree shows that no one who is attached to earthly matters can see Jesus; and finally, that Christ intending to pass that way shows that Christ will approach anyone willing to repent and believe. 

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."   Let us note first how Jesus singles out and calls to Zacchaeus, and the joy with which Zacchaeus receives Christ.  My study bible comments that Zacchaeus uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and restore for what he owes those he had cheated.  The latter was not a gift but required by the Law (Exodus 22:1).  In doing both, Zacchaeus fulfills the Law, and also shows his love of the gospel.  

And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  The title son of Abraham gives us a deep hint regarding Zacchaeus' stature:  he becomes similar to the patriarch of Israel, according to my study bible.  The explanation:  he was counted righteous by his faith, he became generous toward the poor, and he was united to the people of God.  In the early records of the Church, Zacchaeus in fact went on to become a bishop.  

How can we count the ways in which this story is so important?  There is first and foremost the understanding of healing that is present here.  Zacchaeus not only restores to others what he has cheated them out of by false accusation, but he himself is restored in good standing to the people of God.  In this Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost -- namely Zacchaeus himself.  Let us consider the images we're given here.  There is first of all Zacchaeus whom we're told is short of stature.  He climbs a sycamore to see Christ.  The old world sycamores of the Near and Middle East are known as trees which grow to a great height, sometimes called the chinar.  But we can see something quite interesting in this very rich chief tax collector climbing himself up the tree to see Jesus:  he is willing to make a fool of himself and appear to be an disreputable spectacle by climbing the tree to see Jesus.  There is a betrayal in this behavior of a deep earnestness which gives way to his joy at being called by Christ so that Christ may stay in his house.  It's as if this man, notoriously a sinner and likely widely scorned for the ways in which he has acquired his wealth, has simply been waiting for a lifetime for this chance at redemption and salvation, and restoration to community.  Zacchaeus is not just a tax collector:  he's a chief tax collector.  He works for the Romans, trades in their money, and self-admittedly has stolen from his own people through false accusation and extortion in his capacity as one who collects for the Romans.  This is not at all an admirable fellow.  Everything contributes to give us an image of someone who was indeed lost as far as the community was concerned, and yet who was also restored as a son of Abraham because of Christ.  In this story, his restoration is not only because he did what was required under the Law, but clearly in his joy through faith in his encounter with Christ.  In Zacchaeus' enthusiasm even as, one presumes, an older man who climbs a tree to see Christ, even risking becoming a comical figure for others by doing so, we can see a heart of joy for One who will be willing to die in order to save even Zacchaeus.  We can see a parallel in the man possessed by a Legion of demons, for whom Christ crosses a stormy Sea of Galilee with the disciples, even to a place of apostate Jews who raise swine for money in the Gentile market (see this reading).  We can also see a parallel in the woman who washed Christ's feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with costly fragrant oil  (in this reading), whose many sins were forgiven, for she loved much.  Zacchaeus fits in with those most deeply in need of healing and restoration, who are willing to sacrifice all for the Person of Christ who seeks them and calls them to be saved instead of lost.   The real question that must strike us, then, most profoundly, is why is it only in Christ that such a compelling salvation is possible for these people, or for us?  This remains for us the question today, just as it is fresh in this story in the Gospel.

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 the 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, as Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, some Pharisees came, 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 keeps returning for Christ.  This is something against the traditions built up around the law by the Pharisees and scribes, and by now He has already faced their readiness to accuse Him on this charge, more than once.  Jesus' answer to them, questioning whether or not they would help an animal on the Sabbath, builds up on His earlier response (13:15).  To save the life of an animal was 'legal' on the Sabbath.  Why not heal a human being?  Dropsy is an old fashioned term for a type of edema (perhaps taken from the word in Greek, hydropikos, rooted in the word for water),  which is a swelling of soft tissues due to water retention associated with disease. 

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 the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   Jesus speaks here to the guests invited to the home.  He teaches about humility.  (In the following reading, He will teach a parable aimed at hosts.)  My study bible says that in imitation of Christ, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts.  It quotes James 4:6, in which James writes of grace, paraphrasing Proverbs 3:34:  "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  The New King James version of that verse in Proverbs reads, "Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble."  It would seem that Jesus is addressing those who would judge Him.  In this context, we should note that Jesus speaks of a wedding feast, symbolic of the time of judgment and of the union of God with God's people.  This is a very particular perspective He's teaching them.

Jesus' teachings on humility remind us all of its importance.  As noted above, here in today's reading He gives one teaching to guests in a home, but in the next reading He addresses hosts.  In both cases, the teaching involves humility and emphasizes community.  If we look closely at Jesus' healings, they seem to include this component of creating or restoring community -- in particular, restoring the healed person to their place in the community.  Part of the affliction is often exclusion and isolation in one form and another.  Humility is a key component, as Jesus points out here, for an understanding of and a creating or building up of community.  Here, humility assures that a person is in a rightful and accepted place, and it is, in fact, community that elevates the person to a more exalted position.  It may be a subtle way of teaching these "great men" (for they are all in positions of authority in their community as lawyers and Pharisees) that true greatness would be found in humility rather than in their coveted positions.  Perhaps, more to the point, humility would allow them to truly see Him better.  What we must understand now is that these teachings most certainly apply to all of us.  Humility is necessary for a truly healthy and balanced life.  Narcissism is a component in many diseases of the mind.  It takes us away from seeing ourselves as we need to, and in particular from seeing ourselves as a part of community -- something we also need for good health and well-being.  Humility is not about denying God-given skills and talents, nor is it about denying our hard work at whatever it is we have developed in our lives.  It not about groveling before other human beings, nor is it about self-derogation.  On the contrary, humility is first and foremost a conscious understanding of our place before God.  (The wedding feast setting of Jesus' parable underscores this.)  It's an awareness that we're always in a place where our true judgment and assessment of who we are rests in the sight of God.  And that awareness tempers the way that we approach community.  Community does not define absolutely our worth; but it is Jesus who teaches about how we each in turn play a role in community to support it or tear it down.  His teachings and His healings give us a good understanding about how we are to treat "the least of these" and their place in community.  His healings often build an inclusion where there was not, a restoration to community.  It's in those bonds of love as taught by God and given by grace that we really find the key to Jesus' kind of humility.  Righteousness means right-relatedness, and we only find an understanding of that through God's love.  It is grace that illumines how we work in community and help to build and create it.  This is not an abstract theory or set of laws but active mercy and love, given to us as a gift of grace.  It is only through humility that we can truly be illumined in terms of how to live a gracious life; there will always be things we need to learn about love and relatedness.   We cannot assume perfection -- that is a core teaching about the value of humility.  He is here to teach, and our own humility is the first step to learning more.