Oh, Lord, It's Hard to be Humble

How in the world does anyone teach and model humility now? We live in a culture in which athletes are praised and rewarded if they pay more attention to their own statistics and salaries more than they pay attention to the success of teammates and the team as a whole. In a world of reality (pseudo-reality) entertainment we're buying into the belief that anyone can be a star at any time. Seek more than just your fifteen minutes of fame; broadcast yourself, as YouTube urges. Get the glory, one way or another.

So, Jesus is just as counter-cultural now as he was then...The Sunday before Easter, known through Christian history as "Palm Sunday" or "Passion Sunday," commemorates Jesus entering Jerusalem for the Passover festival. As recorded in the Christian Bible, he entered to the adoration of a crowd of people. Had he done it now, trust me, he would have been on YouTube several times over. It was a glory moment for him. However, he chose to make it a moment of humility. Rather than entering Jerusalem like a conquering hero, he rode in like a poor, common traveler. He did this by design. The full expression of the intentional level of Jesus' humility is found in the song/creed expressed in Philippians 2:1-11. If you have a Bible, read it. If you don't have a hard copy, find an on-line version. Then consider the following:

What is the nature of Jesus' humility?

Jesus' humility happened by choice, not by accident or circumstances. Why is that important?

Why does Jesus' glory depend on his humility?

If we are to be like Jesus, how do we choose humility in a "look-at-me" culture? What does that look like?

Something to think about. More than that, something on which to act. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.