Sermon Tone Analysis
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Theme: Getting over ourselves
Let us pray.
Most holy, Lord God, we gather this day with self-examination, entering the season of Lent intent on improving ourselves; help us we pray, to be worthy followers of you and your son, through whom we pray.
Amen.
In a Seinfeld episode entitled "The Fix Up," Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are trying to set up a blind date for George (Jason Alexander) with one of Elaine's friends, Cynthia (Maggie Wheeler).
Early in the episode, the scene shifts back and forth between Jerry's apartment, where he is describing Cynthia to George, and Elaine's apartment, where she is describing George to Cynthia.
The rapid-fire dialogue is a good example of just how shallow we often are in what we are looking for in a relationship.
The scene begins in Jerry's apartment, where he is talking about Cynthia with George.
"What does she look like?" George asks.
"She's good looking," Jerry replies.
George wants details: "How good looking?"
"Very good looking," Jerry replies.
Still unsatisfied with Jerry's answer, George presses him: "Really good looking?"
"Really very good looking," Jerry replies.
"Would you take her out?" George asks.
Jerry hesitates for a moment before saying, "Yes.
I would."
"You hesitated!"
George screams.
"Hesitate?
I didn't hesitate!"
Jerry says.
"Something's up!" George says in a panic.
"You hesitated!"
"I'm telling you—she's good-looking," Jerry insists.
"What about the body?" George asks.
"Good body.
Nice body," Jerry replies.
"Really good?" George asks.
"Really very nice and good," Jerry replies.
"What about personality?"
George asks.
"Good personality.
Funny.
Bright," Jerry replies.
"I don't want anyone smarter than me," George says nervously.
"How could she be smarter than you?" Jerry says with a smirk.
The scene shifts to Elaine's apartment, where Elaine is talking about George with Cynthia.
"First of all, what does he do?"
Cynthia asks.
"He was in real estate," Elaine replies.
"He's not working right now."
"How come he's not working?"
Cynthia asks.
"He got fired," Elaine replies.
"Why did he get fired?"
Cynthia asks.
"He tried to—."
Elaine hesitates before continuing.
With a wince she says, "Poison his boss."
"Excuse me?" Cynthia exclaims.
"It's such a long story," Elaine says in George's defense.
"Seriously!
He just had some problems at work!"
"Is he nuts?"
Cynthia asks.
"No," Elaine replies.
"He's a really, really funny guy."
"What does he look like?"
Cynthia asks.
"Well, he's got a lot of character in his face," Elaine replies.
"He's short.
Stocky."
"He's fat!" Cynthia says.
"Is that what you're saying?
He's fat?"
"Powerful!"
Elaine replies.
"He's so powerful he can lift 100 pounds right up over his head!"
It's clear that Cynthia wants more of a description, so Elaine continues: "What else?
He's kind of—just kind of—losing his hair."
"He's bald?" Cynthia says.
"No, no, no!" Elaine replies.
"He's not bald.
He's balding."
"So he will be bald?"
Cynthia says.
"Yeah," Elaine says, defeated.
(DVD, Season 3, Disc 4 ("The Fix Up"); 00:06:42 - 00:09:03)
Jesus reminds us on this day of Ash Wednesday to get over ourselves and be for others.
We are not to be shallow like the characters on Seinfeld.
And we are not to practice our faith as if we were a character on Seinfeld.
The gospel reading we hear on Ash Wednesday is from the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus is giving advice on how to practice piety.
He says that when you are doing good deeds, you are not to make a big deal out of it or call undue attention to what you are doing.
If you do, God will not give you a plaque and God will not alert the media.
What Jesus is talking about is motivation.
If we do good deeds because we want the attention and/or let people to know how good we are, then we are doing good deeds for the wrong reasons.
We do good deeds because we love God and we everyone else.
When we love our neighbors, good deeds are a natural consequence of being a follower of Jesus.
If publicity results, then that is okay.
It is an evangelical opportunity.
But the important point is that publicity was not sought.
Our behavior is not predicated on seeking attention.
Jesus continues by giving examples of how people do good things for the wrong reasons.
When you give to the poor, don’t make a big deal out of it.
Those who seek that kind of attention tend to be hypocrites and are just seeking praise from others.
Since they have already received their reward, God won’t chalk it up to any big deal.
So when you do give to the poor, don’t think about how it looks and make no big deal about.
It is not necessary to call a press conference.
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