Dignity

Read: Genesis 9:18-28

So the LORD has created a flood to wipe out all the inhabitants of the earth save for Noah and his family, as well as a bunch of animals. But right off the bat, we see that sin is never far away from the door of humanity’s soul. Noah planted a vineyard, had a little more red wine than he expected, and then just passed out naked in his tent. Why he would drink wine naked in the first place is beyond me. Ham came in, and saw his dad naked, and then went out to announce it to his brothers, “Hey guys! Check it out - dad’s NAKED in his tent! What a loser, getting drunk and all! And why did he drink wine naked in the first place?” Shem and Japeth, however, would have none of it. True - they could’ve laughed along with Ham, but they did the opposite, covering their dad’s nakedness while averting their eyes.

Culturally speaking, in those days, it is not right for older children to look at their parents - especially their fathers - naked. Today, we don’t care - but in those days it was a big deal. In the ancient near east, the father figure is a towering, imposing figure. The father is a respected character, much like how the father is in traditional Chinese culture. The father is the lord of the household. But by seeing his father naked AND announcing it to his brothers, Ham has literally made his dad a joke. One commentary goes farther and says that such an act “emasculated” Noah. By seeing and joking about his naked father, Ham has stripped Noah of his fatherly dignity.

Yet, Ham’s behavior - stripping others of their dignity - is so common in this world. You see this whenever there is a conflict, from Washington DC to your backyard. Do you strip your parents of their dignity by putting them down? There is a fine line between truth and emasculation. As an example, my dad was a very simple-minded fellow. He was, and there’s no shame in being simple-minded. But that does not mean he was dumb. If I called him “dumb” or “stupid”, I would be no better than Ham, because I have torn down my dad’s dignity in the process. Do you do that do your parents? Do you, in times of disagreement, tear them down verbally to show that you have, somehow, the “upper hand”?

Okay, most of us probably don’t. But what about your brothers and sisters (biological or Christian)? When the church is in disagreement, how do people resolve it? In peace and love? Or by trading words of malice and anger? What about friends? Or what about people you don’t like?

Jesus commands in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 43-45) that we are to love our enemies and even pray for our persecutors! Yes, your enemies might have taken away your dignity, but as Christians we don’t take theirs away. Let us, therefore, follow Jesus’ words, and be people who never - like Ham - rob others of their dignities.