For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Gospel today answers the question “How are God’s people supposed to live here and now?” The answer is that God’s people are to live with humility and generosity. A life of true humility and generosity will move his disciples to share their talents and treasure without hoping to get anything out of it. The themes of humility and generosity are at the very heart of the life of Christ and he taught his disciples that they should follow his example. But you cannot out love or out give God. There is no humility more profound than the humility of the Son of the Father becoming flesh. And if you wish to follow him then you will pursue the virtues of humility and generosity because that is what God is like. It is impossible to be a disciple of Christ and live any other way.
Only two weeks back the Gospel was that notorious passage where Jesus draws the line:
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Jesus and his apostles are constantly warning us about the dangers of money because wealth is an existential threat to our salvation. This is not a sermon against accumulating wealth — but it is an exhortation to attentiveness because it is a foolishness to ignore or to attempt to soften our Lord’s plain sense.
“You cannot serve God and personal wealth.”
No, you cannot. If Jesus is your God then you will end up being careful to the point of being suspicious of your personal wealth. You will not trust in your riches. But if personal wealth is your god, you will end up suspicious and doubtful of Jesus. Jesus did not teach his disciple to throw their money away and in fact his own disciples during his earthly ministry gave alms to the poor. But he did teach his disciples not to value money and possessions so highly that you dedicate your life to the pursuit of treasures that less than eternal. This is a warning to both the well to do, who have possessions to guard; and it is a warning to the poor who wished they had them.
“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
But God’s ways are not our ways. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount there is something that we almost never see or hear about — the four final woes that Jesus adds to the Sermon. Here instead of as state of blessing, he pronounces a state of heartbreak:
“Woe unto you who are rich, you have received your consolation!”
“Woe unto you who are full, you shall be hungry!”
“Woe unto you who laugh now, you shall mourn and weep.”
“Woe unto you when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”
Jesus and his apostles are constantly warning us about the dangers of personal wealth. But don’t forget that there are also many examples in the New Testament, and in the history of the Church, of people who used their personal wealth for the mission Christ’s Church. Most of the original parishes in the city of Rome in antiquity were the homes and property of patricians. Roman citizens, families of senators and rulers who truly presented their selves, their souls, their bodies, and their material wealth to the Church of God. The themes of humility and generosity are at the very heart of the life of Christ and he taught his disciples that they should follow his example. There is no humility more profound than the humility of the Son of the Father made flesh. We will never out do God’s humility. You are called to incarnate the life of Christ in your humility and in your generosity and liberality. You have been made the child of God by the grace of baptism; you participate in his divine life, and he calls you to be rich toward God. Those who inherit the Kingdom will be merciful in their assessment of others, forgiving of injuries, liberal in sharing their wealth — they are people who make a positive use of suffering — there is humility, openness, trust, joy and a thankful heart. The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.