A LIFESTYLE OF HUMILITY
Our culture does not value humility. People generally view it as weakness, self-debasement, or a lack of competitive drive. Self-promotion is seen by most people as a virtue. Sometimes arrogance is interpreted as self-confidence, or vice versa. Jesus challenges His follows to journey on a road less traveled –called humility. However, He wants us to have self-confidence when we go out to witness. So like a lot of things, there can be a fine line between self-confidence and humility. Let’s see if we can get guidelines we can use and understand.
Read Philippians 2:1-4 Humility Defined
When the Philippians Christians learned Paul was in prison, they sent a church member with a gift for Paul. Epaphroditus was to stay with Paul to assist him and tell Paul about the conditions in the Philippians church. Epaphroditus became critically ill but recovered after some time. So Paul sent him home early with this letter to the church. One major reason Paul had for his letter was to prevent a division in the church because of disagreement between two female members (Phil. 4:2-3)- Euodia and Syntyche (we are not told the reason for their quarrel). Paul also told the church that he thought he would win his trial and be freed. Then he challenged believers to live in a way that honored the gospel and to remain faithful. So these verses (1-4) are a continuation to emphasize how to treat one another. Paul’s stressing spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in spirit and purpose. God’s purpose in Christ is to create a community, bound together in a common life, characterized by mutual love and encouragement.
Paul enumerates factors and attitudes that promote unity among believers. What are some of them? (Encouragement in Christ, consolation of love, fellowship with the Spirit, and affection & mercy!) This leads us to humility, which is a strength not a weakness. Humility is healthy and it leads us to be comfortable with ourselves and strong enough to make a deliberate commitment to others’ welfare. It is self-knowledge and self-acceptance that refrains from judging others but looks for good in them. The attitude or virtue of humility enables us to consider others as more important than ourselves, looking out for their needs and interests as much as we do our own. Selfishness can ruin a church, but genuine humility can build it.
Read Luke 14:7-11 Humility Taught
These verses are a parable, not instructions about social etiquette. Greater than any social embarrassment (v.9) will be the shame of being excluded from the feast in the coming kingdom of God. The Pharisee’s pride caused them to expect the chief seats at that feast (13:23), but their pride will exclude them, and their paces will be taken by those who make no claims for themselves (13:28-30). Thus those who exalt themselves will be humbles, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. The point of the parable is that self-seeking pride is contrary to God’s order o things. So Jesus was using a wedding banquet to teach a lesson in humility.
To set this up properly, Verses 1-6 tells us that on a Sabbath day (important point) a leading Pharisee invited Jesus to a meal at his house. This was just a meal invitation not the wedding banquet used in the parable. The Pharisees were Jewish laymen dedicated to keeping all the laws and they composed the largest party among the Jews, who exerted great influence among the people. During the meal, the Pharisees watched Jesus closely to seize an opportunity to accuse or criticize Him. Jesus healed a disease man who was at the meal, who was likely there as a normal uninvited guest- arranged by the Pharisees. Prior to the healing, Jesus (as usual) turned the situation around and asked the Pharisees to decide if Jesus was to heal the man on the Sabbath or if they were going to be callous and cold and let the man die. The Pharisees never gave Jesus an answer! The connection is that Jesus used the situation to address the gathering to present the parable in verses 7-11 to convey a profound spiritual truth. He expressed an eternal truth that the person who seeks to gain honor, prestige, or position at the expense of others is not in God’s favor. The person who humbles himself will receive God’s exaltation.
We miss the point, however, if we see these verses (7-11) as just another strategy for ultimately gaining the “chief seats”. Genuine humility is not a strategy to get what we want. Humility is an approach to life that sees self in a proper relationship to God and others. So a proper attitude goes hand-in-hand with humility. Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realize their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. Humility is not self-degradation nor to be used for personal gain; it is realistic, self-assessment and commitment to serve.
Read John 13:3-5, 14-15 Humility Exemplified
While Jesus, crucifixion is the greatest sacrifice, His act of washing the feet of the disciples may have been His greatest act of humility. Jesus was the model servant and He showed His servant attitude to His disciples. Think about this- God in the flesh is willing to serve. We as His followers must be servants, willing to serve in any way that glorifies God. There is a special blessing for those who not only agree with the purpose of humble service to Christ’s way, but who also follow through and do it (vv. 13-17). Jesus’ actions serve as a symbol of Spiritual cleansing (vv. 6-9) and a model of Christian humility (vv 12-17). Through this action Jesus taught the lesson of selfless service that was exemplified supremely by His death on the Cross.
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