Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: September 22, 2024
Laura Meyers
Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalm 1, James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a, Mark 9:30-37
Loving, Liberating, and Life-Giving God, take my lips and speak through them,
Take our minds and think with them,
And take our hearts and set them on fire for the love of you! Amen.
Please be seated.
When those of us in formation are “sent,” to a new parish, there is naturally a mix of emotions of grief that come with leaving one’s faith family. Members of my discernment committee had suggested that perhaps I take a sabbatical this summer and spend time with my family, as we were all moving through many transitions…our oldest daughter, Anna, would be moving to the University of Washington. I would leave my faith family to join you all here at St. Peter’s and begin my Clinical Pastoral Ed at Harborview. It was a wonderful summer with visits to California and the Gulf Coast of Alabama to be with beloved friends and family.
As we drew near the end of the summer, I received the wonderful video that St. George was sending to the congregation to launch their capital campaign. So many faces and voices of the beautiful humans I have said goodbye to, as well as my worship team and Priest…Bonnie+...all relaying how St. George has been instrumental in their spiritual transformation and noted the needs for how our beloved community plans to continue God’s mission in the world.
Instead of beaming with pride, dear ones, I will share that I was crying…
Yes…because I longed for them, but if I am being perfectly honest with you, I was also crying because I was not a part of the video…at all.
My reactions spanned from asking questions like…why wasn’t I asked? Why does this person get to be in it and not me? Surely, MY story is the perfect example of how a congregation truly transforms someone’s life?! What about everything “I” did?! Do those feelings or that question resonate with any of you this morning?
Our scriptures this morning span all sorts of stories about humility….
Our first lesson is known to many as an ode to the “ideal wife,” which some of you, like me, might bristle a little bit about, but I hope to help you look at it from a different point of view.
Then, similar to my shared story with you…we have the Gospel lesson…
Now, last week, we heard about taking up our cross and walking with one another. Jesus was teaching his disciples that he, in his servant ministry, would go to the Cross…. and in complete contrast, this morning,…the disciples are discussing who is the greatest among them.
Jesus, who wouldn't even shun the shame of death on a cross, is here with his disciples arguing about who the greatest one is!
I wonder if you, like me, thought a little about the psychology of his disciples as they are questioning who is the greatest. It could be that as Jesus is beginning to relate to them, that he is going to walk this path of humility rather than the path of a political leader, and they are trying to decide…. “well, who's going to be next to help move this ministry along…who would be the best..?”
Or perhaps they are just in so much grief and denial about the kind of servant ministry that Jesus is doing and calling them into, which will cost him and possibly them their lives, that they are distracting themselves with an argument about who's the greatest.
Nevertheless, it is ironic that the disciples have taken this moment when Jesus is talking about humility, speaking about servant ministry, that they begin arguing about who is the greatest.
Jesus's ministry is about walking with one another, sharing the table, and proclaiming that no one is greater than anyone else.
Our scriptures this morning are all about humility and letting go of ego.
The disciples are caught up in ego while trying to discern and understand the humble way of the cross that Jesus is calling them into.
But both ego and humility are often misunderstood. Sometimes, humility is understood to be something that's more like false humility.
False humility is when someone downplays their abilities, achievements, or worth in a way that seems humble but is actually insincere or self-serving. It's often a form of manipulation to gain others' approval, praise, or validation. Instead of genuinely acknowledging one's limitations or giving credit to others, false humility masks pride or insecurity.
For example, someone might say, "Oh, I’m not that good at it," when they know they excel in a particular area, hoping others will counter with compliments. It can also involve a reluctance to accept praise, not out of modesty, but as a way to fish for more attention or admiration.
Genuine humility, on the other hand, is about having an accurate view of oneself—acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses—without trying to gain recognition or approval. Genuine humility is more about understanding one's capabilities and honoring them; it is more about being grounded.
As someone who's not great at gardening and sometimes has a black thumb, gardening is often a great metaphor for humility because no matter how much we try to do something well, the forces of nature do not cooperate sometimes.
The word humility actually comes from the word Humilitas, which means "humble" or "grounded." It can also be translated as "from the earth" because it comes from humus, "earth" or "rich, fertile soil.”
And so humility is at its core being grounded. Being grounded in who we are and who God created us to be.
Ego, on the other hand, comes from the Latin word for "I." A person's ego is their idea, attachment, or opinion of themselves, including their feelings of importance and ability. For example, someone might say, "That man has such an enormous ego," to describe someone who is full of themselves. The ego looks different for each and every person.
Sometimes, the Enneagram is a helpful way to look at the ego. The Enneagram is a nine-sided figure used in a particular system of analysis to represent the spectrum of possible personality types.
So for instance, if we look at the Enneagram helping us to understand ego, there's about nine different ways that our ego can lead us astray. See if any of these resonate with you:
The first is being certain that we know right from wrong.
The second is believing that we are the perfect helper and that we actually know better than others, how they could care for themselves. (This is my type, and should sound familiar from my opening story).
The third is the one we often think of as ego: the idea of being on top or looking like the best.
The fourth is wanting to be the most unique and special but being envious of others rather than understanding the way in which we are unique and special.
The fifth is being the smartest and knowing more than everyone else.
The sixth is being the most careful but also caught in anxiety. Have you ever thought that being anxious? Might be something that keeps us away from humility and a walk with God? The seventh is being the most fun but avoiding pain at all costs.
The eighth is being the strongest but avoiding one’s weakness.
And finally, the ninth is the most peaceful, but inwardly angry.
All of these are ways in which we become attached to our emotions and our fears.
Our reading from James differentiates between the two kinds of wisdom to help us with these attachments. “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” (James 3:17). But the wisdom from ego is not from above. It's “where there is envy and selfish ambition,”, which causes “disorder and wickedness of every kind.” (James 3:16).
Our lessons are inviting us into a grounded humility, this “wisdom from above” that brings us alongside one another, that allows us to take up our cross and follow Jesus, lift the burden of others, and to do so with an attitude of curiosity-about ourselves and about those with whom we walk, grounded in the goodness and love of God.
When Jesus speaks in Mark, of coming to him as a little child….I invite you to be curious about the ways in which, when you were a child, you didn't worry about what you were doing or where you were going, what you could accomplish or what your faults were?
You had sort of a holy imagination. You had a holy imagination and a belief that anything was possible.---This is not far from humility.
Coming to God with a holy curiosity or imagination, wondering what is possible, rather than being caught up in envy, anxiety, or anger, or wondering if you were the best or brightest, is a holy curiosity in both our neighbors and what God is calling us to do. It's getting grounded. Getting in there, digging into what surrounds us in the roots that nourish the Earth we live, move, and breathe on.
So, let’s dig in with holy curiosity and circle back to our Proverbs lesson, this “Ode to a Woman of strength.” Proverbs 31 is a passage that contains the words of King Lemuel, which were taught to him by his mother. It has been referenced many times as an image of the “ideal wife,” which is why I mentioned that some of you may bristle, like me, because that may be “limiting for many contemporary readers, in that her value is tied to her ability to serve, support and bring honor to her family.” (Yee 149).
The Proverbs of Solomon are our introduction to the wisdom tradition, and this final chapter offers a different icon of women and wisdom, if we approach it with suspicion and curiosity. This “ideal wife,” is described as a woman of valor, virtue and strength. This woman benefits her husband in the same way that wisdom brings riches and honor and long life to those who possess her. The man who marries the worthy, capable, strong woman demonstrates his own wisdom by choosing her. Although the wife in Proverbs 31 is not Lady Wisdom, she is the idealized and earthly version of wisdom, and the man who selects her is also wise. (Yee 149)
Since both English words, “woman” and “wife,” come from the same Hebrew term, is there room in the Wisdom tradition for other models of virtue or strength? I would like to expand and offer my own more inclusive interpretation of the “ideal wife.”
Our lesson includes advice on how to live a Godly life. It offers an ode to a partner who knows how to treat their fellow humans and lift the marginalized, clothed in strength and dignity, who laughs at the time to come, who opens their mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness on their tongue, all with grace, humility and God’s loving-kindness.
One of the greatest marks of humility is an attitude of constant kindness and compassion and that child-like holy curiosity when you become angry, anxious, or grieved beyond function.
We are always welcome in Jesus’ lap to pause, contemplate, and be curious about our earthly journey. We need that pause to reframe our egos and allow God to plant seeds of humility in us so we may walk in the life we are given with curiosity and grace and time to wonder what our next steps may be for sowing a Beloved community, grounded in humility. (like the wonder I shifted my mind and heart to, after knowing I would have the same opportunities to grow and walk alongside you here at St. Peter’s.)
Saint Benedict believed that community life is only possible if all members strive for humility, as proud people cannot live together peacefully. The Rule of Benedict outlines the growth in humility as people ascend these stages that his followers are invited into.
I want to read to you today, before our final prayer, a few of these “stages to freedom from self-centeredness, to humility, the centerpiece of the true life,” from Always We Begin Again, a revised and rewritten rule of St. Benedict by John McQuiston II.
May we keep the sacred nature of consciousness and the world in which it exists always alive within us.
Everything we think, everything we do, everything we feel, is cast in time forever. Every moment that we live is irreplaceable, therefore each moment is hallowed.
We must be on guard against despair, against fear, against bitterness, against self-seeking, and the tenacity and courage to think optimistically and act kindly, and to put the needs of others always before our own.
Let us pray,
Loving Creator,
Jesus challenges the disciples and our understanding of greatness – reminding us that true leadership comes through humility and service. By embracing a child, the most vulnerable in society, He showed us that welcoming the least among us is the path to welcoming God.
As Micah has written, you say to your people, “the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what God requires of you: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
Through your Grace and with Wisdom, we choose to walk humbly with you. We choose to live by your Spirit and walk your path. Help us to hear you clearly so we do not walk in pride or self-sufficiency. We want to walk with you.
Thank you, Lord, for each of our unique families. Thank you for the wisdom that you give us. Guide us in your wisdom as we seek to do better and to help others. Help us to be generous to everyone we see and to share your love with others.
In Your name we pray, Amen.