Luke 14:1, 7-14.
Rev. Dr. John Fisk

          Judith Martin, a.k.a. Miss Manners, of newspaper and publishing fame, hailed a taxicab in a major city and told the driver her destination.  His manners were very bad.  He sputtered with feistiness, “Lady, do you have any idea how far that is and how difficult it is to get there?”  So she sat back and with her sweetest smile replied, “Well, then, where would you like to go?”  He laughed and got the point.  She was true to her pen name and politeness won the day.

          Miss Manners laments the decline in civility in our society but is hoping that people will get tired of rudeness and the pendulum will swing back the other way.   For Christians politeness should be a way of life, because Jesus calls us to a life of humility. 

          In the gospel story Jesus challenges those eating dinner with him to go the way of humility.  There were many rules of etiquette and social status amongst the wealthy religious people of his day.  I know the British upper classes have similar rules and I imagine wealthy Americans do also.  Indeed most of us have unwritten rules about social standing and with whom we do or do not socialize. 

Jesus tells us that “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  This is a variation on a theme, which Jesus emphasizes again and again –the theme of servanthood.  Take the lower place and you will be lifted up.  Dedicate yourself to the good of others and God will reward you. 

I came across a story in the Providence Journal about an organization, Coffee Kids, on Wickendon St. in Providence.  It’s the charitable arm of a Coffee House, the Coffee Exchange at the same location.  William Fishbein, owner of the Coffee House, got interested in coffee producing countries in Central America.  He got convicted to do something for the children of these third world nations.  His first project was in Guatemala.  After he returned from Guatemala he felt that his own world was more impoverished spiritually than the place he had hoped to help.  “I thought I would ride in on a white horse and save the world and I didn’t realize what a humbling experience it would be.”  Since then he has undertaken many projects and devoted most of his energies to Coffee Kids, which now has a budget of $350,000.   In the meantime his Coffeehouse has also done well.  Fishbein has learned something about servanthood.

Talk of being a servant to others is not that popular in our culture, where a variation on the theme, Looking Out For Number One, is a best seller every week.  Tom Peters wrote a book called  “A Passion For Excellence” a few years ago, wherein he describes the best leadership style in business and industry.  He calls it MBWA (management by wandering around).  The best managers spend time visiting their staff, listening to them, and coaching them.  The role of the leader as servant, facilitator, protector from bureaucracy, is a prime objective of management.

An owner of a small computer company in California holds monthly meetings with the employees and praises them for their successes.  He gives out awards for special service.  He praised one young man for figuring out how to get one component inside another when it was a tight fit.  He put them in the freezer, the metal contracted and the fit was perfect.  This idea saved the company a great deal of time and money.  The owner invited ideas from his staff all the time.  He was being a servant.  He let others take the credit and take the place of honor.  It took extra energy on his part but was well worth it.

          “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  It’s a lot like parenting.  You don’t get a lot of credit for being a parent in our world.  It’s a struggle to get paid parental leave, and workplaces often look askance at those who take a break from careers to raise their children.  Shame on us as a society for undervaluing the vital roles of parents!  We think that everything must have a dollar value.  But no one can put a dollar value on the importance of raising a child – such a job is priceless, of more value than all the diamonds and gold in the world.  And being a parent is the way of the servant, always responding to the needs of children, day in and day out.  And at the same time it is a great honor and joy to watch them grow up. 

          God will call you to be a servant this week, to take the lesser place so someone else might grow and succeed, to offer a helping hand, to give without strings attached.  I pray you will find joy in following the way of Jesus.  May you meet Jesus in those you serve.  Amen.