Why is humility so hard for us to grasp? Martin Luther once said; "True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue." Another way I've heard is said; "The fastest way to cure a man of humility is to tell him he is humble." The Bible is full of humble people, but it says of Moses... "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the Earth." Num 12:3
In the midst of his brother's and sister's grumblings he maintains a humble posture. Aaron and Mariam were jealous of their brother and began to undermine his authority. God struck Miriam with leprosy in anger and Moses pleaded for his Sister, who moments before had been attacking him. Moses continually did the same for the entire people of Israel despite there constant state of rebellion.
We are wired for rebellion. It is in our nature to be self-centered, we need only read the daily news to see the evidence. Yet, there are gleaming flickers of other-centeredness. Sometimes they come from followers of Jesus, sometimes not. The scriptures teach that all humanity was made in God's image, that we all bear the signature of our maker. By choosing to learn of good from evil through disobedience rather than obedience we became defined by rebellion. While our rebellion has marred that signature, there are still flickers of love and kindness, traces of our makers intent.
Jesus came not to simply "clear our name," changing our circumstances as Moses did for Miriam. This would be simply a first order change, a shift in the external. God's desire for us is that of a second order change, an change in our very nature. Jesus came to put our rebellious self to death, raising up a new self born in humility (John 3). I can't remember where I heard it, but may favorite definition of humility goes something like this... Humility is seeing God for who he is, and seeing our selves in light of that fact.
The fact that God ascribes to us unsurpassable worth, calls us to do the same for others (Philippians 2). May we invite Christ to put rebellion to death and become truly other-centered today and everyday.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
