Scripture Passage
Worship Video
Worship Audio
Sermon Script
In or Out
In or Out? This is very important to so many people. Nobody wants to be out. Everybody wants to be in.
It is not a good feeling to be rejected. Everybody wants to be wanted and welcomed. Even among friends, we get hurt when we feel excluded.
One of the greatest headaches in planning the wedding is to decide who to invite and not only that – where to seat them. I think It was the same 2,000 years ago. That’s why Jesus used a parable of a wedding banquet. Not only people want to be in but they want to be at the highest place.
Jesus said this, knowing what people wanted:
…do not sit down at the place of honour (Luke 14:8)
People measure their worth by how well accepted they are. So people try so hard to be accepted. To feel important. To feel worthy.
If that is the measure of your worth, Jesus did not do very well. He was rejected, hated, abandoned, and killed. But Jesus never measured his worth by how well he was accepted. He taught us to do the same.
No Significance
In today’s Scripture passage, Jesus said. Do not invite those who are popular, who are well accepted, who are powerful and who are rich. Invite those who cannot invite you back. Invite those who are not usually invited.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. (Luke 14:13)
Invite those who live their entire life, always rejected.
That was what Jesus did. He was a friend of tax collectors, sinners, and the sick. He was a friend of those who were socially alienated. His disciples were mostly fishermen. Not important people. Not highly regarded people in their society. They didn’t have any social status. Jesus was their friend. And Jesus did his ministry with those who were not that significant in their society. They were nothing in the eyes of powerful people.
Jesus said,
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:31, 32)
Jesus did not accept those who were already well accepted. But Jesus accepted those who were rejected.
God accepts us not because we are great, not because we do so well. God accepts us even though we have nothing to show for. God accepts us even when we are nobody significant.
Humility and Respect
Last Thursday, I visited a person at St. Joseph Health Centre. His wife called me to say a prayer for her husband since he is in a critical condition. Probably my last prayer for him. When I visited him, he was barely conscious. He had his eyes closed but not much response. I called his name and there was no response.
So I read Psalm 23 and told him that God accepts you not because you are good but because of his grace. Do you believe that? Do you accept God’s grace? He was quiet and no response. And all of a sudden, he said, I believe. He passed away yesterday.
The way God accepts people teaches us how we should live.
Do you want to be around those who are popular, powerful, and well accepted? Or do you identify with those who are rejected and alienated? Do you want to take the spot light? Or do you want to give that spot light to others? Do you want people to listen to you? Or do you let others speak?
When we have the attitude of being considerate of those who are rejected and alienated, we will be able to build this community. But when everyone wants to be at the centre of attention, the community will not be able to stand.
Respect each other. Respect is a very important virtue of Christians. God respects us. We need to learn to respect others. Regardless of their social status, we need to learn to respect others. Don’t judge them just because they are not like you. Don’t judge them just because they don’t share the same taste as you. Don’t judge them just because they are different. Being different is not being deficient. Accept everyone with respect. Speak with respect. Treat others with respect.
That’s what humility is. Be humble.
A Christian Virtue
Jesus said,
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 14:11)
Humble people cannot be rude. Humble people treat others with respect. Humble people do not judge others in the way they see the world. Humble people are willing to learn to see the world in the way others see the world. So they always grow. Their understanding becomes deeper and broader. Humble people are patient. Proud people always look down and so they cannot see what is above. Humble people always look up and so they can see what is above and go beyond themselves.
The desire of humble people is not to prove themselves. The desire of humble people is to learn and grow. That’s why humble people are always open. They are confident enough to be able to see their own weaknesses and are willing to grow. Humble people don’t need a spot light.
Humility is a Christian virtue.
Let Us Be Humble
When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble. (Proverbs 11:2)
God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honour and life. (Proverbs 22:4)
Humility is not a low opinion of oneself or low self-esteem. It is quite the opposite. Humility is the ability to be able to see your strengths and weaknesses without having to brag about your strengths and hide your weaknesses.
Humility is the ability not to overly exalt yourself because of your strengths and not to be overly depressed about yourself because of your weaknesses. When you are humble, you don’t have a strong desire to brag about yourself. You already have a pretty good idea of who you are and who you are not, and you don’t need to prove yourself.
Let us be humble. The best way to be humble is to raise up others and compliment their accomplishments. When you are happy for others, you will learn to be humble. When you get to know God more deeply, you will become more humble.
Let us accept each other with humility.
Leave a Reply