Taking the Lowest Place
By Rev. William Dohle
Every two years we Americans suffer through a time full of big egos and empty promises. A month when men and women in high positions take time out of their already busy schedules to speak well of themselves and ill of each other, hoping beyond hope that they will look better than the other person and win the populous' approval.
That's right. It's election season again!
No matter what your political persuasion. No matter which party you adhere to. No matter who you vote for there is but one formula everyone is using when running a political campaign.
Self promotion + Negative Press of the Other Candidate = Victory!!
Show me a political campaign that doesn't include one or both of these elements and I will be greatly surprised! That's how elections are won, after all. Promote yourself while tearing down your opponent.
But what if that wasn't the case? What if we took out the negative press AND the self-promotion? What if instead of lifting ourselves up high and stomping the other low, instead of promoting ourselves to the highest level and pushing the other down, what if we volunarily took the lowest place instead? What would that look like?
That's what Jacob does when he's standing before Pharaoh. After leaving his home in Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, as they use to say, Joseph tells his father to ask for nothing from Pharaoh except a place in a land known as Goshen. A land occupied by the detestable shepherds!
"When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”(Genesis 46:33-34).
And so, Jacob does just that. Instead of asking for the best land in Egypt. Instead of acting like royalty. Instead of demanding his own rights, Jacob assumes the lowest place in Pharaoh's kingdom.
"Your servants are shepherds,” [Jacob and his sons] replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”
Pharaoh agrees, ironically calling Goshen the best land in Egypt and giving Jacob and his sons rights over his own livestock.
"Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
Whether Goshen was the best land or whether, as Joseph says before, the Egytians despise shepherds and sent them off to live there, Jacob still took the least place with Pharaoh. Instead of demanding his rights or any kind of special treatment, he calls himself and his children Pharaoh's servants. He doesn't presume anything about himself. He takes the lowest place...confident that God will raise him up.
This wisdom sounds absurd! Take the lowest place? Give up promoting ourselves? But it is a wisdom echoed elsewhere in Scripture and even by Jesus Christ himself.
Jesus, like Jacob, speaks of taking the last place. “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”(Luke 14:8-11).
Maybe Jesus understood what his ancestor had done. Maybe Jesus knew that in taking the lowest place, by agreeing to go to Goshen, Jacob had allowed himself to be humbled so God, in his infinite mercy, might raise he and his family up again. For it was from the land of Goshen that Jacob's descendants would one day be led by Moses from Egypt into the Promised Land.
We too are challenged with these words and actions. We are commanded by our Lord not to raise ourselves up with our words and deeds, but to take the lowest place, to humble ourselves. We might not win an election with our actions, but we will be following Christ Jesus who humbled himself for our sake and was exalted by God.
When tempted with self-promotion, help me to take the road to the cross, the road that your Son walked that led from the cross to resurrection. Amen.
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