Locked in and Locked out

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "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; 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.

I heard the phrase this morning. It came from a gentleman who works as a computer technician. He spoke with some elequence about the term, "Locked in and Locked out." The phrase refers to developing software. In his line of work he talked about getting involved in trying to figure out or debug software. The struggle is that by becoming so involved it is possible to become to fixated on solving the issue that he stops seeing possible solutions. In effect the phrase refers to being too close to the problem or being "locked in." The solution is not further investigation of the issue at hand but to back away and invite others, who may or may not have the same technical ability, to examine the problem with fresh eyes. He spoke of seeking advice and that in doing so a solution may appear. The idea is that we can limit ourselves by only believing that we have all our solutions. Our fixation on solving the problem actually locks us out of solving the very same problem we are attempting to fix.

And thus we get to the gospel. We come to a gospel reading that is so incredibly filled with irony. The pharisee's are watching Jesus closely. They have yet to really figure out who this man is. He speaks with a familiarity about God that they find troubling. He speaks with authority to them. They who are the authority themselves.

The irony of course is that in Jesus parable he talks of the place of honor and of hosts. They sit eating dinner with Jesus. They are convinced that they know the way to God and God incarnate sits among them...and they are unable to see it. They are Locked in and Locked out. God is doing something else and they are too close to see it. God has taken the lowest seat and will be invited to a higher seat. They have taken the highest seat and will be asked (and shamed) to sit lower still.

The implication for persons of faith are many. We can be too tight in our estimation of truth. We can believe we sit at the right hand of God and God might invite someone else to the seat that we believe is ours. As a priest and as a laborer of the church I can let the "business" of the day and my own willful plans interefere with what God is calling me to. I too can be a pharisee, with God at my feet, and fail to even see him. I too can be locked in and locked out.

The irony of the statement

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. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Luke 14

This field is rich. The Gospel reading for Sept 2nd is one which is so incredibly rich. It leaves me a bit speachless in thinking of the possibilities for preaching. There is the virtue of humility...Jesus has joined the priests of his day. They are living a life in service of God and at their feet is God incarnate. The parable itself is indicative of their situation. The groom is at hand. The one who will be invited to sit higher up is literally sitting in the lowest place and they can not see it. The Gospel also contains the injunction to serve the "least of these." I know it pinches my feet as I begin to enter deeply into the world of church. It pinches because church and the least of these can be two different worlds. How often am I among those who can not repay? There is the fact that we tend to remember through history those who lifted up their fellows rather than the tyrants who exalt themselves. Our hero's both religious and secular tend to be those who did not seek out power and position for themselves but those who sought to increase the lives of those around them.

There is the fact that there is no guarantee that when you sit in the lowest place that the host will even invite you to some higher place. This passage says "may." There is no immediate gratification in seeking the lowest place. When we choose to sit there we should expect to stay there for it will be false humility to sit in a position of service only to expect to sit somewhere higher. Either we will be found out or we will resent the Host. Neither reveals a willingness to follow God's will. Both reveals a type of pride. The man or woman serving God so he or she will get later riches or honor has not chosen the lowest seat.

There in this particular passage is the metaphorical "all" who sit with you. There are many who are at the table. They to have been invited. They have not come to honor us but the host of the party. Our own ego can not diminish their invitation or their very sitting by expecting that the Host will somehow favor us over others. How often have I heard snide remarks about "those" Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, or Baptist? How often has it been I who has snubbed?

Rich, rich indeed.