“Role Reversal”
September 18,
2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and
peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, Amen.
Have you ever wondered where many of
the expressions we use on regular basis come from? Well, one of my particular favorites
is describing someone as trying to be the “top dog.”
When we call someone the “top dog,”
we’re referring to someone as trying to be above, or be in control, of everyone
else. But, surprisingly, and despite what the slide shows, the expression actually
has nothing to do with dogs.
In fact, it actually goes back to the days of lumberjacking.
Back in the old days, and still in many parts of the world, like Malawi,
Africa, where this picture was taken, larger logs were sawed over a pit. The saw
operators, called sawyers, which is actually where the last name “Sawyer” comes
from, would
work in teams of two, one on the top, and one on the bottom. For reasons which no
one seems to know, the sawyers were called “dogs.” So there would be a “top dog”
and a “bottom dog” sawing the log. The person on top would have the advantage
of being able to determine when the sawing would start and stop; how fast the
saw would go; be mostly pushing down so there was a bit less work involved; and
decide when the job was over. The person on the bottom had to follow along with
whatever the person on top did. Also, if you were on the bottom, you had to
work harder because you were pushing up, you had wood shavings falling on you,
you would get dirtier from being in the pit, and you would run the risk of
having the wood fall on you. So being on top, or being the “top dog,” meant
that you had a greater position of privilege over everyone else. Which,
of course, meant that everyone wanted to be the “top dog,” because of the privilege
that came with the job – and being “top dog” meant that you had earned that
position, you were special, and you were better than everyone else.
Whether or not we realize it, we’re
all trying to get the position of “top dog.” We work hard to try to get noticed
at our jobs, in our schools, and on our sports teams. We’re thinking about how
to get that scholarship, raise, or promotion, and how to show that we deserve
what we’re trying to earn. We’re trying to show how special and important we
are, or we may think we are. We want to achieve privileges, and show
that we deserve them.
Yet in today’s Old Testament reading
from Proverbs, as well as today’s Gospel reading, we are encouraged to look at
things in a different way. While the goal for life may seem to be to be constantly
trying to climb for the top, to become the “top dog,” we have another purpose
for which we exist, and that is to be humble. It is not to assume
privilege just because of who we are, but to recognize that what privileges we
are given are meant to be used to be of benefit to others.
Even though the word humble tends to get
used a lot, it actually has a specific meaning, especially for us as
Christians. C.S. Lewis once said that “Humility is not thinking less of yourself;
it is thinking of yourself less.” In other words, it is realizing that we live
not only for ourselves, but in relationship to other people, and we are to be
thinking about what our role in that relationship is. As it happens, and
whether or not we realize it, we are all dependent on each other – everything
we do affects those around us, often in ways we don’t suspect. So, in our
actions, we are to consider how what we say or do may cause another person to
feel, especially feel about themselves. If we are in a position of authority or
privilege, then our role is to help others feel just as important and
privileged. If we feel good about ourselves, but we notice someone who doesn’t,
then we are to help them realize how valued and needed they really are. But we also
have to remember that, in being humble, we are not just trying to be virtuous,
or “good people” – we are becoming like Jesus. Jesus was, and still is, humble.
He came to help us, and everyone, realize how important, privileged, special,
and valuable we are in the eyes of God. He lived among us as someone who was
just like us in every way; yet He also lived a perfect life to be able to offer
Himself as a sacrifice for us. The reason Jesus died on the cross and then rose
again was to help us become more like Him. In fact, that was the greatest
demonstration of His humility: the fact that He did not consider death on a
cross to be beneath Him, but instead was willing to do whatever it took to be
able to save us. Even though He had all the power of heaven on His side, and
was almighty and supreme as God, He still put Himself in a position to benefit
every one of us. He did not consider what the consequences for Himself would
be, but instead thought of how He would be a blessing for each of us because of
what He did. By doing so, He not only was exalted Himself, but He showed us how
we too can be exalted – by humbling ourselves in relation to others.
Incidentally, it is interesting that
in our reading from Proverbs, we hear about assuming one’s position before the
king after witnessing the death and lying in state of Queen Elizabeth for the
past couple of weeks. What we’ve seen is not only how important the Queen was,
especially to the people of Britain, but also what everyone’s position is in
relation to her even after her death. For example, someone was asked during a radio
interview recently whether the celebrities who joined the miles-long queue to
view the Queen’s body were allowed to jump the line, or if they had a separate line
of their own, and the answer was no – they still had to wait in the same line
for the same amount of time as everyone else. This is also a reminder that,
fundamentally, each one of us are equal. Whatever our position in life may be,
we are actually all the same. Someday we will graduate from school, change
jobs, relocate, retire – which means that even our life status will change. This
is all part of being human – the fact that nothing remains the same, and our
lives could change at any moment. Even Queen Elizabeth herself was ultimately
shown to be a human being because she eventually died. So we are all the same –
we share the same struggles and hopes. Which means we are to support each other
in everything that happens to us.
Now, does this mean that we ought not
to continue to strive to do our best in our positions? Of course not. Part of
being a Christian means that we always try our best, for the sake of those with
whom we work, study, or play. Jesus is also not saying that we ought to think
we are worth any less than we actually are. In fact, the reality is we are
worth a lot more we think – to our families, our work places, our schools, our
teams – we are special. What Jesus is encouraging us to remember is that, since
we are valued so highly, we ought to think of ourselves as being in a position
to be able to be of help – to care for our families in many ways; support and
assist our co-workers; be a friend and to our schoolmates, especially those who
are being bullied or ignored; and help our teammates, especially anyone who
might be struggling. Again, our very reason for existing is to humble
ourselves, where we are looking for ways where we can be of help to others. Like
Jesus, we are to put ourselves in positions where we are of service. And it is
when we do so that we actually become greater. By considering nothing to be
beneath us, we become more important. We gain more respect from others when we assist
them, because it is by showing how much we care that we gain notice. We are to
use the privileges of position or status we have earned, achieved, or simply
been given to help those who are less privileged than we are.
Furthermore, Jesus also encourages
us to look for those opportunities everywhere. And at every moment, there is a
chance – we just have to be open to it and act on it when God nudges us to do
so. Jesus tells us to think not about what sort of reward we might get from helping
certain people, or how we can be compensated, but instead to serve for serving’s
sake. He also reminds us to seek out those who would normally be ignored, and
especially those who would be thought of as being outside of being able to be
in any kind of relationship with God – what He’s saying is that no one is lost,
no one is beyond help. Not even addicts, or anyone else who may seem “stuck.”
No one is to be overlooked, because God overlooks no one. God regards no one as
being outside of His care, because He loves and values everyone just as they
are. God sees each person as being of equal worth, created in His image, with
whom He desires a relationship. God reaches out to everyone, invites them in, and
welcomes them as equals with each other, and so we ought to as well. So, if we
really do want to be the “top dog,” then we have to follow the words and example
of Jesus – think of others more, reach out to others, and be of assistance to
everyone.
Now may the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Amen.
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