22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle C

LUKE 14:1, 7-14
TODAY JESUS TELLS ANOTHER STORY INVOLVING A BANQUET. IT REMINDED ME OF THE STORY WHICH I THINK IS TRUE, OF A COUPLE WHO PLANNED THEIR WEDDING BANQUET. THEY RENTED A BANQUET HALL IN A LARGE HOTEL, HIRED A BAND, BOUGHT THE DECORATIONS, ORDERED THE FOOD – IT CAME TO ABOUT $30,000. THEN THE GROOM DECIDED HE WASN'T READY TO GET MARRIED. THE DISTRAUGHT AND ANGRY BRIDE WENT TO THE WEDDING PLANNER TO GET THE MONEY BACK, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS TOO LATE, CONTRACTS HAD BEEN SIGNED, THE MONEY WAS GONE. SO SHE DECIDED TO THROW A PARTY, AND INVITED PEOPLE FROM ALL THE HOMELESS SHELTERS AND FOOD KITCHENS IN THE CITY. SHE ASKED THE CATERERS TO CHANGE ONE THING ON THE MENU. INSTEAD OF ROAST BEEF, THE MAIN COURSE WOULD BE BONELESS CHICKEN, IN HONOR OF THE GROOM.
HE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED, AND HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED. THAT IS THE LESSON JESUS WANTS HIS HEARERS TO TAKE HOME. AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH HOW WE BEHAVE AT PARTIES, AT LEAST PRIMARILY. JESUS DOESN'T GIVE ETIQUETTE LESSONS -- WHEN HE TEACHES SOMETHING, IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR SOULS, WITH OUR PROSPECTS FOR ETERNAL HAPPINESS.
WE ARE PROBABLY ALL GUILTY OF EXALTING OURSELVES. ANYTIME WE COMPARE OURSELVES FAVORABLY TO SOMEONE ELSE, WE ARE EXALTING OURSELVES. IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER IF THE COMPARISON IS GROUNDED IN REALITY; THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS SMART AS I AM. THERE ARE CERTAINLY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS HEALTHY AS I AM. AND GOD KNOWS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOWHERE NEAR AS TALL AS I AM. IF I MAKE THESE STATEMENTS OF FACT, THAT IS ONE THING. IF I MAKE SUCH STATEMENTS AND IMPLY THAT BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS MY VALUE IS GREATER THAN YOURS, THEN THAT IS EXALTING MYSELF.
WHEN I BELIEVE THAT SOME GIFT OR ACCOMPLISHMENT OR ACCIDENT OF BIRTH OR TALENT THAT I HAVE MAKES ME MORE VALUABLE THAN SOMEONE ELSE – EVEN IF ONLY IN THAT ONE AREA – THEN I AM EXALTING MYSELF, EVEN WHEN I KEEP MY OPINION TO MYSELF, EVEN WHEN I BEAR NO ILL WILL TOWARDS THE PERSON WITH WHOM I AM COMPARING MYSELF. A HUSBAND MAY FEEL THAT BECAUSE HE MAKES THE LION'S SHARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HE IS WORTH MORE THAN HIS WIFE. SHE MAY FEEL THAT SINCE SHE SPENDS MORE TIME RAISING THE CHILDREN, SHE IS WORTH MORE THAN HE IS. AND YET THEY MAY LOVE EACH OTHER AND VALUE EACH OTHER'S QUALITIES. SO THIS EXALTING ONESELF IS SUBTLE, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK MOST OF US DO IT, ALMOST UNCONSCIOUSLY.
SO WHY DOES JESUS WARN US ABOUT THIS TENDENCY WE ALL HAVE? BECAUSE IT LEADS TO A FALSE VIEW OF REALITY, WHICH LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS, WHICH LEADS TO SIN. AND THE FALSE VIEW OF REALITY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE ARE WORTH. REALLY, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO, NO ACCOMPLISHMENT WE CAN ACHIEVE, NO CIRCUMSTANCES OF BIRTH OR NATIONALITY OF CITIZENSHIP, THAT CAN ADD ANYTHING TO OUR WORTH; GRANTED WE ARE WORTH, AS JESUS SAID, MUCH MORE THAN A SPARROW – BUT ONLY BECAUSE WE ARE LOVED BY GOD. GOD LOVES US NOT IN PROPORTION TO WHAT WE DO, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE THE ADOPTED BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF HIS SON.
HOW WILL WE BE HUMBLED IF WE EXALT OURSELF? BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, MAYBE WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL AFTER WE DIE, WE WILL REALIZE THAT WHAT WE VALUED IN OURSELVES IS NOTHING. TED TURNER, THE FOUNDER OF CNN AND A VERY RICH, SUCCESSFUL PERSON, SAID “SUCCESS IS AN EMPTY BAG, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THERE TO REALIZE IT.” WHEN WE BEGIN TO COMPARE OURSELVES TO JESUS CHRIST, NOTHING ABOUT US CAN BE EXALTED. AND IF WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY FOUND OUR VALUE IN SOMETHING WE HAVE OR DO OR ARE, WE CAN ONLY LOOK AT OURSELVES WITH DISMAY.
JESUS SAYS THAT THOSE WHO HUMBLE THEMSELVES WILL BE EXALTED. HUMBLING OURSELVES IS ENTIRELY AN INTERIOR STATE, AN ATTITUDE. IT IS A CLEAR-EYED RECOGNITION NOT OF OUR ASSETS, NOT OF OUR TALENTS, NOT OF ALL THE THINGS ABOUT US THAT ARE GOOD, BUT RATHER, OUR LIABILITIES. IF WE TRULY KNOW OURSELVES, THERE ARE THINGS WE KNOW COULD BE BETTER. THERE ARE THINGS ABOUT ME THAT NOT ONLY COULD BE A LOT BETTER, BUT I DON'T EVEN WANT TO TRY TO MAKE THEM BETTER. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE LIKE GAPING WOUNDS ON MY SOUL, I CAN BARELY IMAGINE MYSELF WITHOUT THEM. IT'S VERY EASY TO GO DAY TO DAY, WEEK TO WEEK, AND NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS. BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO STARE THEM DOWN AND REALIZE THAT I COULD CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, BUT DON'T EVEN WANT TO. AND IT IS IN THAT RECOGNITION, THAT CONFRONTATION WITH MY TRUE SELF, THAT I CAN BEGIN TO CHANGE. AND WHEN I SEE MY REAL FLAWS, MY TRUE FAULTS, THE SOURCES OF MY OWN SIN, I AM SEEING WHAT TRULY IMPACTS ON MY WORTH, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I CAN RESIST GOD'S LOVE, CHRIST'S FRIENDSHIP. AND ITS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO EVEN BEGIN TO SEE THOSE DARK PLACES IN OTHER PEOPLE. BECAUSE EVERY PERSON KEEPS THEM HIDDEN, FROM OTHERS AND FROM EVEN HIMSELF.
SO JESUS, WHO KNOWS US SO WELL, IS SAYING, TURN YOUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU ESTEEM, YOUR TALENTS, YOUR RICHES, YOUR HEALTH, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY. THOSE ARE ALL GIFTS. IF YOU THINK THEY MAKE YOU BETTER THAN EVEN ONE OTHER PERSON, YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN, AND A DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU WILL SEE THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR VALUE. TURN YOUR ATTENTION INSTEAD TO THOSE PLACES IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU HATE TO THINK ABOUT; YOUR SELFISHNESS, YOUR LAZINESS, THOSE TEMPTATIONS YOU CAN'T RESIST; THOSE HABITS OF MIND AND BODY WHICH DESTROY WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT YOU. BECAUSE IF YOU DO, I'LL GIVE YOU THE GRACE TO OVERCOME THEM.
SAINT AUGUSTINE SAID THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS IN US THAT WE HAVE MADE WILL BE CONDEMNED, BUT EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAS MADE IN US WILL BE SAVED.
THIS WEEK LET US BEGIN THE PROCESS OF HUMBLING OURSELVES, AND PRAY THAT WE WILL HEAR OUR MASTER'S VOICE, “FRIEND, GO UP HIGHER.”.