6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
- Proverbs 25:6,7, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House) 1984.
In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:
What a difference a week makes! Last Sunday our congregation observed its second annual Unity Sunday. There was singing. There was praying. There was eating. There was laughing. Unity Sunday is a celebration. As a congregation of believers, we gathered to celebrate our unity, our common bond of faith in Jesus as our Savior.
Days later, we came together again. Unlike Unity Sunday, this gathering was not planned for weeks in advance. Hearts were heavier. Faces were more serious. But there was still unity.
Many members of St. John’s attended special services of Word and prayer on Tuesday and Friday after the terrible events that shocked our nation earlier in the week. We came together in response to God’s encouragement to call upon him in the day of trouble.
What happened in New York and Washington D.C. on Tuesday morning changed our lives. Even though these terrorist acts took place hundreds of miles away, they affect each of us personally. Gone is the idea that we are invincible. Shattered is the notion that we are immune to violence on our own soil. Perhaps many of us will think twice before we board another airplane.
Another thing that changed dramatically this week was my sermon. On Monday I was thinking about how I wanted to approach the text I had chosen. On Tuesday those thoughts were far from my mind. I couldn’t concentrate very well. I didn’t get much work done. I was thinking about the victims. I was thinking about the victims’ families. And I was thinking about my wife’s cousin who lives in works within a few blocks of the World Trade Center (as it turns out, she is OK).
In churches across the country preachers have selected special verses for their sermons today. If I had gone that route, this text from Proverbs probably would not have been my first choice. But the more I studied these words, the more convinced I became that they apply to Christians especially at this time and in this place in our nation’s history.
The text for this morning reminds us that now is not the time to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. Now is not the time to rely on our inner resolve. Now is not the time to look within for strength. Now is a time for every Christian to...
Humble Yourself Before the Lord
I. Confess your unworthiness
II. Your King will exalt you
If you own a television set, you have probably tuned into the round the clock coverage of the terrorist attacks on the United States. Reporters at the scenes are working hard to find answers to some difficult questions: How did this happen? Who is responsible? What are the damages? Are there still survivors? What can we do prevent another tragedy like this in the future?
To help them in their search, the networks have drawn upon the knowledge of experts. But what becomes clear after watching a few of these interviews is that these "experts" are not all-knowing. In many cases, they have more questions than answers.
In situations like this, it is comforting to know that we do have a place where we can go for answers. The writer of much of Proverbs (including our text for today) was King Solomon. The Bible describes his wisdom as being as "measureless as the sand on the seashore" (I Kings 4:29).
But we do not place our confidence in the words of King Solomon because of his superior intelligence or because they came from his pen. Solomon’s words are true and reliable because they are God’s words.
Solomon wrote by inspiration: "Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men. It is better for him to say to you, ‘Come up here,’ than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman" (Pr 25:6,7).
If you had to choose one word to characterize these verses, what would it be? I believe that Solomon is teaching us a lesson in humility. And if humility is on one side of the coin, on the other side is pride. A classic example of pride in action comes in the gospel lesson for today.
Jesus was at the house of a prominent Pharisee. As the meal was being prepared, Jesus noticed that the guests were choosing the places of honor at the table. They were not concerned that they might be taking a place that another person deserved more. They were not thinking about other people at all. They were thinking only of themselves.
We have come to expect the same kind of selfish, self-promoting self-serving attitude from the world around us. That’s why this generation has been labeled the "me" generation. But we are different. We are Christians. We have our priorities in order.
Unless you remember the time the disciples were arguing on the road (Mk 9:33-37). What was their disagreement about? Were they wrestling with a difficult spiritual problem? Were they trying to find ways to reach more people with the gospel? They were arguing about which one of them was the greatest.
Believers are not proud. Unless you remember the time that James and John came to Jesus with a special request (Mk 10:35-45). What did they want? A stronger faith? A deeper understanding of his teachings? What James and John really wanted were the seats of honor next to Jesus in his glory. And the line between Jesus’ enemies and Jesus’ followers is harder to find.
Well, we are believers, and we are humble. But then we remember those times when we thought that life was good, and there was no need to maintain contact with God. And then we recall those times when life was not so good, and we spent more time up late at night worrying than down on our knees in prayer. And then we try to count up all the times when we put our trust in things like military might or 401Ks or the best doctors or the right medication or anything besides God, until something happens that shows us how foolish we are.
The events of this week have had a sobering effect on our nation. Two of the world’s greatest monuments to human achievement were destroyed in a matter of minutes. The national symbol of our military strength was made to look weak and vulnerable. We were reminded how fragile life is. We were reminded how powerless we are.
These tragic events affect us as Americans, but they also affect us as sinners. Something this big can shake our confidence. Something this terrible puts our faith to the test. A false sense of security quickly gives way to a very real sense of fear. Our sinful weakness is exposed. Our mortality stares us in the face.
With nowhere else to turn, we run to our king. And what does he say to us? "I love you. I forgive you. I will protect you." This isn’t something you haven’t heard before. This is something you expect to hear from this pulpit. This is something Christians already know.
But we need to hear it again. Especially at a time like this, we need hear to our Father’s reassuring voice. When you humble yourself before the Lord, we you lay your sins before his throne of grace, your King will exalt you.
"Exalted" is probably not the first word people would use to describe their mood this week. Shocked. Sad. Numb. Those words might better describe the emotions we are feeling. It is no different for the sinner. When we come to grips with our sin, we don’t feel particularly good about ourselves. Still, God lifts us up. The key is that our status before God does not depend in any way on how we feel.
God exalts the penitent sinner. Not because we have earned God’s favor. Not because we deserve high praise. Not because of anything we do. The sinner who repents is exalted because of what God has done for him. And what is most amazing is that joy and hope come to us as a direct result of another person’s humility, the humility of God’s one and only Son.
We know the story well. Jesus humbled himself when he took on human flesh and became a human being. Jesus’ acts of humility continued throughout his life. He associated with tax collectors and prostitutes. He healed the sick. He fed the hungry. He even washed his disciples’ feet.
But our King’s greatest act of humility was also an act of great sacrifice. Jesus allowed himself to be arrested, jailed, whipped, beaten, and executed like a common criminal. Why? So that through his humility we might be lifted up. And even though we might not feel like we are exalted right now, that is exactly what we are.
What does that mean? What does it mean to be exalted? It means that our sins no longer weigh us down. It means that we can stare death in the face and say: "My king died for me. My king took away all my sins. My king won the victory."
It means that heaven is ours. No matter what happens in this life, our eternity is assured through Jesus’ blood. And that same Jesus who died on the cross and rose from the grave has gone into heaven to prepare for our arrival.
And as long as we have life and breath on this earth, it means that we have nothing to fear. We don’t have to be afraid of political enemies or terrorist attacks or the prospect of war or an uncertain future. We say with confidence: "I will fear no evil because God is with me, his rod and his staff, they comfort me."
As a Christian, as a person who finds hope in a hopeless situation, you might be asked how God could allow something like this to happen. How would you answer that question? How would you respond?
The Old Testament records many examples in Israel’s history when God’s people fell away. At certain times, God allowed other nations to attack Israel, which led the people to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord for help. Perhaps God will use this tragedy to produce the same effect. Perhaps the Lord will work through these terrible events to bring people back to God and his Word.
We also know that we are the creatures and not the Creator. That means we don’t have all the answers. We are confused. We hurt. We mourn. We grieve. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have THE answer. God gives us hope in his Word. He promises: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (He 13:5). He declares: "I am your refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble" (Ps 46:1).
Therefore, we lean on the Lord, whose ways are higher than our ways, and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts" (Is 55:8). And we take him at his word when he assures us that in all things he works for the good of those who love him (Ro 8:28).
Because New York and Washington are so far away, it might be frustrating for us because we feel like there is so little that we can do. But there is something we can do. There is something very important we can do. We can pray.
As citizens of this nation, we can pray for the victims’ families. We can pray for those men and women who are working night and day to restore peace and order. We can pray for our nation’s leaders, that God will give them wisdom and courage and strength in the days ahead.
And as citizens of another kingdom, as children of God, today we bow humbly before the Lord, confessing our sins, trusting in his forgiveness, and knowing that even now, he has the whole world in his hands. Amen.