If Jesus were to give this parable today, he might have made his point about humility with the difference between first class and economy class on an airplane. If one who exalts himself will be humbled, it would be that passenger who sneaks into an empty seat in the first class cabin. An alert flight attendant will soon escort that now embarrassed soul to the back of the plane while other passengers will be watching and smirking. The readings today stress the importance of humility, especially for those in high places. Modesty often comes to mind when we think of humility. That seems to be what Jesus is suggesting when he tells the guests where to sit at the banquet table. Sirach also advises us to conduct our affairs with humility yet this virtue has fallen on hard times. Self-help books abound instead promoting assertiveness training, “feel good” therapy and affirmation. Humility is not the in thing, which turns people on right now. That makes sense if our perception of humility is the award winner who says, “I really don’t deserve this,” or the habitual drunk who laments, “I’m no good.” Such humility under the guise of modesty or self-deprecation denies who we really are. Putting ourselves down or downplaying our abilities is not what humility is about, at least that is not the meaning portrayed in these readings. Authentic Christian humility is the recognition of our status before God. Humble people can look at the heights and depths of their beings without becoming proud over one attribute or discouraged by another. Humility allows us to accept our mistakes, admit our limitations and even laugh at our failures. Jesus may come across as Miss Manners in the gospel but he isn’t talking here about table manners or social protocol. Rather he is speaking about eschatological etiquette. What really matters if we care to spend the rest of our days in the kingdom of heaven is not our status in the sight of others but our status in the sight of God. Keep in mind the audience that Jesus is addressing. Since they were diligent followers of the law, the Pharisees viewed themselves as the holiest people in Israel. By elevating themselves, they were quick to dismiss many others as totally unworthy of ever being seated at the heavenly feast. Consider the guests whom Jesus speaks of in his parable. The rich and the poor have exactly the same worth in the sight of God. As a person of wealth, the rich guest is superior in that one dimension of human achievement yet at the same time, he or she could be inferior to the poor guests in all other dimensions, e.g., love, compassion, and mercy. Once again, Jesus cautions his listeners, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” We tend to measure our self worth by comparing ourselves to others as the Pharisees did yet in the end, our special talents, abilities, attractiveness, or success do not add to our worth in the sight of God. When people ridicule and make fun of us, they do not detract one bit from God’s love for us. When they praise and honor us for our success, they do not detract one bit from the fact that we are still sinners. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta comes to mind as one who approached life with the quality of humility that Jesus has in mind here. In her ministry she reached out to the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. She was able to find God in anyone she met no matter who they were and what they did. Many religious people look in the wrong places for God and get sidetracked by all the wrong issues. After two thousand years the church is still struggling to embrace the vulnerable, the poor, the unclean, the sinner in our midst. They stand in front of us, seeking to be welcomed and accepted as sisters and brothers. In biblical times there was a residual prejudice against those who were physically or mentally impaired. In our time there is a residual prejudice against those who are from south of the border, gay or lesbian, or not Caucasian. Jesus is challenging us to open our eyes and welcome those who through no fault of their own are shunned by our society. Imagine how society might be impacted if the followers of Jesus allowed humility to uproot our arrogance, anger, greed, pride and ambition? We are being challenged to be truly who we are at all times, in all places, with everyone we meet, not just with those who can pay us back. The late Karl Popper, a British philosopher observed that society will only heal when it takes the interest of the weakest of the weak among us first. The gospel today reminds us that Jesus not only had a big heart but big eyes. He observes us in all that we do. Before we can learn to love like him, we must learn to see like him those who are in front of us. Sirach’s opening line provides advice we must really take to heart. “My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.”
St. Hubert Catholic Church
As Roman Catholics, centered in the Eucharist, our mission is to live Christ's Gospel message to love, teach, pray, and serve.