The Rev. Virginia W. Nagel
Episcopal Diocese of Central NY (Retired)
Today, the church provides us with readings that invite us to consider
something we all know but would rather not think about...humility. It is hard on
our egos to think about this, and it is also very much opposed to the ideas and
feelings of today's culture and fashions. But there it is: humility, like it or
not, IS a virtue, and self-pride, like it or not, IS a sin. And today we are
given readings that almost force us to consider these facts.
Paul's second letter to the Corinthians contains a notable sermon on
humility. His main thesis is that we cannot boast about our strengths, because
they are gifts to us, not of our making. They are gifts from God, and in another
place, Paul preaches a sermon on using God's gifts, and makes it very clear that
any gifts or talents or abilities or skills we may have are given to us by God,
to be used for the benefit of God's church and people, and for the common
good...not for our own profit, ego-building, fame or popularity. Now, that is an
attitude that is opposed to what we see in TV commercials, hear about in
competitions, read about in the news, or discuss at the neighborhood gathering
places. What it boils down to is this: if we have the ability to manage money
well, and thus increase our wealth, we should use this skill for the good of
others, not to make ourselves the richest person around (take a look at what has
been happening to Mr. Madhof and others like him), or to get ourselves a seat on
the Chicago Board of Trade, or whatever. People, of course, will look at the new
Cadillac we drive, the big mansion we purchased, or our huge bank accounts. God,
on the other hand, will look at how honestly we acquired that wealth, and how
charitably we use it, for the good of others, including his kingdom and his
church. And it's God's view that, in the end, will count.
The same can be said of other gifts, skills, talents and abilities we may
have received as graces (which is another word for an unearned,
undeserved gift) from God. If we can sing beautifully, draw well, build
skillfully, counsel people and get them to do what we suggest...again, those are
not things we should pat ourselves on the back and brag about. They are gifts
given to us, nothing we can claim credit for, any more than we can claim credit
for being born with beautiful eyes or hair; we are obligated to use those gifts
for God's work and the good of others, not for our own fame, fortune or
ego-building.
In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that he can only brag or take pride in
his own weaknesses...because, when it is well known to himself and to others
that he is weak in some area, such as public speaking, it is there that God can
best show that the ability and gift to succeed in that area comes direct from
God, not from Paul, himself.
A wise man, who is also a saint, Bernard of Clairvaux, once said that
humility is nothing more or less than taking a strictly honest view of ourselves
and our abilities. I am creature, and God is Creator. I may be a lousy money
manager, but God teaches me, bit by bit (often through my mistakes), how to
manage money wisely. I may be no orator, and be terrified by public speaking,
but God gives me the ability to preach and tells me what to say. I might prefer
to use my time for my own interests, but God sends me people who need help, and
shows me how to help them...and so on.
Paul also points out that we cannot use these talents or skills to make
ourselves important, to get fame or wealth or whatever...as he told Ezekiel,
Whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious people, they
shall know that there is a prophet from God speaking to them. And Paul reminds
us elsewhere that doing God's work got him beat up, put in jail, thrown out of
town, and put him in danger of his life...but the important thing is to use
these skills and talents for God's work and for the good of others. In today's
readings, Paul says: I refrain from it (self-pride), so that no one may
think better of me than what is seen and heard from me... Madison Avenue
and all the public relations types must really hate hearing that! And,
unfortunately, it is Madison Avenue and its views that prevail in our culture
and our country. It seems clear that we, as Christians, cannot share in those
views and attitudes.
Now let's take a look at the Gospel reading. Jesus had returned to his home
town of Nazareth, taking his ministry there. He was accompanied by his
disciples. They went to synagogue on the Sabbath, of course. It was the custom
for visitors or noteworthy persons to be given the opportunity to teach or
preach at the Sabbath service, and Jesus was invited to do so...a hometown boy
who had gone away and returned to visit. No doubt his fame had come before him,
and people had heard about miracles and teachings and such...gossip does get
around.
But, unfortunately, Jesus was not able to do much in the way of healing and
helping here. These people had known him all his life; it just didn't seem
likely to them that this carpenter, who had made their door or their wagon,
could possibly do such things as they'd been hearing about.
And, then, they knew his past. You note that they called him the
carpenter, the son of Mary. Jewish boys were known by their given name
and the name of their father. Jesus would have been known as Yeshua, ben
Joseph: Jesus, son of Joseph. Calling him son of
Mary was a reminder that Mary had been pregnant with Jesus before
marrying Joseph...that he was illegitimate. How could such a man do miracles?
How could he teach about God? Illegitimacy would have been seen as a sin, making
it impossible for him to be a proper rabbi or holy teacher. Such things may not
be very important here and now, but they were terribly important then and there.
The people of Nazareth, you see, refused to judge him on what they had seen him
do or heard him teach...they judged him on what they thought they knew about him
and his family. So they had no faith in him, and he could do no miracles for
them.
Sometime later, Jesus, speaking of a fig tree, said that we should judge the
tree by its fruit, not by how it looks to us. One wonders if he was thinking of
that day in Nazareth, when he nearly got thrown out of his own home town.
So...what does all this mean for us, today, in the good old U.S.A.?
Basically, it means that we need to be honest about our gifts, talents and
abilities. We absolutely cannot brag or boast about them, or what we do with
them. Instead, we need to thank God for them, and keep saying to him,
Father, how would you have me use this gift from you? What would you have me do?
I will go and do it...thank you for sending me. Amen.
