For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 14:11)

In the past couple of years we have seen spectacular examples of politicians, media stars and professional athletes fall into scandal due to what we might call overweening pride. Yet, we are always so surprised when we see the great and powerful fall through the sin of pride. I think we forget that the sin of pride is a common theme in the Bible. Let's consider a few verses:

Proverbs 30:32 – If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. (A very poetic way of saying "shut up!)

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride actually leads to destruction. Why? For one thing, pride is deceptive.

Obadiah 1:3-4 – The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

When we are prideful, we do not respect God. The word we would translate as "respect" is translated as "fear" in the King James Version.

Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate.

We thus see that the LORD hates pride. Even a proud look is an abomination to Him.

Proverbs 6:16-19 – These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

A proud look? Yes. Even a proud look! Why? Because when we look down on others in a condescending manner we are forgetting that we, too are sinful creatures. Like the Pharisee and the publican. Our pride comes between us and God because in making ourselves seem to be superior to others we begin to think we do not need God.

Pride, then is one of the most harmful sins a person can commit. It deceives us, it spares us from God and blinds us to our sins. Pride is also a stealth-full sin in that it creeps up on us in the guise of self-esteem. Often we think we don't have it and only later realize we do.

Why does God hate pride so much? Well, is there anything that we really have to be proud of? Think of it, The LORD created the heavens and the earth and all that is within. Man has rebelled against his Creator from the beginning of time. Yes, from Eden all the way up to today...The LORD even sent His own Son to die for us.. And many are too proud to even accept Him! We must be careful when we say... We do this and that. It is The LORD who gave us the breath of life. Remember Job?

Job 38:1-4 – Then The LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

In the next 2 chapters the LORD declares His worthiness and our inability to even come close to His might and power.

Isaiah 2:12 – For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

We can read all those scriptures in Proverbs about the fool. We see how much bad shape the fool is in.... yet a fool is deemed to be better than the proud:

Proverbs 26:12 – Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Even a fool has more hope than one who is wise in his own eyes!

Proverbs 3:34 – Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth favor unto the lowly.

The LORD loves the humble and opposes the proud.

1Peter 5:5 – Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "THE LORD resists the proud, but gives favor to the humble." With pride...there is no room for the LORD.

Psalms 10:4 – The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after Elohim: Elohim is not in all his thoughts. If we are great in our own eyes...Will the LORD show us truth? Will we accept His ways?

James 4:13-15 – Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the LORD wills, we shall live and do this or that."

In all that we do, it must be for the LORD. Any other work is a wasted work. When singing a hymn or a song...it must be done for the LORD, not for those who may be watching. When writing a sermon or message...it must be for the LORD, not because we want others to give us honor. Let's look at David...When he fought the Goliath...was it with his own might that he boasted?

1Samuel 17:45 – Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the Elohim of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

He saw beyond the flesh. David was small in the eyes of the people. Isn't that what the LORD often does? He takes a small thing...and does mighty things with it so that His name will be honored!

Micah 6:8 – He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy Elohim?

Isaiah 66:1-2 – Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Do we tremble, that is to say, honor, at His word? Or search it...that we might find truth? Or do we look to ourselves? It is good to seek the truth and share God's truth with others... but I think this is only possible when we demonstrate in our lives that we have changed the way we live because we take the bible seriously.

Putting other people down is another aspect of sin that proceeds from pride. We all know people who have a constant need to put others down.. so that they might appear better and wise. They might even make false accusations against others.. so that they themselves appear righteous. Gossip often comes from pride. Pride causes arguments and strife in our homes, in our workplace and in every church. Gossip is a sin of pride. Proverbs 28:25 – He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that puteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

1Timothy 6:3-6 – If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Pride is the opposite of godliness with contentment. It is often the root of rebellious children. It is quite elusive. Pride is what kept many of the Pharisees from accepting the Messiah.

John 12:42-43 – Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of the LORD.

How many people remain in apostate churches today because of the sin of pride, Loving the building and the form of the church over the church itself?

Even a prayer can be driven by pride. Prayer is not about getting what we want, but is about shaping and conforming our will to what the Lord wants. Prayer is about taking our needs, our hopes, and fears to the Lord and asking that God's will be done. Prayer is about giving thanks.

In prayer, we are speaking TO The LORD. Remember this prayer? Luke 18:10-11 – Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, Lord I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

This man prayed 'thus with himself'.

Luke 18:12-14 – I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, Lord be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

In our gospel for today, St. Luke uses these same words in the 14th chapter of his gospel: "Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Important words for today!

Luke 14:7-11 – And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

To restate our message: overweening pride, is a form of narcissism, a self-worship that separates us from God and our fellow man.

It is after all, God who made the world, God who made everything alive in the word, who sent his only begotten Son to redeem it. It is God who sustains it.

Psalm 8:4 – God asks the rhetorical question: What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Man's pride, when used as a substitute for God is a path of destruction.

Before I close, I do want to share a scripture that shows a different kind of 'pride'. This is not a self-directed narcissistic pride, but a different kind of pride.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: - But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercises loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

I don't think this gives us the go ahead to be self righteous like the scribes and Pharisees... But let our honor be in that we are servants of The LORD. It is not a shameful thing to serve The LORD. It is an honorable thing to serve the Lord. And we are blessed to be His servants. All of the longsuffering and mercy and love that He has had for us, just so that we could be His own. We are blessed to be servants of the Most High. Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we could. Let's not waste it on vanity, let's exalt The LORD! As St. Paul writes, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. ..."

Psalms 115:1 – Not unto us, O THE LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. May we serve Him with a pure heart and without the sin of pride.

For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.