The Christian's Apron

The Christian’s Apron

Third after Trinity

Collect of the Day O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gospel: 1 St. Peter 5:5b-11

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Homily Text: 1 St. Peter 5:5b-6

I don’t think aprons are as popular as they once were, but they used to be near necessities. If you watch the family comedies from the 1950s and 60s you’ll notice that all the women wore aprons when they did housework or cooked. Lucille Ball, Donna Reed, and June Cleaver all wore aprons - with their dresses, high heels, and jewelry.

1. Wear Humility

1.1. St. Peter tells us there is a apron all Christians must wear. It is the apron of humility. Peter had a vivid memory of the last night with Jesus in the Upper Room. A pitcher of water, a basin, and a towel were provided group’s use. However, there was no servant, and no one considered himself the lowliest disciple, so Passover without the customary footwashing. However, during the meal, Jesus got up from the Table, took off his outer clothing, and tied the towel around his waist. Then he went to each of the disciples and washed and dried their feet.  

When it was all over, Jesus said to his disciples,

“Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example,that you also should do just as I have done to you (John 13:12-15).

When he came into this world, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who possessed all the glory and power of Godhood, wrapped himself in the humility of humanity and servanthood. The very next day he submitted to the humiliation of arrest, trial, mocking, beating, and crucifixion. On this night before he endured those things he tied the towel around his waist and washed his disciples’ feet. It was a scene Peter would never forget.

1.2. So Peter calls on us to tie the apron of humility around ourselves and to show humility by submitting to one another. In this letter Peter teaches that citizens should submit to the government, that servants should submit to their masters, that wives should submit to husbands, that the younger should submit to the older.  But submission is not just for some. It is for all of us in relation to one another. We submit to each other by not standing on our honor, not insisting on our rights, not considering ourselves better than anyone, and not looking on any service as too lowly.

A person who puts on an apron is not about to sit down and wait to be served. The apron wearer serves others. We put on the apron of humility in order to serve God and others.

2. Remember God

2.1. There’s a saying we ought to keep in mind always: “God is God, and you’re not.” Pride is resistance against God’s control and God’s glorifying himself . When the devil tempted Eve, he asked if she and Adam could eat of all the trees in the Garden. Eve answered, “No, we can eat of every tree but one, but, if we eat of that one, we will surely die.” The devil said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The devil’s appeal was to Eve’s pride. She could be like God.

What happened? When she and Adam believed Satan’s lie, God resisted their pride and rebellion. They were banished from the Garden. God is always against those who wrap themselves in the robes of pride.

If you are playing on a church softball team, and some new player usurps your place, you may selfishly resist that person. Your pride and ego are hurt. But there are other relationships. What happens when you are a parent, and your child tries to usurp your place as the parent? You resist. You “get in his face” and say, “I am the parent, and you are the child. One day you will be an adult on your own, but while you are a minor, I will not give you my place.” God is God; you and I are not God; he will not give us his place. He will not allow us to make ourselves our own gods or to try to get others to treat us as gods. God resists the proud.

2.2. But God gives grace to the humble. Humility is not the same thing as a poor self-image. Nor is it just a realistic appraisal of our abilities. Humility not only recognizes that we  are created beings who could never be gods, but also that we are sinful beings who have rebelled against God forfeited God’s favor. We merit his eternal displeasure.

Refusal to recognize this reality is one of the great barriers to salvation. We might say, “Well, I am willing to admit I am a created being and not God. But I am not prepared to say that I am a bad person. I am not going to grovel and say I am a sinner.”

But do you remember who received God’s salvation in the story of the Pharisee and publican? It was not the Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men. I do good things. I am not like others who are extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or like that publican over there.” The publican, however, could not lift his eyes up to God in heaven, but beat on his chest with his fist and said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” The publican who humbled himself as a sinner before God went home right with God. God gives grace to the humble who see their sin and ask his mercy.

2.2. Peter calls us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We might think the next phrase would be “lest he crush you.” But, while God resists the proud, he uses his mighty hand for, not against, those who humble themselves before him. In due time - at the right time God will exalt them. There is no greater example than our Lord. He humbled himself, became a servant, and died utterly humiliated, condemned by man and apparently rejected by God. But on the third day God raised him from the dead. Forty days later he ascended to heaven and sat down at God’s right hand as King of kings and Lord of lords. Every knee will bow to him and call him Lord.

God’s people often are battered by the troubles of life. They may be disdained by unbelievers. A wicked world may oppress them. Sometimes God exalts his people in this world. In short order God pulled down proud Haman who wanted to wipe out the Jews in Persia and lifted up Mordecai whom Haman intended to hang. Sometimes his this world, always at the resurrection, God will at the right time exalt his people.

2.3. The people who received Peter’s letter were experiencing hardships - in their case, opposition and persecution. It’s not surprising that they had cares or anxieties. What would the future hold?

Most of the time anxiety leads us to try to figure out what we are going to go about the causes of the anxiety. Where find another job? How get more money? How get our spouse to be what we want him or her to be? Where get our illness treated? What do about our kids who are giving us trouble? How can we deal with our anxieties?

There is nothing wrong with taking responsibility for our lives. Some people don’t and wait around for someone to rescue them. We should always do what we can to handle the problems we face. Humility is not passivity.

The problem is that we often try to play God. We try to control everything and everyone and make things turn out the way we want. And that is a form of pride. We try to take the reins from God, and make everything fit our plan. When we don’t succeed we get even more anxious and frantic.

What should we do about all things  that worry us? Cast them on God. Humility says, “God you are in control. I am not. You know what you are doing. I don’t. I release all these things to you. I will do what you give me to do. I know my trying to force things to be a certain way often makes them worse. I know that you can and do work all things for good for those who love you and are called by you.

You cast your cares because you know he cares for you. There is hardly a more comforting word in the Bible than that. God the Creator, God who is infinitely big and glorious, God whose favor you forfeited by your sins, cares for you. He loves you. He cares what happens to you. He is not cold or indifferent. You are not a pawn in his hands. You are a person he redeemed by the work of Christ, a God who forgives all your sins, a God who is determined to have with you in eternal blessedness. He cares for you. He cares about your troubles. You can take them all and give them to him.

God is God. You’re not God. Tie on the apron of true humility. Trust and serve God. Honor and serve others.