Humility

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Just the beginning of this parable should warn us of what is to come.  He addressed it to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. That’s certainly not us!  However, if we switch “despised” for “disliked” or “doubted” we might get close.  

Some of us might say: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous.” No humility there. Most of us, especially during Lent, likely will say: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”  That’s realistic, truthful, and humble.

There’s a lot to say about humility such as: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Putting ourselves up on pedestals to display our supposed grandeur is a good place for us to be pelted and pulled down.  Sitting at the head of the table to highlight our assumed superiority is an invitation for Jesus to pull the chair out from under us.  

We are sinners.  We need mercy, and the Lord provides it.  However, mercy might be in short supply when we exalt ourselves in rank, power, and/or character.

Aesop gave us this fable about humility: “The Wolf and the Lion.”  Roaming by the mountainside at sundown, a Wolf saw his own shadow become greatly extended and magnified. He said to himself, “Why should I, being of such an immense size and extending nearly an acre in length, be afraid of the Lion? Ought I not to be acknowledged as King of all the collected beasts?”

While he was indulging in these thoughts, a Lion fell upon him and killed him. He exclaimed with a too late repentance, “Worthless me! This overestimation of myself is the cause of my destruction.”

Let's watch out for those lions.

Deacon David Pierce