Luke 14:1-11
It’s curious that, after just having put his opponents to shame, the leader of the religious leaders, the Arch-Pharisee, invites him over for dinner. Why might he have done that?
He might have been invited because the Pharisees thought this had gotten out of hand and they wanted to try to reconcile. Good intentions. So, maybe that was it.
He might have been invited because the Pharisees’ professional reputation was on the line. Their credibility was at risk because the crowds of witnesses were cheering Jesus on while he was humiliating the leaders.
He might have been invited because they decided to take the high road. They would show that they could “turn the other cheek” with the best of them.
Or, he might have been invited because they were keeping a close eye on him. Remember that they have been trying to catch him in a serious offense so they can stop him.
So, what do you think? Was it pure coincidence then, that as they are watching him closely, he encounters a man with dropsy? Another curiosity.
It might have been a simply coincidence and nothing more.
Or it might be that the man with dropsy was there because word was out that Jesus was healing and all kinds of people were coming around seeking his attention. although the text doesn’t mention that.
Or it might be a set-up. Maybe that man was planted there by the Pharisees, to step right in front of Jesus at that moment when he is surrounded by Pharisees. Would he be so bold as to heal this man in such a setting?
I hope I don’t sound like a conspiracy theorist.
But think about it: These men of authority and power have been publicly shamed. They would not shrug this off easily; they live in a culture that revolves around honor and shame.
Honor and shame, in this world, are parts of a zero-sum game, no different really from baseball. If you are going to win then somebody else has got to lose – there are only so many games in a season. In the same way, there is only a certain amount of honor to go around, so if you are going to gain honor it will have to be at someone else’s expense. Jesus is gaining honor, in the eyes of the people, and it is coming at the expense of the Pharisees.
Zero-sum, win-lose. When you lose honor you gain shame. And shame was as bad then as it is today, or worse. When, in the last chapter, Jesus had put his opponents to shame, this whole situation became more serious – now everything is at stake for these men.
They would very much like to put Jesus to shame. But, so far, they are unable to do that.
He has survived another confrontation, and maybe plucked a little more honor away from these guys. And as they are summoned to the dinner table, Jesus watches what they do.
In the book of proverbs, chapter 25, you find the topic of shame. Among other bits of advice, there is this: “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”
But these guests of the Arch-Pharisee don’t seem to recall this lesson. And I’m not surprised, because people who are accustomed to power rarely do recall this lesson.
In the 1950’s, the laws of segregation in Montgomery, Alabama required African Americans to sit in the back of the bus – in what they called the “colored” section. Seats in the front were reserved for white people. And even though African Americans made up 75% of the riders, they were pushed to the back. Adding insult to injury, if the white section happened to fill up, African American riders sitting near the front of the “colored” section were made to give up their seats and move back to allow all white passengers to sit. They could get pushed back farther and farther until they were pushed right out the back door.
The white leadership of Montgomery were eager to pile shame upon their African American brothers and sisters. This was really the only way they could maintain their superiority. They just had to have the seats in the front.
One day, though, it just stopped working for them.
What’s always hard to remember is that you can’t just take honor. You can’t grab it, steal it, from someone else. Honor must be given.
As much as the authorities tried again and again to take honor for themselves, taking it from Jesus and replacing it with shame, they were surprised by the outcome. As much as they tried to shame him – by putting him in positions they assumed would be awkward or even humiliating for him – they failed. As much as they contrived situations in which he would be forced to take the wrong step, say the wrong thing, condemn himself by his own words or actions, they failed. Eventually they just resorted to brute force, co-opting the power of the Empire. He was arrested, tortured, and crucified on the cross he was made to carry across his bloodied back. They taunted him, nailed him to the cross, and watched him die.
Bringing even more honor upon him as they did, and shame upon themselves.
There is no honor in shoving others out of your way as you reach for the front row. There is no honor in stepping on them as you climb up the ladder of prominence.
Jesus watches these men of authority and power at that dinner party to see how they will handle themselves. He watches as they elbow others aside in the rush to get the best seats at the table. He watches the expressions on their faces, knowing they are desperately trying to avoid the shame of being left with the last seat. He watches from the side, a spectator to all this pushing and striving, and he gently reminds them of the words from the proverb. Wouldn’t it be a shame to you if you won the contest for the best seat and then your host had to ask you to move, because there was someone better he wanted to sit there. Wouldn’t that be a shame.
Better to wait, my friends. Faith waits.
As we finish this series on the pillars of faith today, let us look at each one. We consider first that as we embark on a faith journey, it requires certain actions. We remember our ancestors in faith who stepped out boldly into uncharted territory when they were called by God to do so. And that as we step out in faith, through new territory, we have the examples of these courageous men and women to guide us.
We consider how faith enables us to see in a new way. Faith shows us how to look through the eyes of the heart and approach things in new ways, with open hearts, seeing them as God sees them. When we see through the eyes of the heart, old molds are broken and new truths are confronted.
When you start breaking molds and losing chains, there is going to be opposition. But faith allows us tostand firm in the face of that opposition. Because, as Martin Luther said when he was brought before the authorities, “Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God.”
This is what faith is: it gives us courage to step out in a new direction. It enables us to see with new eyes the things that God wants to show us. It gives us the strength to stand firm in the face of opposition, and finally, it waits for the inevitable results.
When we act in faith, for God’s purposes, God will see it through.
The history of faith shows the evidence. In our ancestors we have seen the faith that has moved them closer, step by step, to the promises of God. We have seen it – in Abraham and Moses and the prophets of Israel. We have seen it in Jesus, the one who never wavered from his path, the one who could not be shamed. We have seen it in the apostles who followed in his way.
We have seen the power of faith in many more throughout the ages, who have boldly stepped forward in the path God has laid for them, looking back and drawing strength from the ones who have gone before. We too are called to step forward, blazing new trails in the name of Christ and for the sake of the promises of God.
To follow in faith, even when it challenges our status, our relationships, and the values of our culture. To stand where Jesus stands, with the weak and the vulnerable and downtrodden. To stand with love, against hate. To take a stand, and wait in faith, for the hope to become reality.
This is our calling. We can do no other.
