"Dear Jesus"
The First United Presbyterian
Church
“Dear Jesus”
Rev. Amy Morgan
October 6, 2019
Philippians
2:1-11
If then there is
any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the
Spirit, any compassion and sympathy,
2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind,
having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not to your own interests,
but to the interests of others.
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in
Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did
not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a
slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to
the point of death-- even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and
gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 14:1, 7-14
1 On one occasion
when Jesus was going to a house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on
the Sabbath, they were watching him closely… 7 When he noticed how the guests
chose the places of honor, he told them a parable.8 “When you are invited by
someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case
someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the
host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your
place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But
when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your
host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be
honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who
exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.”
12 He said also
to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not
invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in
case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you
give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And
you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous.”
Dear Jesus:
My very best friend is getting married next
month, and I have a HUGE dilemma! Like a
silly, my bestie decided not to assign seats at dinner, and I’m not sure where
I should sit. I, of course, think I
should sit next to my very best friend on THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF HER
LIFE. HOWEVER, her sister is also part of the wedding party. TECHNICALY, she’s the maid of honor, but
that’s only because she’s family. I would be SO EMBARASSED if I sat next to the
bride and then had to MOVE so her sister could sit next to her. But I really am the guest of honor here,
don’t you think? What should I do?
Sincerely,
Best Friend Forever
Dear BFF:
Let me begin by assuring you that you are not the
first person to experience this dilemma.
I’ve seen this happen at many swanky receptions. So many important people, so few seats of
honor. You are blessed to get to support
your best friend on her special day. But
remember that you are blessed to be a blessing.
Why don’t you bless your friend by allowing her to avoid the possible
discomfort of having to choose between you and her sister? Take a seat with some of the party-animal
cousins or see how many condiments you can mix together and dare a kid to drink
at the kids' table. It’ll be more fun for
you. And if your bestie really needs you
by her side, she can always come and invite you to sit closer.
Dear Jesus:
I’ve got kind
of a big birthday coming up – I won’t say which one – and I want to
celebrate with a big blow-out party in my honor. I also want to keep it kind of exclusive, you know. I’ve got some friends and acquaintances in
very high places. I’m thinking I can use
this as an opportunity to get myself “in” with more of the right people, you
know. Could lead to invitations down the
road to some really classy events, help me network with the upper crust, move
up in the world, you know. I’m even thinking of adding a feel-good
factor by turning the whole shin-dig into a fundraiser. I’m sure there’s a worthy cause people would
want to contribute to – helping the poor, lame, blind, you know. So my question is:
which cause is most important to you,
Jesus? I want to follow you and do
what’s right with God, you know. So what
should I raise money for with my posh birthday bash?
Ciao,
Birthday Girl
Dear BG:
That’s great that you want to use your birthday
party as a means of helping those less fortunate than you. And I’m glad you want to celebrate your
birthday. I’m glad you were born,
too.
But I have to tell you, this party is not one I’d
be likely to attend. I think you may
want to reconsider your guest list.
If you invite all your well-to-do friends and
neighbors, you are correct in thinking that they might in turn invite you to
parties and events that could move you up in the world. However, at some point you all may realize
that your relationships are based on Return-On-Investment, not friendship and
love.
I’m glad that you want to help people on the
margins of your society, but money is not all they really need. What they need is an invitation to
relationship. And what you need are
relationships without reward.
Why not scrap your planned guest list and,
instead of a fundraiser, throw a party for kids in foster care who don’t get
big birthday parties? Or bring your
party to a local nursing home with activities that you and all the residents
can enjoy together? Either way, I’m
betting this kind of party will make you feel a lot younger on your
birthday. It may not help you move up in
the world, but you will definitely be following me and doing what’s right with
God, you know?
Dear Jesus:
I’m about ready to throw in the towel. I’ve done everything I can to get ahead in my
career, and I feel like I’m moving ahead at a snail’s pace. I’m not paid what I’m worth, I don’t get
promotions, and my co-workers are racing ahead of me. My boss just doesn’t appreciate how hard I
work and what an asset I am to the company.
In staff meetings, I always come prepared with my reports in order. When a new opportunity is presented, I always
try to be the first to volunteer, but someone else usually beats me to it. I have been angling for the corner office for
years, but I just can’t seem to catch a break.
I see one possibility on the horizon, however. My team is making a big presentation next
week, and I have the opportunity to undermine one of my team-mates who has been
one of my biggest obstacles to advancement.
I think I can work it out to come out as the shining star and make my
co-worker look like a total loser. The
problem is, if this backfires, I could be sent back to the bottom of the
pile. It’s nothing illegal, nothing that
would get me fired. And I think it might
be my last try before giving up. What
should I do? Should I risk losing the
little ground I’ve gained to go for the gold?
Sincerely,
Racing to the Top
Dear Racing,
I can understand your frustration at being underappreciated for what you do. There
were times in my career when people loved me for my work. At times, they were ready to give me the
corner office. But most of the time,
people didn’t really appreciate what I was doing. Even now, I don’t get the credit I
deserve. Sure, sure, when people see a
beautiful sunset they want to praise the Creator, but I get all the blame for
the bad things that happen in the world and very little credit for all the
good. *sigh*
But enough about me!
Listen, there’s this Proverb that says “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.”
In other words, your plan is a bad idea. Not just because it’s risky and you might get
caught engaging in underhanded tactics with your co-workers. It’s like I always told people when I was on
earth: those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and
those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Look
at me, for example: I never did make it to the corner office. In fact, I set aside divinity to become
human. I humbled myself and became
obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. But God highly exalted me, giving me the name
that is above all names. You can read
about that in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, if you like.
You
can also read in the gospels about some of my contemporaries who exalted
themselves and were ultimately humiliated.
Pontius Pilate, with whom I had a little chat
prior to my condemnation to death, ended up botching a skirmish with the Samaritans
and getting summoned to Rome to answer for his mismanagement of the
region. Herod schemed with the Romans
and powerful Jewish council in an attempt to promote himself, but as soon as
the leadership in Rome turned over and he lost his patron, he fell out of favor
and was exiled to Gaul. The High Priest Caiaphas
was a shrewd collaborator with the Romans and rose to the top of his field, but
in the end he was deposed after a change in leadership.
This is all to say, I think it wise to work on
humility. Don’t feel like you need to
show off your accomplishments or elbow others out of the way to get the best
seat at the table. Like the wisdom of
Ecclesiastes tells us: It is God’s good gift that all should eat and drink and
take pleasure in their toil. Or, in the
words of the Life is Good guys: Love what you do. Do what you love. If you really are talented and dedicated and
passionate about your work, your boss may eventually notice and invite you to
move up. If you are found out to be the
kind of person to has to sabotage others to get ahead, you’ll likely end up
back at the bottom of the ladder.
Dear Jesus:
I just want you to understand how humble I
am. I’m way more humble than the other
people at my school and my church. Other people are always bragging about their
grades or their cool friends or how great they are at sports. Well, just so you know, I am a straight-A student, I’m in National Honor Society,
I’m on the Varsity soccer team, my parents are both doctors, AND I go to church
EVERY Sunday. I’ve been on three mission
trips, I help serve meals at the local homeless shelter, and I tutor
underprivileged kids after school. And
you will never hear me bragging! I always let people go ahead of me in line, I
go out of my way to sit with new kids at school, and I make sure everyone else
has a chance to speak before I share my thoughts in our church group.
Here’s the problem. You said pretty clearly that if we humble
ourselves we’ll be exalted, if we sit at the lowest table, we’ll be asked to
move up. But that isn’t happening. How long do I have to wait? It’s hard to be humble!
In Your Peace,
#1 in Last Place
Dear #1:
I think you’re missing the point.
While I applaud your efforts, and your actions
are admirable, I think this is a case of doing the right things for the wrong
reasons. You seem to have turned
humility into one more competition, one more measure of success. You even seem to think that humility is a
method for success and achievement.
The reality is, when I said that those who humble
themselves will be exalted and the last shall be first, I was describing the
reality of life in God’s kingdom. The
idea is not to invert the system and compete for the lowest place. The idea is that those who are undervalued in
society are deeply valued by God.
Humility isn’t something you work at or aspire to. It’s a way of seeing the world. Remember the advice I gave about who to
invite to your party? You don’t invite
the poor, lame, crippled, and blind to show everyone how humble you are. You invite them to show that you value them
the way I do. In the same way, you
shouldn’t sit at the lunch table with the new kid because it will help you move
up to the popular kids’ table. That’s
not going to happen, I’m afraid. You sit
with that kid who no one else will sit with because you want to know them and
love them and share my love with them.
Don’t change the things you do, simply change the
reason you do them. Then you’ll find out
what I meant when I said those who humble themselves will be exalted. Remember that being exalted in the kingdom of
God looks different than being exalted in the eyes of the world. Your reward may not be excelling at sports or
academics or popularity. Your reward
will be the peace and joy that comes with living into the kingdom of God here
on earth.
Dear Jesus:
I started at a new school this year, and so far I
hate it. My parents split up over the
summer, and my mom got an apartment in a different school district. She said the schools are so much better than
where we lived before, but I don’t think so.
I sit alone at lunch every day, except sometimes
when this one girl sits with me and spends the whole time smiling at all her
friends and waving to make sure everyone knows she’s sitting with me. She’s never actually talked to me.
I tried joining the basketball team so I could
get to know other kids, but I wasn’t good enough to make the team. One of the kids suggested I work with their
personal trainer. Like we could ever afford
that! I tried out for the school play,
too, but didn’t make that, either. Turns
out, you have to be able to dance and sing.
It seems like I’m not good enough at anything around here.
The kids aren’t all mean to me or anything, they
just seem to not notice I’m there. I
feel invisible. I’m lonely and I miss my
friends at my old school. I’m tired of
being alone. Can you help?
Yours truly,
Lonely at the Lunch Table
Dear Lonely:
You are always invited to sit at my table. Right next to me. And everyone is welcome to join us. At my table, there are no insiders or
outsiders, and nobody is better than anybody else. Everyone is good enough. My table is always a party, always a
celebration. My table connects all
Christians in all times and places. No
one sits alone at my table.
My table is a reminder that you are loved and
cherished by God. While your worth may
not be recognized by your peers and teachers, you are precious in my sight, and
honored, and I love you. I have called you by name, you are mine.
I once taught people that the poor in spirit are
blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Yours is the kingdom of heaven, my lonely friend, if only you will see
it. I long to be your friend, your
companion. Let the Holy Spirit give you
comfort and peace.
I cannot promise you friends, success,
popularity. I can’t promise you an easy
life. I told my disciples that “I do not
give as the world gives.” That’s good
news and bad news, depending on how you see things. On the one hand, I don’t judge you on your
skills and abilities, your charisma, your success, your wealth or social
standing. On the other hand, I don’t
dole out money, fame, or the “good life” to some people and withhold it from
others. I give you peace. I give you faith, hope, and love. I give you a kingdom where these are the
things that matter most. Live in this
kingdom, and you will never be lacking.
Join me at my table.
Comments
Post a Comment