Cliff Loesch September 2, 2007 Luke 14:1, 7-14 Growing in Humility-Learning to Laugh at Ourselves      Sometimes we go to great lengths to try to impress one another; to make ourselves look good-perhaps to jockey for position or to simply be seen as important.  There is a story about a boy that got a job in the city and left the family farm.  He wrote home to his older brother, trying to impress him with his new life: He wrote, "Thursday we motored out to the club, where we golfed until dark. Then we motored out to the beach and weekended."  The brother, thoroughly unimpressed, wrote back: "Sunday we motored to town and baseballed all afternoon.  Yesterday we muled out to the cornfield till sundown.  Then we suppered.  After that we staircased to our rooms and bedsteaded till the clock fived."  [King's Treasury of Humor]      I have another little story to share.  This one is about a Texan: A Texas man was bragging on how big everything is in Texas.  He was going on and on.  But he was very surprised when an "Okie" stepped up and agreed with him.  An Okie.  And the Okie said, "Yes, that's right, everything's big in Texas!  Why, I once knew a Texan who was so big they couldn't find a coffin big enough to bury him in when he died."  "And what did they do?" asked the surprised Texan. "Well," came the answer, "they just let the air out of him, and buried him in a shoebox!"  [King's Treasury of Humor-Humility]      Now that's a pretty big deal: for a Texan to be humbled like that by an Okie.   You won't hear me tell a story like that very often.  But maybe a story about a Texan being deflated a bit is a good story for today.  We're talking about humility.       Jesus went to a dinner party at a Pharisee's home.  And not just any Pharisee, but a leader of the Pharisees-and they were watching him closely.  But Jesus was watching them, too.  And what he saw was a little competition for the seats of honor.  They all wanted to be seen as important and Jesus told a couple of stories that highlighted the importance of humility.      If you think about it-to tell stories like these took a little nerve.  The parables seemed kind of pointed.  I'm sure the Pharisees got the point.  And they might have been offended just a little.  Apparently Jesus didn't care about that.  And that seems strange.  We think of Jesus as one who is infinitely attuned to the needs and perceptions and feelings of others.  But at this dinner party, with all these prestigious guests, he told these parables to make a point about humility-even though the stories might not have been well received.       One thing it shows is that Jesus was not playing their game.  He was not campaigning to be seen as the most important.       I don't think we should be too critical of the Pharisees.  After all, it's a common, human impulse to categorize each other in different ways.  In subtle ways and sometime not-so-subtle ways, people want to know and sometime let it be known who has the upper hand; who has the most influence or the most whatever.  You've all heard, I'm sure, about pastors who feel a little pride if their congregation is a little larger than some others.  And you've heard about people who try to keep up with their neighbors.  It's a race to see who can amass the most stuff, the latest gadgets-and the list could be endless: a never-ending quest for bigger houses, bank accounts, better cars, vacations.        In reality, as Christians, we see the folly in this kind of positioning.  We've heard Jesus' calls for humility.  We've listened to the book of Proverbs that says that pride comes before a fall and that wisdom comes through humility.  We've examined the book of James that says God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.  And we've seen the example of Jesus who lived his life as if everyone was equal.  He reached out to the outcasts of society-and to all those who were seen as less important-to bring them up.  And those who thought they were a little too important-he knocked them down just a bit.  We know these teachings and it is our aim to live lives that express the equality of all and to live our lives with humility.  Yet that does not stop the occasional, very human questions from crossing our minds-burning, and truly important questions such as, "I wonder whose motorcycle might be the fastest?"      But Jesus was not playing their game.  And not only was Jesus not playing their game-not campaigning to be the most important-but he was also risking his reputation to some extent.  Telling these parables was a risk.  It was hard to know how it would turn out.  Would the Pharisees be offended by these parables that were so clearly aimed at them?  Or would they laugh it off, somehow?  I think the possibility of offense was certainly there.  And Jesus was aware of this.  He risked losing favor with these men, risked not getting invited to more of their get-togethers.  You would think Jesus would be a little more diplomatic-and not be quite so direct.  But it's obvious that he really wasn't worried about what they might think of him.  And there's something admirable about that.  If only all of us could be more authentic, and live with less concern about what others think.  It seems, however, that concern for the feelings of others does require that we speak diplomatically much of the time.  If we simply start talking without regard for how our words might come across, we are asking for trouble.  But I submit that Jesus' words were well-considered.  He knew the risk-that his words might bring offense.  Yet he felt that making the point was worth whatever risk was involved.      And, of course, there is also the possibility that no offence was taken by the other guests.  Maybe they were able to laugh at themselves.  Think back to that story I told earlier about the Texan and the Okie.  Do you think the Texan was offended by the Okie's remarks?  Possibly.  But probably not.  Anybody that can come back at you with a come-back like that has to be respected.  The Texan was put in his place (at least briefly) and perhaps the experience had an equalizing effect.  The Texan saw the Okie in a new way-and he saw himself a little differently.  I'm sure that many Texans would admit that, "Well, sometimes we do get a little excited and exaggerate just a bit about our state."  And maybe he could laugh at himself a little.  And maybe at that dinner party-maybe the other guests said to each other, "You know, this is a little ridiculous how we all think we need to sit here to show how important we are.  Why don't you sit here?  I'll sit over there.  Perhaps Jesus' story helped them see themselves in a new light and maybe they were able to laugh at themselves-at their silly, competitive behavior.  I simply submit the idea that an ability to laugh at yourself is very helpful in the quest for humility.       On the second story that Jesus told-about inviting not just your friends or influential guests to your dinner parties, but his encouragement to go out and invite those without influence or riches, Barbara Royle suggests that there is humility involved in this kind of hospitality.  http://www.soth.net/sermons%202006/sermon%202-19-2006.htm  The hospitality that Jesus advocates requires a little more of you.  It's a little harder to do.  When you reach out to others who are not just like you-it takes a little humility (and a little extra effort) to make them feel truly welcomed by you.      In verse eleven, Jesus said, "For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."  It's a very insightful statement.  And I have a feeling that most, if not all of us, have proven the truth of it in our own experience at one time or another.  May the Lord help us to see ourselves rightly, to show grace and favor to others, and to grow in humility.