Would Jesus Wear a Rolex?: Sermon Luke 14:7-14

Dear God, take our minds and think through them; take our hands and feet and work through them; take our lips and speak through them, take our hearts and set them on fire for you. Amen

The title of my sermon this morning is “Would Jesus wear a Rolex?” I have to confess that the title is not mine; it comes from a Ray Stevens song back in the 1980s. Ray wanted to make a funny song poking at the televangelists that were on the TV back then and are still on today. The song talks about how those TV preachers wear designer suits and fancy, expensive jewelry and then asks the question would Jesus act in this way and would Jesus buy and wear a Rolex? Well, what is a Rolex? It is a watch, but more than that it is a status symbol. I mean a watch that costs $30,000 tells time just the same as a watch that costs $30. But the name Rolex is the symbolic status that comes with owning a watch, or a luxury car, or a fur coat, or a million dollar mansion. You might remember a show back in the ‘80s called Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous hosted by Robin Leach. Today’s version is called Cribs (a crib is slang for a house) this show goes to celebrity homes and takes the audience of a tour of their homes. The celebs show of their gold plated chandeliers and their Mercedes Benzes and the audience looks in awe and in jealousy of the wealth they are seeing. Having these expensive things put people on a high pedestal in our society. In our society wealth and fame puts you on an exalted level. It opens doors for you even after the stores are closed. It puts you at the head of the best table in the best restaurant in town.

The same was true at the time of Jesus. The same value was placed on riches and the storing up of things. Among the riches people at the time of Jesus were the merchants, the royalty, the Roman government officials, and sadly the priests of the temple. These were the people who had lavish dinner parties and food overflowing while the poor went hungry. Jesus was invited to one of these parties and was doing a little people watching. He noticed how people would try to find a place at the table with the most honors. Your place at the table signified how important you were. The most important people sat near the head of the table and so on and so forth. I can picture Jesus watching the people scamper for the most important place and smiling to himself. Then he speaks up telling them a parable. He says if you are invited somewhere don’t sit at the most honorable place, cause you might be asked to get up and more so that someone more important than you can sit down. Instead sit at the lowest place first and the perhaps the host will ask you to move up and you will be honored instead of being embarrassed. This was practical advice; it would prevent your pride from getting hurt. However, like most of his sayings, Jesus’ words had a deeper meaning.

His message in this story was a message he has had many times before the kingdom of God, his kingdom, has different values than this one. In the Kingdom of God, those who humble themselves will be exalted. In other words, like he told James and John, the greatest in the kingdom will be the servant of all. “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” In other words, Jesus is saying that if you are humble here in this kingdom on Earth then you will be rewarded and exalted in the coming kingdom of God. The values are reversed. In our society we are taught to do everything we can to make that extra buck, so we can buy that bigger car. There are those who will lay off 1,000 people with families to feed so that the numbers will be such that they will get a bonus at the end of the year. Look at Leona Helmsley who passed away this week. She made her money on the backs of her employees and treated them very poorly. She put herself above everyone that surrounded her. She even thought that she was above paying taxes saying “Only the little people pay taxes.” Now she did leave the bulk of her inheritance to her charitable trust, along with $12 million to her dog. But, how sad is it that someone with more wealth than anyone could spend in a lifetime died estranged from her family and only her paid employees at her side? If she had just humbled herself a little bit, she would have been a much happier person. Have you ever notice that money doesn’t really buy happiness? The rich just keep trying to fill that empty hole with more and more stuff. They don’t understand that giving even from what little or much you have makes you happier than all the things money can buy. Humble yourself and you will be exalted. Live your life with humility on earth and you will receive your reward in heaven.

Looking back at the story Jesus goes on. Jesus turns to the host who had invited him and says “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Do not give only to those who can give back to you, give to those who have nothing to repay you with, you reward will come later. That sounds familiar also doesn’t it? I think Jesus mentioned that before. Bring those who are poor, physically challenged, the widow, the orphan, the single mother, the AIDS sufferer to your table. Bring them to you table, not only give them food but talk to them, commune with them. This is what Jesus is saying. Don’t just hob-nob with the rich and famous, but spend some time with the poor, the downtrodden, become a part of their world, give of yourself to those who cannot give back to you.

It is fitting that we are talking about sitting down at a table today, a Communion Sunday. It is fitting because just as those poor come to your table, unable to repay, so do we come to this table, God’s table. We come to this table unable to repay God for the grace he gives us through his son. We come to this table humbled, in awe of the amazing love that made it possible for us to commune with God like a child to a parent. We come to this table, equal. This is the one place in the world where social status, race, age, gender, bank accounts, time shares, and the square footage of your house mean nothing. We are all the same when we come to this table and we should all have equal access to it. No matter what sin you might have committed, it might be great in your eyes, but God’s forgiveness is greater. We are all sinners in need of grace when we come to this table. This table is like another table, a table that we have not seen yet. It is the one at the heavenly banquet. At that table all places are places of honor.

I want to close by telling you a story. Charlemagne was the greatest Christian ruler of the early Middle Ages. After his death a mighty funeral procession left his castle for the cathedral at Aix. When the royal casket arrived, with a lot of pomp and circumstance, it was met by the local bishop, who barred the cathedral door.
"Who comes?" the Bishop asked, as was the custom.
"Charlemagne, Lord and King of the Holy Roman Empire," proclaimed the Emperor's proud herald.
"Him I know not," the Bishop replied. "Who comes?"
The herald, a bit shaken, replied, "Charles the Great, a good and honest man of the earth."

"Him I know not," the Bishop said again. "Who comes?"
The herald, now completely crushed, responded, "Charles, a lowly sinner, who begs the gift of Christ."
To which the Bishop, Christ's representative, responded, "Enter! Receive Christ's gift of life!"

The point, of course, is that in God's eyes, we're all equally needy. Charlemagne, Mother Teresa, Pope Benedict XVI, Billy Graham, President Bush, you and me. None of us will ever be "good enough" to force entrance into God’s table. The good news for us is this. We have a seat reserved with our name on it. This table reminds of it. We must come with humility. And when we leave this table let us maintain that humility remembering that as we humble ourselves now we will one day be exalted.

Let us pray…

Grant, O Lord,

that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts,

and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.