Pride and Envy – 14th Sunday in OT B 2018

When my children were younger, in their pre-teen years or so, our house became filled with petty arguments between the kids.

 

Their bickering was so bad it had a life of its own until one day I took them both aside separately and told them that the other one wants to make amends but doesn’t know how to stop the back and forth and the ongoing battle. I asked them to be the bigger person …to be the one to take the first step by telling the other they were sorry. To be open to them and tell them how much they love them.

 

Surprisingly, it worked. Peace came over the family again and the bickering stopped. They were kind to each other. I even heard them talking one morning and while I know the discussion was forced by dad they both sounded like they really cared for each other.

 

Most of us can remember lots of examples of others who were in the same situation caught up in bickering and fighting. The problem usually is about envy that the other had received something they had not, and they felt they were wronged …. or it was about pride where feelings had been hurt. Families and those we know best can hurt each other faster and deeper than anyone that is not close to us. Most of us know that all too well. Most of us have been on both sides of that statement …if we are honest.

Pride and envy get in the way of healing and love. They get in the way of healing old wounds from painful words and in our Gospel, pride and envy got in the way of healing illnesses and healing lives and reaching the people’s hearts.

 

The people in Jesus’ hometown were envious, for here was a carpenter who seemed to have changed in a very short time from carpenter -tradesman, blue collar worker… into a great learned rabbi. He did not study at the right schools and was not approved by the system that was in place. His place in society was all wrong to them.

 

So, it wasn’t disbelief in his words necessarily or disbelief in the miracles that was the problem. They had heard all about the miracles performed nearby and around the other towns – including the little girl who was healed we heard about last week. They believed the words he spoke and were convinced of the wonderful miracles wrought.

 

The biggest problem for the people in his home town was that they could not get past their envy and pride and said no to the primary and real reason he came. Jesus came to show the world God the Father loved so much that he would send his son to be born of our lowly human state and to be sacrificed for us so that we would be given a path back home to him. It was that message of love that they could not believe or accept…

 

They allowed pride and envy to stop them from being open to Jesus. Even as they recognized his wisdom and heard reports of his miracles, their hearts were hard and closed so they missed the message of love. Jesus preached love of God and each other but that love requires hearts not blocked by pride or envy. It is the same for us too.

 

Just like my son and daughter. Just like a husband and wife. Just like all relationships. We must reach out to each other with love and open hearts, soft pliable hearts that do not take offense but seek to love only. To truly put aside envy and pride.

 

Sometimes we need to take the first step.

 

The Rev. Dr. Larry Bethune of United Baptist Church here in Austin tells a story about an old monastery which was down to just three monks? Years had passed since anyone joined the order, and these three monks figured they would be the last. The abbot in charge shared his sadness with a friend, a neighboring religious leader. The friend looked surprised. “Oh no,” he said. “Your order will not die. Your monastery will not close. I have had a revelation that the Messiah is among you. So, no, you will not close.” The Abbot returned to the other monks scratching his head, and told his two colleagues. They were all astonished. And suddenly, they began to see each other in an entirely new light.

 

They began to take care of each other as never before, as if they were taking care of the Messiah.

 

They listened to each other as they had never listened before, as if they were listening to the Messiah.

 

They blessed one another as they had never blessed one another before, as if they were blessing the Messiah.

 

Visitors to the monastery noticed the quality of the monks’ care for one another. It was beautiful. And it was contagious. People wanted to experience what they experienced. People wanted to join, and when they did, they were told the secret: “Sh-h-h-h-h! The Messiah is here among us!” And each met the Messiah in the other until all were drawn close in the love of God.

 

Today, we need to focus on being drawn close to God, to love others and open our hearts, not for Gods sake, not even for the other people who need to be loved. But for our sake. For until we can love and put others ahead of ourselves we cannot be true followers of Christ.

 

The fact is the Messiah is here at St Theresa. He is on the street and at our work. We are supposed to be Christ for others, that is how Christian discipleship works … but we are also to see Christ in all people, the poor, the lost, the imprisoned…and even in our siblings and family and yes, we are called to see the Messiah in the one sitting next to us in this church.

 

Pride and envy have no place in the heart of a follower of Christ. It is not enough to believe, we must also be open to his message and his commandments to love God and others.

 

We are called to go to Jesus for wisdom, go to Jesus Christ to heal our brokenness. And even when we might not feel like it, when we feel like others don’t deserve our love or time, we need to once again reach out to our brothers and sisters in humility, openness of heart and ensure they know they are loved.

 

For Jesus came to be one of us when we did not deserve his love or his sacrifice. The good news today is, it’s not too late to let go of self-righteous pride, to let go of envy, to let go of images of God that are not compatible with a God of love and hope.

 

We may have to be the first one to make the first move. We may have to take a risk and open our fragile heart before we know if it will be accepted. But that is our calling. To be like Jesus and offer ourselves, even as we risk being hurt, so that others will know they are loved.