You've heard the saying, "God helps those who help themselves." It's just plain wrong! Those who can help themselves don't need a Savior. If we can help ourselves, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, get on board, change our ways and overcome our own problems, why do we need a Savior? So go ahead and toss that silly saying into the bin of junk that's owned by this world's religion. You know the one I mean. The religion and way of life that scoots me just a few steps ahead of everybody else so I can be first in line, up close to the dinner host, the pride of place and the spot of honor. This is the way of life and way of thinking which would let a donkey fall down a pit and say, "Well, it'll have to wait until Monday because I wouldn't dare do any work on a church day!" And it's not that you'd do no work on a Sunday for your own sake; you'd keep the Sabbath so that everyone else can see how holy you are. Here are the people Jesus deals with: people who are so religious that it's better to let a man suffer than to heal him on the Sabbath! No breaking the Sabbath, Jesus! These are men who are so sure of themselves and their position and authority that they show up quickly to dinner so they can jostle one another for the top spot near the head of the table and spend lunch watching Jesus to see if He slips up. It's our way. The way of sin. The way of the Law. I'll do it, and I'll do it better than you. Gee, who wouldn't want MY autograph? These notions, brothers and sisters, of getting ahead, getting in the last word, proving how holy and pious you are—these are not the religion the Lord teaches! This is not the sort of faith to which the Lord attaches any promises!
What sort of religion does Jesus bring? Just this kind: "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted!" The Lord is not interested in those who are only interested in themselves and their position and place. He comes to knock those people down. And He seeks the lost and humble, those who know that they have no leg to stand on, no claim on God's time or attention, nothing but sin and wretchedness. It's not a way of thinking that the world knows! Jesus shows us this by who He is and what He does. He is Son of the Most High! He is exalted above heaven and earth. He is the Ruler of all things. But He humbles Himself. He takes on flesh and comes to us. Not to show off. "See? Look at Me! I'm God in the flesh. I'll bet you can't do that! Kaboom!" He doesn't come to say, "I'm God. Watch me. I can do anything better than you poor sinners!" He doesn't come to exalt Himself and show that He's Lord and can do anything He wants. No, He comes humbly. He through whom all things were made takes on a human nature. He who stands above the Law subjects Himself to it's judgment and condemnation. He who is Life itself gives Himself into death on the cross, pouring forth His blood in a humiliating spectacle of shame and sin heaped up and pinning him to the tree. He who is God Himself dies as a miserable man on Calvary. For what? So that by conquering sin He may be lifted up on the Third Day! So that we who are made low in our sins may be lifted up by His salvation and forgiveness. Jesus is humbled so that you are exalted! Jesus is then exalted so that you may be lifted even higher into the heavenly places, seated with Him at the right hand of the Father!
If then it is Jesus who lifts you up, repent of lifting yourself up! Repent of exalting yourself in front of God and showing off in front of your neighbor. Stop and think about this, brothers and sisters. Isn't this how we live? Thinking God must be pleased with me because I go to church, maybe even to Bible Study. Because I've done things for the church, showing people how much religion I have. Isn't this how we live? Trying to get ahead of others? Trying always to get the last word in? Trying to jockey and angle for position in this world. Trying to keep up with others and even pass them? You and I do this all the time: We treat our spouses as if they are put on earth to serve us! We teach our kids that it's what you have in life that gets you places. We treat our parents as if they owe us everything. We treat our friends and neighbors as if they should be lucky to have us in their lives. Over and over, just as the Pharisees did, we exalt ourselves! We think we sparkle in God's sight because of how good we are and we suppose we shine in the eyes of our neighbor who sees how religious and holy we are. Brothers and sisters in Christ, be laid low! Let us who have exalted ourselves be brought low in the dust and ashes of repentance! Let us fall down before the Lord and plead guilty of all sins and put all of our hope and trust not in our own works but the works and merits and wounds of Jesus. Fall down in repentance, lest the Lord strike you down in judgment! Cling to Jesus in whom the Lord raises you up.
The Lord exalts the lowly! He raises you up! He lifts you on high with Himself! He who was humbled by the cross and exalted on Easter now raises you up from the ashes and pit of death. If the Lord dares to go after an ox or donkey that falls in a pit, how much more you who were in the pit of sin and death! Jesus, humbled and exalted for you now humbles you in repentance and exalts and raises you up in Him, in His gifts. He who healed on the Sabbath Day now, on the day of worship, comes to you in His lifting-up gifts. At that font you are raised up from death with water and the Word. In Holy Absolution, you are exalted and stood before the Lord as one whose sins are covered and blotted out. At the altar, though you kneel in humility, you are raised up by the body and blood of Jesus that was raised up from the dead. In all of these holy gifts, Jesus is lifting you up, exalting you, raising you to God's right hand. By the forgiveness of sins, the Lord strips away your guilt and shame and gives you in their place His glory and righteousness. This, by the way, is why we practice Closed Communion: to teach us this very repentance and trust in Christ's lifting us up. Many would presume to walk in the door and walk to the altar and take the high place at the Lord's altar! But wait! Don't do that! Let the Lord call you forward in repentance and faith to take your place not because YOU choose it but because He invites you. How embarrassing it would be to be told, "Not yet, you must not receive the Sacrament until you've been instructed and learned what this gift is. It is not something for those who think they have a right to it. It is given for those who are NOT worthy." How much more joyful to hear and learn the Catechism and God's Word and then be invited, "Come, and receive Jesus' body and blood." Just so the Lord teaches us to sit at the lowly spot and be invited up to the place reserved for the guest of honor through His Word.
Which, by the way, is how it now works with your neighbor. St. Paul tells us and the Ephesians to walk worthy of our calling in humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing one another in love! What does that mean? It means, in life, give up your place in line! Put others ahead of yourself! What joy there would be as if husbands and wives lived as if the other one was most important! Parents, living as if their children really do come first. Children believing that there is no one more important and deserving of respect and honor than Mom and Dad. The boss treating the employees as if they are number one. The workers treating the boss as if he truly should have respect and appreciation. And so on. Here is the religion Jesus teaches us: that because we are saved by His being humbled, we too may humble ourselves for the sake of others. Our salvation in God's sight is a done deal! In fact, it's so rock solid that we never have to worry about others taking advantage of us. Let them! Why? Because we are to consider them more precious than ourselves, more worthy of advantages and privileges. We are to see others as those whom the Lord has given us to serve and help. And why? Because on the Last Day, in Jesus, the Lord is going to tell you: come up higher! Rise from the dead! Have this kingdom prepared for you by the Father, won for you by Jesus and given out to you by the Spirit in the holy Word and Sacraments.
In the book of Proverbs we heard good advice: don't try to take a higher station that you should. Rather, take a lower place. Don't argue and strive. Avoid being shamed by others on account of your pride. Rather, bend low in the humility of repentance, turning away from such a life and religion that puts YOU first. Rejoice that Jesus came down to raise you up. Thanks be to God that by water and word and body and blood He has exalted you and raised you up so that you may raise others even higher than yourself. Your salvation is all wrapped up in Jesus. He's raised you to heaven itself. So go forth not worrying about climbing to the top spot at the table, but showing your neighbor the way to the place of honor. Because you have been so honored by your Lord. God does not help those who help themselves! Rather, the Lord helps those who cannot save themselves. And teaches us then to help others. In Jesus' name. Amen.