Many of you have likely heard about my past experiences as an organist, and perhaps have even heard me play at some point before. Now, while the way that I usually employ this has changed, I still enjoy many parts of this as a hobby. The thrill of having the organ showing it’s maximum potential in playing at full volume. Perhaps entering into a delicate passage with very soft instruments. Whatever it does, it is truly enjoyable in being able to evoke prayer and emotion all as it goes! It is truly an enjoyable instrument to use!
However, there is one thing I really, truly struggle with taking time for: practice. Now, don’t get me wrong, practice is a great thing! It is how all organists get better constantly, and it is how good organists become great! Yet, there is one very fundamental character requirement that you must have to practice effectively: humility. You need that humility because, when you are going through a sheet of music, you aren’t playing simply to find the points you are playing well- but you are actually playing to discover the places of weakness: the ones that don’t sound so good, and often take a lot of time and a lot of work. Often, you have to go through those passages again and again, until they are finally in good shape! Truly, sometimes, practice can really be a humbling experience!
However, that very word “humbling” often receives such a misunderstood and critical definition, that sometimes we often feel we know what it is to be humble: to have low self-esteem and to be humiliated in an unwholesome way regularly. Because of this perception, it can make the call to be truly humble as Christians to seem wildly unrealistic, or even psychologically unhealthy. Why is Jesus calling attention to living out humility all the time, if it is something that seems so contrary to nature, or even seems that it would make us to suffer needlessly to the point of damage or even harm to our own emotional well-being?
Perhaps we haven’t ever thought of humility in quite the right way before… what is true humility anyways?
If you recall back to the first reading taken from Sirach, the word humility appears in different formats many times. We start off at the beginning with a simple invitation: “My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.” What this says is that the one who lives out true humility will be well-liked and loved in a particular way. It will be even more so than someone who is willing to give gifts- whether they be great or small! Yet, there is more- in fact the next statement does not make sense… “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are.” It seems that, from a worldly standpoint, this is far from being the case. In fact, it seems more likely that one who humbles themselves more will become less and less!
Yet, the framework tells us that we will find favor with God, which seems a bit odd in this presentation! Don’t look after things too sublime- or too lofty- for you, and don’t go after things that far exceed your own strength. This also seems odd, since it seems to cast one who heeds this advice into a dilemma- if you are not able to understand something- then don’t seek after reading about it. If you can’t lift a weight- don’t lift it. Isn’t this contrary to the human spirit? Perhaps in a certain respect it seems to be… and yet there is something important at play- because God isn’t telling us to stay in our lane in a very strict way… and we will come back to that thought shortly. There is one thing, however, that we still do not have: what does it mean to be truly humble? How are we supposed to think of it? The answer doesn’t seem to be there just yet!
The Letter to the Hebrews continues again this weekend, and it gives subtle message that might seem disconnected. A portrait is set up at the very beginning- a sort of reminder of something important: what a Christian may approach in their spiritual journey. So, it tells the Hebrews: “You have not approached that which could not be touched!” It isn’t something intimidating or terrifying. It isn’t a terribly loud trumpet blast. It has nothing to do with the people that heard it begging to hear no more because it filled them with such anxiety. Rather it was something else altogether- that they approach Mount Zion, and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. There are countless angels in gathering- and there is an assembly! There are many great things- but notice the fundamental difference: they are done in an approachable way. This isn’t to say they lose their dignity, but they rather are meant to be mysteries for us to behold. They aren’t here to beat the Hebrews, or even us, into submission, but they rather invite us in gently into the city of the living God- or as this is to say: into a relationship with Him! It really is a beautiful passage!
Finally, the Gospel of Luke continues on! The scene is immediately set, and we hear that Jesus is dining at the home of a leading pharisee- presumably a person of tremendous import! Yet, as Jesus sits at the table of that pharisee, and enjoys the luxury of that table before Him, what does He say? He begins to speak of humility in a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor!” This might have seemed rather odd to those men there, because they would have been used to positions of honor! They might have wanted to be right there at the place of importance! Jesus is challenging convention, and instead encouraging conversion! It does have some practical application- a person does not like to be embarrassed or humbled in a public way! They don’t want to have to proceed to a lower place- they would rather be called up! So, Jesus tells them to take the lower place first- and then be moved up!
Yet, there is more here! He also instructs them not to invite those who are wealthy, or those who can invite you back. Your friends. Your family. The people that are around you that you take great pride in their presence. Rather, what is encouraged? To invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind- the ones who you can’t possibly be expected to repay you!
But this invites us to go back to that original question: what is true humility? If we seek a dictionary definition, it is something of a modesty of character! This is something that, in fact, doesn’t mean that we belittle ourselves or really demean who we are, but in fact invites us deeper. Humility is, in all reality, not us belittling our dignity or crushing it out of vanity or even a thinly veiled attempt to look good in the eyes of God. If we do that, it quickly becomes self-defeating! Rather, it is when we recognize what we have been given and living in recognition of it. Consider the Letter to the Hebrews. We are told how the Lord wants to make Himself approachable. This is a risky move on the Lord’s behalf because there is always a danger that the people he invites into relationship might let pride get in the way! They might make it seem more like it is all about them. Yet, if we understand the first fundamental fact about this- we cannot enter into this relationship deservingly on our own- we learn humility. We don’t deserve to be in relationship, and yet we are called into it anyways, out of the deep and abiding love He has for each one of us!
This then lends itself more to the Gospel, which focuses on our ability to enter into relationship, not just with God, but with each other as well! Think about this! We often walk into a room full of people, and what do we do instantly? We start looking for the people we are comfortable with. The ones we know and the ones we relate to! We don’t tend to think about the others that are around so much, and we focus on the others. Yet, what if we did look at the others?
Even if we properly understand Sirach, we aren’t being told not to be strong or not to be wise. We are rather being called to be truly wise- and truly strong. We are called into relationship because we are being called to seek out true wisdom and true strength. It isn’t about faking it or appearances, especially in a hollow and empty way, but it is rather about possessing what truly matters and what makes a difference. We aren’t about the proud appearances we can sometimes really paint ourselves out to have, but rather we are to take stock of our reality- and to celebrate the fact that we are called children of God.
And that is where we should take Jesus to heart: take the lower place. Yes, it is the lower place- but do you realize the beauty of the fact you have been called to table? God delights in you so much he wants to hear from you. We don’t need pride to make this happen. We don’t need to pointlessly belittle ourselves. We rather need to take an honest assessment of what we have truly been given in being called God’s children, and then we celebrate that and grow from it ourselves. It takes practice, but it truly heals us and makes us new in God’s eyes!
Brothers and sisters, we are often told to seek out honor- to seek out prestige, and to live in great pride and power. Yet, none of that truly matters. Rather, if we relinquish all of these false idols, perhaps we can truly grow in our faith and our relationship with one another, and truly find ourselves being called up as children of God to the higher place in the kingdom of God!
