James 4:1-10
Mark 9:30-37
“Humility
is the foundation of all virtues, so in the soul in which this virtue does not
exist, there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” St. Augustine of Hippo
In other words, we can put on a show for
others, but virtue will not be a part of who we really are.
As “pride goes before destruction” (Prov
16:18) and opens the “wide gate” to all other of the so-called Seven Deadly
Sins, so also “humility before honor” (Prov 15:33) is the “narrow way” to the
necessary attributes of the disciple: faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice,
prudence, and temperance.
But what is humility, really? What does it mean to “humble oneself” to The
Lord … or to anyone, for that matter? Jesus
teaches that if it is Divine Favor we seek, and we should, we must first be
willing to be “last of all” and “servant of all” – not only to a
select few. How do we seek Divine
Favor by intentionally not seeking
Divine Favor?
Pastor and author Rick Warren believes, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it
is thinking of yourself less”. A
general consensus would suggest that our view of our own importance would be in
deference to the importance of others. We
don’t think less of ourselves; we
just think more of others. As Jesus teaches the Twelve who would soon
become the Church, we of that same Church, that same tradition, must be willing
to be “last of all” and “servant to all” if we want to be
“first” in the Kingdom of Heaven.
This would be summarized in such a way: if we honestly
believe we are better than someone else, more deserving than anyone else – by
any measure or means – we lack humility, and consequently, all other virtues; and
“destruction” will follow – if the Bible is correct. One way or the other, we will be humbled – by
our own choice and deliberate practice or by some external agent against our
will.
It is one thing to have confidence enough in something
that gives us motivation, drive, and a certain sense of fearlessness to do what
needs to be done regardless of the risk.
It is another thing altogether, however, to cross that fine line from
confidence to arrogance. It is the
difference between trusting The Lord completely, enough to obey Him without
question – or trusting ourselves primarily.
WE become the masters. It is that
point of distinction between a necessary sense of gratitude for anything we may
have and a sense of entitlement for everything we think we deserve.
We should not be thinking of ways to beat ourselves up when we are so richly blessed. We must instead be thinking of ways to build up others through those blessings. If we believe we are so richly blessed because The Lord favors us personally, we deny the biblical reality that The Lord shows no partiality. We are blessed for purposes beyond our own “selfish ambitions”.
When we stop worrying so much about ourselves, we will
find more time and more room for The Lord in our lives. We will find The Lord more prominent – and
dominant – in our lives. And that is
what we are looking for.
Here is an interesting thought I was made aware of
this past week. In Leviticus 10 we are told of Aaron’s sons who had “performed the [fire] ritual correctly but
had not done so as a "commandment" - that is, they had not consulted Moses to see whether it was The Lord's
intent that they offer the fire … it is a reminder that the way the
priests - and we today - serve The Lord is not only … by [doing things
properly], but also [in doing
properly we express] our intention to fulfill a command of The Lord
[to an end greater than the means done properly].” Rabbi Richard N. Levy
As Holy Communion is to serve a holy purpose, we may
even consider the ways in which we add or remove from what is written in the
Scripture to suit our own, less-than-holy purposes.
This is significant for us. Moses reminded the grieving Aaron as his sons
had been consumed by the fire they had tried to offer, “Through those who are near Me I
will show Myself holy, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Lev 10:3) … not “you”. The text seems to suggest the sons of Aaron
were out of line in offering “unholy fire” perhaps because they
got a little too full of themselves in their capacity as priests. They were not offering fire to reveal The
Lord’s glory; they were offering fire to enhance their own glory and were
ultimately destroyed by their own means.
Genuine humility serves a holy purpose but only if humility
itself is considered a means to a greater end – growing in faith and confidence
in The Lord and in love for
our neighbor, opening the “narrow door” to genuine virtue and closing tight the
“wide gate” to vice. As the Church
Fathers and other philosophers believed and taught, if humility is lacking in
us, so will virtue itself be lacking.
And The Lord nor our neighbors are lifted up.
And I think this is what St. James must be alluding
to. He writes (3:16), “Where
there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness
of every kind”. Opening chapter
4, James writes of the “conflicts and selfish disputes”
within the fellowship of the Church. Do
you suppose the reason there are so many disputes in the local church today is because what we seek, what we
desire most, what we are willing to invest in and work toward, is what we want for ourselves (4:5), with no mind or concern about what
The Lord may actually want from the church?
Even with limited resources one group wants “this”,
another group wants “that”, and still another group thinks “another” thing is
what the church needs most (none admitting it is strictly what they desire) – but the desire of each
group has nothing to do with the overall mission and need of the Church. Our personal desires are more about making
the “club” more pleasing to ourselves.
Nothing has to do with striving to make The Lord look good (which is
what it means to “glorify” The Lord) or conveying His mercy.
We want what WE want for our own self-pleasure or
sense of self-satisfaction. And because
we are unique individuals with unique tastes, there is no way – NO WAY! – we
will be able to come together for the common purpose to which we as The Church
are called, the common purpose we each vowed toward when we joined HIS Church … in humble
submission to The Lord and His Church and, yes, His Moral Law.
Somewhere along the line, being a long-time member of
the Church has come to mean special
privilege according to personal
demands. Somewhere along the way,
The Lord has all but been kicked to the curb of the Church with hardly a
notice, and yet we curse and protest and worry that The Lord was somehow kicked
out of public schools because they won’t make the kids pray!
This is strictly about being more mindful of and more
sensitive to what offends us personally rather than about what will teach
others about the true nature of The Lord and His open arms to all sinners
through the Church. In worrying more
about public schools than the Church we serve, we reveal our own
less-than-humble nature. And that’s when
we know we are in danger of crossing – or already have crossed - that line from
spiritual confidence to personal arrogance.
Both the Church and those who need The Lord will suffer.
It is not about “you” nor “you” nor even “me”. It never was, as Aaron and his sons were
reminded. It is entirely about how the
holiness, the perfection, the abundant mercy of The Lord will be revealed through us and not strictly for us. This is the essence of humility and the
foundation of all virtue, including faith.
As we intentionally choose to “descend”, we will soon find
ourselves “ascending” by the might and the mercy of The Lord. Let us choose to be lifted rather than
to lift ourselves in vain. If we choose
to elevate or lift ourselves by our own chosen means, the fall is imminent – in
this life or the next. But when we are
so lifted by The Lord, lifted us where we will stay.
For all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen.
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