Proverbs 25:2–10—General
admonitions for wise behavior
Humility is the key word in
both the Gospel lesson (Luke 14:1, 7-14) and the Old Testament lesson (Proverbs
25:2-10) for this coming week. In the Gospel a humble person will not seek the
top seat at dinner but will choose to sit at the foot of the table. Moreover,
humility is show by inviting poor people who cannot reciprocate by inviting
you. The opening verses of the Old Testament lesson from the book of Proverbs
say the same as Jesus in the Gospel. While humility is not specifically taught
in the Epistle lesson (Hebrews 13:1-8) which is the last section in the series
from the book of Hebrews we see humility in the exhortation to love strangers
and especially the needy. Pride makes us want to be Number One, to be out in
front and to generate publicity. It is Christ Himself who humbled Himself;
taking on flesh bearing our sin and suffering our guilt at the cross only to
rise victoriously granting us free remission of all sin.
Pride does not know your
rightful place in the scheme of things. We get “uppity” when we try to be more
than we are; when we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.
This was the problem with Adam and Eve; out of pride they wanted to be like
God, knowing good and evil. Humility knows your place; accepts it, and keeps
it. Be what you are! Do what you can – No more; and certainly no less! From our reading from Proverbs a subject is
not to stand in the king’s place as though he were the king. This is pride and
arrogance. If one does this, he is humiliated by being put in his proper place –
a lower place. One with humility will be
content to stay in his place. Today many
are stepping out of their places because of pride; thinking they belong on a
higher place in society.
The Old Testament reading
for this coming Sunday is taken from the book of Proverbs which receives
attention only four times in the three-year cycle of readings. In the B Series
Proper 15; in the C Series a reading from Proverbs occurs at Holy Trinity, Proper
17 and Proper 18.
About 250 years after the death of Solomon, blessed by
God as the wisest man ever to have lived, King Hezekiah’s men collected some of
Solomon’s wise sayings from a larger collection. The first section used for
Sunday’s Old Testament reading (vv. 2–7) relate to earthly kings. Whereas part
of God’s glory is due to the fact that He is beyond our understanding. It is
the glory of earthly kings to search out and discover.
When he became king, Solomon humbly asked God for “an
understanding mind to govern Your people that I may discern between good and
evil” (1 Kings 3:9). To search out justice and enlightenment is to a
ruler’s glory.
The second portion of the reading (vv. 8–10) teaches
us humility in relations with our neighbor. We are not to be hasty in pursuing
litigation to elevate ourselves over our neighbor; he may thereby put us to
shame. Neither should we engage in gossip, warns v. 9. Similar warnings are
also given in Proverbs 11:13, 20:19, and, of course, the Eighth Commandment.
Collect for Proper 17: O Lord of
grace and mercy, teach us by Your holy Spirit to follow the example of Your Son
in true humility, that we may withstand the temptatio0ns of the devil and with
pure hearts and minds avoid ungodly pride; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our
Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and
forever. [2]
Collect for Pentecost 12: Almighty and everlasting God, always more ready to hear than we to pray
and always ready to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down un us
the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving us the things of which our conscience is
afraid and giving us the good things we are not worthy to ask but through the
merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord ,[3]
[1] Lift High the Cross © Copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] Collect for Proper 17, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Pentecost 12, Luther Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[4] Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 11, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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