A theme of humility started to emerge in our readings last week. This week it comes front and center (Lk 14:1, 7-14). Jesus starts with a very clear illustration of why it’s a good idea to avoid overreaching, simply to avoid embarrassment – nothing very spiritual about that!
So there’s nothing complicated here. The objective is clear. Trying to look superior is not a good idea. Unfortunately that doesn’t make it any easier to avoid!
But maybe you are fortunate to be one of those people who isn’t tempted to look just a little bit smarter, a little bit richer, a little bit cooler, than you are. You’re not going to be caught out sitting yourself too far up the table, or too close to the front of the room.
But Jesus points out there is more to humility than just avoiding getting puffed up.
That’s fine when we are the guest. Don’t get above yourself. But what when we’re the host? How does the command to be humble play out in that case? When we are hosting we have the power to decide who to invite – that’s what being a host means. The question then is how do we use that power. Sit at the back of the room and keep your head down isn’t an answer.
As a host we want to create an enjoyable occasion shared with people we want to spend time with. That’s perfectly natural. But Jesus suggests a tougher goal to his host on this occasion. Don’t just look for those you want to know and who will reciprocate by inviting you back to their next barbecue.
I don’t think Jesus is suggesting there is anything wrong when we do this. But he is telling us that that is not going to advance our spiritual life, our progress in the kingdom. For that we have to seek out the guests that we would not normally invite, those who are not in our circle. Humility is now found in generosity to those who have no ability to respond and pay us back.
The challenge of humility is not just in dealing with situations where we are responding to circumstances – where someone else is in control. In a way that case is simpler. It’s when we are in the controlling position that we feel the strongest need to organize things the way we want them and to ensure that we create a comfortable environment for ourselves and others. Jesus is telling us once more that there is a trade off between getting our satisfaction now vs later. Sure, have a good time with your friends, Jesus did plenty of that. But if that’s all you do then something is missing.