Pastor John Wright

Humility is an interesting Christian virtue. It is not self-evident what it really means. Early Christians were accused of being "arrogant" and "proud" by those who were killing them., while Christians saw themselves as the very definition of humililty. "Pride" and "arrogance" become accusations to try to force a conformity to the particularity of a majority's social norms rather than the particularity of the norms given to us by Jesus Christ. No one accuses one today of lack of humility for asserting 2 + 2 = 4; it is not unusual at all to be accused of arrogance for asserting "Jesus Christ is Lord". Perhaps these are two different different types of claims; yet it highlights the struggle we have with maintaining the truthfulness of Christian convictions in a culture that one's to reduce them to "personal values," and therefore outside claims of truthfulness. Humility now is seen as a virtue concerning about the self in relationship to other selves -- a necessary internal quality that we need for "toleration" to allow the state to enforce the law. I'm a sinner; therefore I must tolerate your sin as well; if you or I get too far out of hand and violate the law, the state will take over. We think humility means to suppress our self-interest so that others might express their own self-interest in ways that are meaningful to them. Subtly we are formed by the politics of the world rather than that of the body of Christ. Our Scripture readings this week take us to humility as a Christian virtue, a quality necessary for the Spirit to sanctify us, rather than to make us tolerant. We are called to something much stronger than tolerance: love of enemy, doing good to those who hate us.

Talal Asad, a social anthropologist, has a wonderful discussion of the medieval Christian concept of humility that I think can help us hear our Scriptures. Humility is crucial, not as a virtue to relate to other humans, but in relationship to God. It must be learned to receive the Sacraments properly (and in this, we could include Scripture study) in order to have the Spirit form us into people who might be entirely sanctified, ie, live fully obedient to God in Jesus Christ. Here is a quote from Asad as he explains Hugh of St. Victor:

"having disobeyed God through pride, man [humanity] is not obliged to subject himself to . . . material elements of the sacrament, which are by nature below him in the scheme of creation: 'there is no one, indeed, who does not know that rational man exists suprior by foundation to the mute and insensible elements, and yet when this man is ordered to seek his salvation in these, to try the virtue of his obedience, what else is this than that a superior is subject to an inferior?'" (Asad, Genealogies of Religion, pp. 155-56). Humility is necessary to receive the sacraments to form the will to obey God. Humility is a necessary virtue that leads to obedience. Therefore, "humiliation ensures that obedience as an act of the will is at once a precondition, a continuous accompaniment, and the ultimate objective of Christian rites restoring purity" (p. 157). Perhaps we can read our Jeremiah text, then the Gospel, and then to what seems an entirely "prideful" statement from 2 Timothy that is really an expression of humility.

Jeremiah 14:1-10,19-22

Given the devastation of the fires around us, the Jeremiah passage speaks deeply as it speaks of the natural disaster of a draught that the poor land of Judah experiences. In the passage, how bad are things? How does the passage in light of the position call for a "humiliation" through a confession of sin? What is God's response? When in the passage does God stop speaking and the voice of the confessor begin again? Why is it important to realize that "there is no healing in us"? How does relate to the hope stated at the end of the passage?

Luke 18:9-14

As you read this passage, with whom does Jesus ask us to identify? Why is the text collector made just, made righteous (justified) rather than the Pharisee? To whom does the Pharisee primarily exalt himself in the passage and to whom does the tax collector humble himself? (This is easily missed in interpretation today that sees humility primarily related to tolerance of another). Who will do the exaltation of the humble? Why is confession of sin necessary to become just? How is it related to obedience?

2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18

I read this passage last night at Bread of Life. The congregation there received these words in their power. Discuss the relationship between the statement of being "already poured out as a libation and the time of my departure has come" with the affirmations of victory. What is the relationship between the humiliation and the victory?

It is difficult to accept humility, even humiliation, as a virtue related to the purifying of our character by the Holy Spirit to permit obedience to God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ. How does humility help us in our worship of listening to Christ in the Word proclaimed and received in the Sacraments? How is humility related to our engaging in the works of mercy? What's the difference in engaging the works of mercy out of humility rather than the pride of achievement?

Have a wonderful evening! I pray that you all stay safe. Pray for those who are suffering, not only those suffering homelessness from the fire, but also those who daily live without adequate shelter in our area and in the world.