HUMILITY

Mary said, “He –the Lord- has brought down mighty kings from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”  (Luke 1:52)

Lord Jesus was invited on a Sabbath after the synagogue prayer for a meal as was the common practice of the Pharisees.  Noticing the immature behaviour of people, rushing to occupy the important seats inspired Lord Jesus to provide a good prescription about humility and hospitality to be observed in a social human life.

The Lord told them this parable, “When someone invites you to a feast don’t select the best places, instead choose the lowest place.  If you sit in the best place, then, when more important guest than you comes, the host will ask you to move back and it will be a great insult for you. Wherein, if you are seated in the lowest place, the host may ask you to take a better seat.  Then you will be honoured in the presence of all.” 

Lord Jesus concluded, “Everyone who makes himself great, will be humbled and everyone who humbles himself will be made great.”

The Book of Proverbs provides further guidelines to us, “When you stand before the king, don’t try to impress him and pretend to be important.  It is better to be asked to take a higher position than to be told to give your place to someone more important.”  (Chapter 25 : 6 – 7)

Humility is an important virtue to be practiced by a follower of Christ.  Lord Jesus is the owner of a heart full of meekness and humbleness.  St. Paul provides insight regarding the humility of Christ Jesus, “He always had the nature of God, but He did not think that by force He should try to become equal with God.  Instead of this, of His own free will, He gave up all He had and took the nature of a servant...”  (Philippians 2 : 6 – 7)

Here St. Paul advises us to imitate Christ Jesus and to realign ourselves according to the teachings of the Word of God to adorn the nature of the Lord.  So also he instructs us, “Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble towards one another, always considering others better than yourselves.”  (Philippians 2: 3)  The Lord reprimands the proud and blesses the loyal.  St. Peter puts it this way, “God resists the proud, but shows favour to the humble.  Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that He will lift you up in His own good time.”  (1 Peter 5 : 6 – 7)

God cannot tolerate pride and arrogance.   Humility is a gift from the Holy Spirit and to avail it one must get rid of pride and arrogance.  Lord Jesus sternly corrected the pride, prejudice and cowardness of the Pharisees.  If the Lord is against you, human wisdom, brilliance and insight are of no help.  The ‘superiority’ or ‘I know everything’ attitude makes you to do foolishness and thereby become a victim of insult.  It will push you to interfere in others’ matters and take you to unworthy places. 

Those who are honest and accept their status modestly, choosing to remain in a position of humility can be honoured in the Kingdom.  Let us take stock of our lives and learn to be content with what we have and be a stronger person.  Lord Jesus clearly indicates that God will carry out His judgment on the same principle. 

And finally He turned to the host and added, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner do not invite your friends or brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbours, for they will invite you back and in this way you will be paid for what you did.’ People are often mistaken when this sentence is taken out of context.  In fact, Lord Jesus very beautifully informs us that if you feed the rich people for the sake of a mercy deed, the reward for your good deed will be repaid by them.  Lord Jesus never meant not to invite benefactors or well wishers to your feasts; instead He depicts in attractive human terms to feed the poor and hungry who are unable to repay your good gesture.

The Lord was reminding us that the Gracious God has provided and blessed the world in abundance so that all the people can enjoy and have sufficiently. Only if the rich would open up their hearts and store rooms generously to the poor and deprived people, then no more will there be any poverty.

…. by a Guest Writer